Why different mixtures of methanol

[tomcat]

Just wondering what the advantages of adding h2o to the methanol is for cooling , I have a supercharged engine with a wipple on it at 8psi , currently using a crude h2o injection system before the blower to try and help cool the intake charge.
I have been planning to convert to a methanol; injection system but are worried about the effect on the blower casing and rotors , and was also wondering what the advantages of mixing with h2o are - does it stabilize the methanol , make it less corrosive or less likely to evapoate and turn into a gouey mess ????

[hotrod]

There are several issues that mixing water effect.

The water on a pound for pound basis, absorbes more energy as it evaporates than methanol does, but it evaporates more slowly.

The addition of water to the methanol does reduce its effects on seals and such if they are not fully resistant to methanol.

Methanol alone has very poor lubricating characteristics and so will cause some metals to sieze or gall when they slide against each other. The addition of water will help with this. In alcohol fuel burning engines they sometimes need to use metals that have good self lubricating effects in carburators and injectors to prevent sticking in a pure alcohol fuel, or add a special alcohol compatible lubricant in small amounts.

In high concentrations and injection rates the alcohol can act more like a fuel than a coolant. As you increase the portion of alcohol injected, your releasing more energy in the cylinder as the combined gasoline and alcohol burn. At some point the energy released by the extra alcohol can overwhelm the cooling effect of the injection system and your exhaust gas temperatures go back up.

Each engine and its tuning is some what unique so you will need to experiment a bit with it to find out what mixture and injection rate your engine and supercharging system produces the most power with.

I know one tuner in the UK that started out using the recommended 50/50 mix and discovered that on his engine he got better results with straight methanol.

Over many years it has been found that in general, injection mixtures of 50/50 or less water/methanol work best, except when severe cold requires higher mixtures for freeze protection.

Larry

[TurboGTi]

Just to confirm
Methonol is compatable with Aquamist?

Also will 50/50 mix methonol/water do any damage to my engine??????

[Charged Performance]

Aquamist components will withstand methanol mixtures with water up to a 50/50 ratio (concentration) level. Stronger mixtures will swell various important gaskets/seals.

[TurboGTi]

Good to know that aquamist is ok with Meth..!
I've found some methanol locaally and willl be purchasing a 4l bottle and testing it out this weekend...!


Do you guys have any advise for me..
handling
Tuning
etc. ?

[Charged Performance]

Hot Rod posted a link in another thread on the toxicity and handling of methanol. My short cut is to treat it like gasoline (try not to get contact with skin, breath the fumes, drink it, etc.)

Tuning is pretty close to like water injection in general except now that you are adding more "fuel" through the water injection you can lean out the gasoline mixture a little bit where you are injecting the mixture.