Methanol Injection on low Boost LT1 (9 psi)

[jack46]

I am considering a progressive Methanol injection system. I understand they are 'effective' by lowering intake and combustion temperatures, increasing effective octane, which allow higher timing, and allow higher AFR's etc. The advertisements are intriguing, and the rationale seems logical, but does anyone have real world experience?

 

I will buy a MAF calibrated unit and add a boost switch to have it progressively spray starting 10% at say 150 AFGS/sec to 100 % at 450 AFGS. The controller has the ability to alter the injection pressure based on the MAF reading, and a boost switch will simply allow me to send the MAF signal once my set point for boost is reached.

 

I am intercooled so my inlet air temperatures are decent, boost is low (9 psi) so on the face it sounds less effective, but since it also should make it safer seems like a good route.

 

It is an LT1 with aluminum, 9:1, with small cam

 

Thanks

Jack

[dustin280zx]

You should be fine with 9 pounds of boost on pump gas. Most people that get meth kits are because they want to run high boost and pump gas.

[jack46]

Yes the car does run fine at 9 psi. I tune it and get mild timing, but what I want to do is to increase my margin of safety while getting more from the boost.

 

I presently make ~400 RWHP, but with pump gas my timing is mild. If I could run more timing that same boost point probably will yeild 425+ and be safer. This for a modest investment while avoiding the cost per gallon of 93 while adding a $1.50 gallon of window cleaner, that is what I am looking to discuss.

 

I have run 11 psi no problem BUT I want to look into running higher AFR and more timing therefore, making more power for a given point.

 

I guess I worded it poorly I am trying to squeeze more from the setup not asking will my setup work, I know it does.

 

Also this is a test for my other system which will run higher boost, since it is a built engine cheaper to experiment on this setup.

[Evan Purple240zt]

Austin (who is browsing this thread right now) sold me his alky control progressive setup.

 

Scotty and Garrett 76zt run it too.

 

I don't really understand what your looking to do. From what I understand talking to Garrett, alky likes boost and not so much timing. He told me that you cannot be as aggressive with timing on alky as on race fuel.

 

This is not my personal experience, but Garret runs a TON of alky on his turbo setup and makes big power.

 

Evan

[jack46]

Nevermind this is not going where I wanted. Thanks for the help I found the answer already the following is what I was trying to find and already believed is true.

 

What is Water/Methanol Injection?

 

Water Injection or Water Methanol Injection, is a process by which a mixture or water and Methanol are injected into the fuel/air mixture on the way to the combustion chamber. Water/Methanol Injection provides "Chemical Intercooling" inside the cylinder. By injecting water and methanol in a finely atomized spray, the water is able to evaporate under the high temps of a firing cylinder, and when the water evaporates, it takes heat with it. The methanol also has a cooling and octane boosting effect as it burns.

 

How does water/methanol injection allow your engine to produce more power?

 

The production of more power by a water/meth injected engine is not a by-product of the water/meth mixture alone. You must tune for it to get the most out of it. The evaporative effects of the water/meth mixture, plus the octane boost, allows you to run more advanced timing, and boost, thus increasing power. Methanol having the octane boosting effect, you can adjust your AFR's with tuning, and be able to run the same AFR as a pump gas tune with less fuel added to the fuel map of your engine managment. When the system is spraying, methanol is making up for the fuel that gets taken away during the tuning process. You end up with about same 12.5:1 or so AFR with less pump gas added, you also increase knock resistance, and due to the octane boosting effect, you can add timing and boost to make more power safely.

[Evan Purple240zt]

Nice post, where did you score the info from?

[jack46]

I found the exerp I posted here

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=937176

 

I haven't read the entire thread, but seems to be a gold mine for facts on Methanol injection. I have read many 'I thinks', but this thread seems to have some facts to back up the 'I thinks'.

 

Since pistons' cost more than a good methanol injection system, and changing pistons is a job I hate to do, I want to add as much margin as possible. Power is good, but power with great reliability is the best!