| Men have been experimenting with weird fuel | | | | alcohol. Methanol has advantages that when used |
| concoctions since man tamed fire. Even from the | | | | as a motor fuel it has an extremely high octane |
| beginnings of fire it was obvious that the hotter | | | | value. In addition methanol absorbs a great deal of |
| fuel would give the best results. This more than | | | | heat when it evaporates in the manifold cooling |
| translates the right fuel would mean top speeds | | | | down the front end of the engine - allowing for |
| for racing cars. After all the best burning fuel | | | | more concentrated fuel that is wonderful for |
| would give the faster camshafts to win the race. | | | | horsepower. Methanol's disadvantage as a fuel are |
| Eve with the technologically advanced fuels we still | | | | that it contains a lot less heat value per pound |
| do not know what the upper limits of | | | | than gasoline , so miles per a gallon are about cut |
| performance potential might be with the most | | | | in half. |
| potent fuels. | | | | Benzoil or Benzene is a coal tar derivative, and |
| The conventional automotive piston engine was | | | | weighs about 7.3 lbs. per gallon, whereas gasoline |
| designed to run on straight gasoline fuels. The | | | | weighs about 6 lbs. Benzene's chief advantage lies |
| major problems in this case was to get sufficient | | | | in its very high heat value, for good tank mileage, |
| fuel octane ratings to prevent excessive | | | | with reasonable octane ratings. |
| detonation , or knock , to prevent excessive | | | | Acetone is a solvent distilled from calcium acetate. |
| detonation, Detonation of course is a sudden , | | | | Acetone has a very high octane rating (150 in a |
| uncontrolled explosion of the last part of the | | | | rich mixture). Acetone's main use is as a blending |
| gas-oil mixture. This uncontrolled explosion of gas | | | | agent for mixing gasoline and alcohol. The ability of |
| in your engine, not only reduces power, but can | | | | alcohol in dissolved gas falls off as the purity of |
| easily cause engine damage, breaking piston rings | | | | the alcohol decreases. In addition the two will |
| and even the pistons themselves. Simply put if | | | | separate over time, if left alone. |
| you have enough octane to prevent detonation | | | | So acetone is generally added in 5 to 10 % |
| there is not much else that can be done to get | | | | amounts to stabilize the alcohol / gasoline mixture. |
| additional power out of gasoline. | | | | It works wonderfully well m and is not too |
| It is a different story when you are free to use | | | | expensive in these small amounts. Simply put |
| fuels other than gasoline. These potent non | | | | blending blend gasoline and alcohol together is a |
| gasoline fuels can boost the power in the engine in | | | | good compromise between horsepower and tank |
| three general ways 1) They give you a much | | | | mileage. |
| higher octane than you get with your conventional | | | | Lastly Nitromethane or "nitroparaffin" compounds |
| commercial gas that you buy at the pump 2) | | | | contain a substantial amount of oxygen that is |
| they can give you much more cooling effect | | | | released in combustion so they are technically |
| when they evaporate in the manifold , which | | | | explosives. In simpler terms this means that you |
| contracts the fuel-air charge so that your draws | | | | can burn nitro without a corresponding amount of |
| in a much greater of weight of mixture on each | | | | air present - hence power can be increased up to |
| action stroke 3) by using fuels containing | | | | point, by merely richening the fuel/ air ratio. Holy |
| releasable oxygen you can get combustion | | | | cow! Even though Nitro is fairly expensive, engines |
| without a corresponding amount of air prevent - | | | | have to be set up exactly to handle the heat, |
| which means that you can literally pour on the | | | | mileage is not that great, and Nitro as well has an |
| horsepower in your racing engine with as liquid fuel | | | | unwarranted safety concern. The biggest concern |
| that can possibly be poured into your engine. The | | | | with Nitro is that the engine has to be set up |
| sky is the limit on the last trick. This is because it | | | | exactly exactly right. Otherwise the engine can |
| is much harder to get air in and out of a cylinder | | | | actually blow up on the first full throttle. In addition |
| than it is liquid fuel, because of the large volume | | | | if the engine is not set up exactly the extra heat |
| per pound of air/ anytime we can get some | | | | and pressure on the engine can make it difficult to |
| additional oxygen into the cylinder in high density | | | | maintain engines over time. Engines running on 90 |
| liquid form, horsepower is bound to skyrocket. | | | | % or more Nitromethane have shown more than |
| This in essence is the secret of Nitro fuels. | | | | twice as much horsepower as similar settings on |
| Among the more popular "hot fuels "are Methanol, | | | | gasoline. When blended with methanol power |
| Benzoil, Acetone and Nitromethane. Each of these | | | | increases of 30 and 40 % are common. |
| "hot fuels "have its advantages and disadvantages | | | | In the end it's all about the boys and their toys. |
| as well as its groups of proponents and | | | | Those with these odd fuel concoctions are usually |
| detractors. | | | | the winners in the race. |
| Methanol is the chemical name for simple wood | | | | |