A lot of cunfusion regarding Alcohol.

[JimP]

Hi Guys and Gals, I've read a few posts and it seems there is some confusion as well as concern regarding the prices of "Alcohol" and "Methanol" for those running Alky Injection.

I use Methyl Hydrate, "Methyl Hydrate is a synonym for Methanol" you can buy it at Home Depot, Lowe's, RONA, Home Hardware, ACE, just about anywhere they sell paint.

I have run pump gas with 26 lbs of boost with no knock, I have an older SMC type kit where the pump is submerged. Boost is provided by a PTE-61, I also have a cotton front mount intercooler, 60# injectors and ATR double pumpers which are hotwired.

I Have used gallons and gallons of this stuff with no problems or issues what so ever. In my case I have to add a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil since my kit requires lube for the pump, a few squirts of WD-40 also works. It can be used straight up or mixed with water and it's cheap about $6.00 for a gallon in Canada, it's much less in the U.S. (I have done a search on line and found it for $3.99 a gallon U.S.) I have used it both mixed and straight up. Now I just run it straight.

Other friends who are also using forced induction are using Methyl Hydrate as well with no issues what so ever.

If in your hunt for the product, Methyl hydrate is also called methanol, methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, and stove fuel for small camping alcohol stoves. It's almost always found as 99.9 % pure.

For those running into cost issues and supply issues with "Methanol" this is always available, and as I mentioned relatively cheap. Save your money guys and you can get this almost anywhere. I usually buy 4 x1 gallon containers at a time. As I mentioned I have been using this with no issues and yes I have used "Methanol" no difference in performance what so ever.

I've attached a couple of pics of the containers I have found. RecoChem's also comes in 4L or 1 Gallon jugs. The other pic is RONA's brand. Home Depot sells the 4L RecoChem and it's cheaper than at RONA's brand. Walmart had the RecoChem but i haven't been there to look for it in a while.

I hope this helps someone and doesn't add to the confusion.

Jim

 

[Bens87tr]

Is it as refined as Methanol from a racing source? That would be my only concern without knowing any of the specifics.

 

[VadersV6]

Based on research numbers I found on petroleum distillates, meta-xylene is far superior to anything out there. There is something like 3 different flavors of xylene and this is the best in terms of having the highest autoignition temperature, octane and a few other things. Not sure how corrosive it is, but it seems to offer alot more. Regular store bought xylene is still way better than any alky or methanol out there. Some day when I get my junk back on the road, I intend to try this out.
Good find though!

 

[Madcat455]

NONE of the hardware stores around here carry that... including Home Depot and Lowes:frown: :frown:


Damn meth heads... I even have to show ID to buy a gallon of Denatured

 

[Sleeper-6]

be careful what system you put xylene through. Any petrolium products or aromatics are no good for the PAC pump. Not sure about the others. If you're building your own setup to handle them then more power to you. Let us know how it works out.

 

[Real-T]

Methyl Hydrate in the form that JimP is talking about is not as refined as that from a racing source, but is darn close. Close enough to justify the ease of finding it and the price.

Info on it says it is roughly 99.97% pure.

Now the reason why you may not be able to find it is because I think it is a controlled substance here in the US whereas it is readily available in Canada.

But on the flipside, I think you can find Denatured alcohol here in the US easily, whereas in Canada you have to go to certain places and even then it is usually marked as "Stove Fuel".

The reason why I know this is that up until Oct 2007 I lived in Canada and used Methyl Hydrate in my TR with great results.

I have recently moved here to the US and have talked to other Buick guys and it seems Methanol is hard to come other than race fuel sources by and Methyl Hydrate isn't even heard of.....

 

[V6POWER]

Regular store bought xylene is still way better than any alky or methanol out there.

I am curious as to what info do you base this statement on? Thanks.

 

[Cme2fly]

Regular store bought xylene is still way better than any alky or methanol out there.

As sleeper-6 stated above Julio's pumps (ALKY Control) are not compatible with petroleum based products..

 

[VadersV6]

I am curious as to what info do you base this statement on? Thanks.

meta-xylene 162 : 124 : 138 : 0.868 : 463

162 Research Octane Number.
124 Motor octane Number
138 C Boiling Point
.868 Density
463 Autoignition Temperature.

methanol 133 : 105 : 65 : 0.796 : 385
isopropyl alcohol 118 : 98 : 82 : 0.790 : 399


Everything about xylene is better on paper. In the real world, I guess no one will know till they try it at the track and see if they can run more timing and boost without adding more spray.

This was from a paper I found in august 06...Cant believe its been this long.
The post was from here:
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/general-turbo-buick-tech/194022-what-do-you-think-home-brew-octane-booster.html
And the actual paper is here:
Gasoline FAQ - Part 2 of 4

Should probably bookmark that paper. Ive had to look it up several times and since I never bookmarked it, I had to do a wild goose chase to find it every time. I finally remembered to bookmark it this time.

Unfortunately, xylene in an aromatic, and aromatics are super toxic and cause lots of health problems, like benzene, which I was bathing in practically, for years before the state finally made shops go green with chemicals. I was in there in the last years before everything changed, and I was saturated in serious chemicals for many years and had alot of health issues...pneumonia, bronchitis 6-8 times a year, coughing up blood, strange benign tumors growing on my hands, vision problems, etc. The whole time, my bosses were mocking me and calling me a faggot cause I was having a reaction to everything. I remember how incredibly pungent the honing oil was. The fumes were so unbearable you wouldnt believe it. The whole time I'd be honing a block, I'd have my head turned and Id take tiny gasps of air from behind me, since the fumes would make you almost pass out if you didnt breath that way. Wearing a mask all day in 110 degree weather just doesnt work. A film of oil would coat my eyes (just from the fumes alone) and I couldnt see, and my left eye's vision went bad, and the oil would soak into my skin, and Id sweat it back out through the pores on my whole body. My clothes reeked of this sour, pungent disgusting smell from my sweat. Good thing I was eating healthy and sweating so much from all the exercise all those years...my body was at least getting all that crap out somehow. Another guy working there had what looked like massive barnacles growing all over his legs from the splash off from the hot tank. It wasnt specific to where I was working. Unfortunately, the whole industry was killing people with this crap.

According to this paper, xylene also creates alot of ozone, which is good for our environment, lol. Methanol is bad.

 

[BarnesGN]

Remind me to never work there.

 

[V6POWER]

VadersV6--Thanks for the info.

 

[turbofabricator]

This is what my car seems to REALLY like. When I use this it runs like the dickens for about a half hour, then it tends to end up MUCH slower. I just can't figure it out. But, if I put anything else in the tank, it just coughs and farts. Dump this into the tank and it just flat RIPS!!!! But, alas all good things must pass, and the poor car just wants to take a nap. Three hours later it'll start up and run great. Maybe the coil pack is going south. Anyone else try this?

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/06/hardees_badthings/image/smirnoff.jpg