Posted by PAUL-E-D (205.221.254.38) on May 09, 2001 at 20:14:47:
In Reply to: Some facts on methanol posted by Gypsy Jim on May 09, 2001 at 19:40:44:
Not that it matters to anyone but I run methanol...in my go kart that I race. I run it in a 5hp Briggs and Straton. As Gypsy Jim says it does corrode aluminum so when the day of racing is done I gotta get all the meth out and run some gas through to keep corrosion to a minimum. Believe it or not, parts for a 5hp Briggs get expensive when they are for racing applications.
: Ethanol is a very clean burning fuel. It atomizes better than gasoline, burns smoother and has a much high octane rating. As such, you can easily run 16:1 compression. It burns slower so you need to advance the timing on your car. So why aren't we using it? It corrodes aluminum (so no more aluminum fuel lines or heads), it condenses water much more easily (more winter time fuel line freeze ups), and when it burns, you can't see the flames.
: Propane and natural gas have similar features to achohol, but it atomizes even better. By far, natural gas is the most effectient fuel for vehicles. With all the on-board computer advances, you'll most likely own a dual fuel car in the future.
: I make my students convert a Briggs and Straton engine over to various fuels as an acivity in my Energy, Power, and Transportation Systems class. I made a dynamometer for small engines and they see the effect that these fuels have on torque and horsepower.