Methanol injectors..

[Seth Allen]

On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Michael D. Porter wrote:
> 
> Seth Allen wrote:
> > 
> > Hi there,
> > I am wondering if anyone out there has any experience with methanol
> > resistant efi injectors.
> 
> Only with diesels... and it eats `em up, along with everything else.
> Don't waste your time with methanol.
> 
> > Besides an intercooler, I want to have a multi stage pressure switch thst
> > will signal roughly the amt of boost and batch fire  4 methanol injectors
> > for additional fuel and significant intake charge cooling.  I can
> > fabricate a tank, and get a pump, but i amtrying to find reasonably
> > priced methanol, or methanol resistant injectors.
> 
> Most brass injectors fare better than one might expect with alcohols,
> but methanol still causes big problems, if only because there's
> virtually no lubricity in the fuel--it eats injectors, pumps and engine
> internal parts and who knows what else. The problem is not just the
> injectors.  It's the whole system. We put steel-geared transfer pumps on
> buses running methanol and they were gone in a matter of days--finally
> helped the problem by installing glass-filled nylon gears in the pumps. 
> Alcohols cut oil's lubricity, so you get top-end and ring wear at an
> accelerated rate. A better possibility is ethanol--there are lubricating
> additives for that fuel which are proven to work, and the corrosion
> problems are fewer with ethanol.  Further, it's easier to get than
> methanol (in denatured form), and in terms of price/BTU value, far
> cheaper.  
> Cheers.  
> 
> -- 
> My other Triumph doesn't run, either....
> 
Methanol buses, huh? where do (did) busues run on methanol?  

Thanks for the input, I can get a reasonably priced 40 psi (2.8 bar) 
methanol proof (so they say) fuel pump, and I can fabricate stainless 
plumbing.  I am not too worried about accelerated wear, as the methanol 
injection is only under elevated boost levels (above 6 psig or 0.4 bar). 
And 1800cc VW engines are cheap and easily found, if wear becomes a huge 
issue.  

My main reason for choosing methanol is the latent heat of vaporization.  
I suppose ethanol is probably similar in this respect, but I believe that 
ethanol has a lower octane equivalence number.  Based on your input, i 
will consider ethanol with an additive.  Or perhaps a methanol/ gasoline 
blend.  The primary CIS system will still be running unleaded gasoline.

Ideally, i hope to get enough intake air cooling with evaporation of an 
alcohol so that an intercooler becomes unnecessary.

Thanks again for the input,

Seth