patrick bailey wrote:
>
> Would we have to rebuild our engines to run alcohol?I understand that
> Indy cars have to have their engines flushed out with gasoline after
> each race due to the corrosive effects of the stuff they are
> running,which I think is methynol...Pat
No, you don't have to rebuild it. But, you can to take advantage of
the higher octane of alcohol by running higher compression, timing,
etc.
Someone brought up the question of seals too. Alcohol is a 'dry' fuel
inthat it doesn't lubricate like gas. This can be a problem for
some fuel pumps, but most can handle it. As far a alcohol being harder
on fuel lines? No, gas is much more of a solvent, therefore 'harsher'.
There is the theory of 'Chemical Memory', brought up with oxygenated
fuels, low sulpher diesel, etc. This is the theory that a hose or
seal or whatever, that has been soaking in a consistant type of fuel,
will react negativily to a different fuel. Studies (Mercedes and
Detroit Diesel) have shown that these seals and hoses with the 'Chemical
Memory' were at the end (or beyond) their service life anyway, and the
change in fuel type was just the last straw. Neoprene seals, and
modern hoses, can handle alot, alcohol is pretty tame compaired to many
fuels.
Methanol alcohol is pretty tame too, but I'm willing to bet the Indy
cars are mixing a coctail fuel. The corrosive fuel many people think
of is Nitromethane, the big daddy fuel of drag racing. Fun stuff!
It's very corrosive to copper and copper alloys like brass, bronze, etc.
It can be corrosive to steel when there's water in the fuel too, kind of
like salt and water rusting car bodies quicker than just water alone.
Nitro is usually mixed with Methanol alcohol (or Benzol) to desensitize
it, ie make it safer. Usually about a %70 Meth/%30 Nitro mixture.
Gosh, talking about Nitro on a MG list, what's next..........
-Aron-
"in a frenzy"
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