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Maintenance on Alcohol Engines #2942544
07/13/21 07:36 AM
07/13/21 07:36 AM
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maximus Offline OP
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What is the maintenance of an alcohol burning engine? Both at the track after a run and at the end of the weekend racing? I heard flushing the fuel system and oil changes are needed often. What's your routine?

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2942553
07/13/21 08:29 AM
07/13/21 08:29 AM
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While I don't personally run it, I have talked with a guy that does all the time, and he said his #1 thing is, at the end of the day racing, he puts the car in the trailer immediately, and removes the valve covers to let the engine breathe. First thing in the morning, check lash real quick, and reinstall the valve covers.


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Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: JERICOGTX] #2942560
07/13/21 09:18 AM
07/13/21 09:18 AM
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Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
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I was going to run it NA, but I just went to race gas route due to our infrequent events and the cost to switch. The one thing I noticed was, anyone running it, was running a vacuum pump. All of them said it was to keep the oil from turning milky. Most said once they added the vacuum pump, life was good.


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Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: Dragula] #2942570
07/13/21 10:20 AM
07/13/21 10:20 AM
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pittsburghracer Offline
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Once you learn the secret to alcohol (heat) you I’ll never want to go back to gas on a drag race only vehicle. I have a half inch ball valve that I can open to assist heat build up, nothing fancy here. I do not run a vacuum pump. I get my car up to at least 190 degrees to heat soak the engine before my first pass. I can also use the valve to get me to 180 degree race temp. After a pass it will start cooling down on the return road so I will shut off the water pump and fan to build heat while driving to my pit spot. At the end of the night I get it in the trailer ASAP if possible, not always. My fuel comes from my buddy for 170.00 for 54 gallons with top cylinder lube already added. You don’t start up the car at home, rev it up a few times to impress your buddies and shut it off because you just made water. If you follow those simple rules it’s a great start. Next post I will talk about the carb. Ohh I could go a season on probably two oil changes and I race quite a bit.

Last edited by pittsburghracer; 07/13/21 10:21 AM.

1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: pittsburghracer] #2942597
07/13/21 11:18 AM
07/13/21 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by pittsburghracer

Once you learn the secret to alcohol (heat) you I’ll never want to go back to gas on a drag race only vehicle. I have a half inch ball valve that I can open to assist heat build up, nothing fancy here. I do not run a vacuum pump. I get my car up to at least 190 degrees to heat soak the engine before my first pass. I can also use the valve to get me to 180 degree race temp. After a pass it will start cooling down on the return road so I will shut off the water pump and fan to build heat while driving to my pit spot. At the end of the night I get it in the trailer ASAP if possible, not always. My fuel comes from my buddy for 170.00 for 54 gallons with top cylinder lube already added. You don’t start up the car at home, rev it up a few times to impress your buddies and shut it off because you just made water. If you follow those simple rules it’s a great start. Next post I will talk about the carb. Ohh I could go a season on probably two oil changes and I race quite a bit.
yep
Have a vacuum pump as well as a primer plus to run it on gas for warmup and to/from the lanes. Drying out the cylinders after a days racing is important, however you accomplish it. I run mechanical fuel injection which has to be run with a very fat idle mix since there are no accelerater pumps. When alky is piling up on the intake valve at idle, throttle response is explosive!
I bought the primer plus system to help dry out the motor and save on fuel.


8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2942598
07/13/21 11:27 AM
07/13/21 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by maximus
What is the maintenance of an alcohol burning engine? Both at the track after a run and at the end of the weekend racing? I heard flushing the fuel system and oil changes are needed often. What's your routine?


Really depends on how good the tune is and what the weather is like. High humidity environment is different than low humidity and EFI is totally different ball game. If you're thinking about alcohol then give Rich at FAST Man EFI a call and have him explain how EFI can solve most of the issues. He can build a tune that will lean the engine out to build heat while still making plenty of power going down the track.

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: AndyF] #2942603
07/13/21 11:52 AM
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maximus Offline OP
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What about non radiator cars like dragsters/roadsters?

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2942611
07/13/21 12:21 PM
07/13/21 12:21 PM
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Injection is a whole other story and a different set of rules. You are dealing with a crazy volume of fuel.


1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2942615
07/13/21 12:25 PM
07/13/21 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by maximus
What about non radiator cars like dragsters/roadsters?
Most of them have hidden radiators with electric fans on them scope


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2942742
07/13/21 07:39 PM
07/13/21 07:39 PM
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I I run a primer sytem with a plate under carb. I warm it up on race gas then at end of day run carb dry and run run race gas into primer to get the alc. out of engine. Works for me.

