DIY_EFI Digest V5 #112

[Mike (Perth, Western Australia)]

At 01:42 AM 21/3/2000 -0500, "Swayze" <kswayze at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>got a chance to look at the book, seems this % alcohol sensor sends
temperature and density signals to the ECM. works for ethanol and methanol.
the way its drawn in the manual looks like a capacitor. has a paragraph on
using a 'Tech 1 scan tool to determine percent methanol in the fuel,but
really just mix with known volume of water as water an alcohol are mixable.
'M85' fuel--85%methanol,15%unleaded. a few paragraphs in there on
formaldehyde as a byproduct. offhand anybody know the relative densities of
unleaded,methanol and ethanol  (vs. water).

Interesting, :) And yes Formaldehyde is produced if too rich and/or cat not
getting enough spare o2 etc.

>another question-- is methanol(ethanol) a significant knock deterrent?

Its around 100 octane - as is alcohol, though the alcohol would be better,
in that it has a little more energy per ml then methanol and er um one
could use it biologically if you get stuck in a remote location ;-)

Methane is around 120-130 octane - even better but you need heaps as its
a gas and displaces the air... Methanol though is cheaper then alcohol
but is poisonous, seeps through skin very easily into blood :(

Though octane numbers over 100 are a little meaningless IIRC - comments ?

Rgds

:) mike

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