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: 426dave] #2942772
07/13/21 08:38 PM
07/13/21 08:38 PM
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I’m lucky my son started running an alcohol carb two years before me and all I did was be-itch about playing with the devil. Being is engine builder I said I would never run that crap. Well here I am and after being told the right way I’m living the dream. APD even built me an 1150 for my heads up car because it’s probably just st going to be a back up bracket car. So now I have an 850, a brand new 1000 for this years small block, and a new 1150.


1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2942810
07/13/21 09:38 PM
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E85 is way easier than straight methanol scope twocents


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: Cab_Burge] #2942840
07/13/21 11:41 PM
07/13/21 11:41 PM
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Both my cars run methanol. I wouldn’t run anything else. Both have carbs, my duster has an SV-1 my Daytona has a Rupert. Both cars are SBs. I wouldn’t waste my money on injection. Both have vacuum pumps and home built primer plus. My primer plus may be driven around for warm up or in the shop or loading into the trailer. Heat is your friend on methanol starting line temp 160-170. I always turn off the fuel pump at the end of the day and let it run dry. I also use a lean out to build heat as needed. Once I’ve warmed the engine I stay on methanol till the end of the day unless it’s cold. The primer plus really helps the hard starting in cold weather. I mix half methanol and half M-5. It’s deadly consistent too and my junk doesn’t run bad. Duster 5.6s Daytona 5.4s. Be careful not to let it absorb water. I’ve bought a hydrometer and am constantly checking it. Always keep the drum sealed. I store the drums on old 2x4s.

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: DavidDean] #2942904
07/14/21 05:56 AM
07/14/21 05:56 AM
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i run e-85.its a fu
el betwteen race gas and alky,i like it because i can get it anytime at the pump,it can milk up like alky,so you treat it like alky,i dont run a vaccum pump

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: dart games] #2942917
07/14/21 07:24 AM
07/14/21 07:24 AM
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pittsburghracer Offline
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Most of my drag race only friends made the switch to regular alcohol. Not sure why, but they did.


1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: pittsburghracer] #2943002
07/14/21 11:21 AM
07/14/21 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by pittsburghracer


Most of my drag race only friends made the switch to regular alcohol. Not sure why, but they did.

Mine did to, even the heads up racers switched to regular alcohol work up scope
I'll stick with E85 for now boogie


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: maximus] #2943777
07/15/21 11:17 PM
07/15/21 11:17 PM
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I switched to methanol a 1-1/2 years ago. will never go back to a carb again. I run a RFT. also use a primer plate for easy starting and driving in pits and return road. as for maintenance, not much more then gas. all I do is after I make a pass, I switch back to gas and let the engine warm up. once I'm back in the pits, I take off both breathers to let the moisture evaporate. so far I've had no issues.




Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: 79410aspenrt] #2943830
07/16/21 08:17 AM
07/16/21 08:17 AM
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I switched to alky last year after running E85 for years. My E85 tuneup was pretty dialed in and I havent found alcohol much better yet but I've been slowly dialing it in. The car did pickup about .08 on alky. The key to alky is heat - I added a block heater and keep it plugged in unless it sweltering hot. I also use a lean out to warm it up driving to the lanes. I rarely ever use the fan mostly just use the water pump to circulate.

I usually give a squirt of gas in the morning to ease COLD starting. COLD starts on alcohol can be slower than gas and can really take some cranking.

At the end of the day I'll make sure its as close to 200 as I can get before putting it away and I never start it if its not going to 200 to get the moisture out. No vacuum pump and I only pull the valve covers when needed. I change oil about once a year whether it needs it or not and it has looked fine so far.

Biggest difference between E85 and alky is the pump E85 would always be different station to station. I tried to use the same station but when traveling this isnt always possible and the car would occasionally move a couple numbers changing fuel at the worst time.

Alky seems to be same no matter where its from.

Last edited by 69dart; 07/16/21 08:17 AM.

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Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: 69dart] #2944241
07/17/21 11:31 AM
07/17/21 11:31 AM
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Alky is all I have ever used , two cars carbed . All of the responses are right on re maintenance .
All I would add is if you are considering changing you will need a major upgrade of fuel line and pump capacity . I use an AED carb built for my car. I have never changed jets once . Tune up is important. . End of the day I fog with wd , drain the bowls and put some wd in the bowls so it gets down into the accel pumps . I take it apart every winter and always good no corrosion .

Re: Maintenance on Alcohol Engines [Re: Wirenut] #2944393
07/17/21 09:03 PM
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I run alky injection and have a primer on mine that I use to build heat and start the car with regular pump gas. I put alky in mine back in April and haven't touched it since. I run a vacuum pump so my oil stays as clean as if it were on gas. Can run it a whole season on one oil change. At the end of the year I drain the tank, blow the lines out, spray the barrel valve and pump down with WD40 and let it set till next spring.


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