methanol mixed with gasoline discussion

[clintster7]

hello I am trying to find any information on mixing methanol and gas in a 50/50 mix .. it is for a drag car and is not for the street .. the only research I have found was on small amounts of methanol added to gas as a octane booster but the mix was only less than 5% methanol and also had additives with it .
and on the other end of the spectrum M85 was 85% methanol and 15% gas .. I have not found much on what additives would be needed to make sure the 50/50 mix will stay mixed ..( acetone ) has been one mentioned because it is a solvent from what I understand ..

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I would talk to carb manufacturers or someone at the strip that runs methanol about carb jetting and co-solvents.

 

[clintster7]

ok I will explain what I am trying to accomplish with a 50/50 methanol/gas mix ..

I am going to buy an 750 cfm carb setup for E85 if I can come up with an alternative fuel I could run in an emergency because E85 is available 4 hours from here and I am not sure I will always be able to make the trip ( just saying ) If I am going to commit to buying a dedicated E85 750 cfm carb I will need an emergency fuel to race on if necessary .

This is my brain storm

The correct air/fuel ratio for E85 is 9.76:1

In an emergency couldn't I make my own 9.76:1 fuel .

Methanol is 6.4 :1 and gas is 14.7:1 ..

14.7 - 6.4 = 8.3
8.3 / 2 = 4.15
so (gas)14.7 - 4.15 = 10.55:1

a 50/50 mix of gas/methanol would come out to a 10.55 :1 a/f ratio ( is that correct ?)

If this is correct is 10.55:1 close enough to e85's A/F ratio that I could race it with the same setup

 

[flacoman]

http://49ccscoot.com/calculators.html
Here's a start.
With more gasoline and less alcohol, the net result should be richer,because gasoline has a higher energy density

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Methanol is very corrosive - you have to get the carb, pump lines, pickup, tank set up for it and use co-solvents - carb may require much more than a different float. Plus you dont run stoic under acceleration depending on engine you are running 9 > 12/1 with gasoline WOT for maximum torque. Alky maybe 5/1 ?? A home modded std carb prob could not flow that much fuel.

 

[clintster7]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Methanol is very corrosive - you have to get the carb, pump lines, pickup, tank set up for it and use co-solvents - carb may require much more than a different float. Plus you dont run stoic under acceleration depending on engine you are running 9 > 12/1 with gasoline WOT for maximum torque. Alky maybe 5/1 ?? A home modded std carb prob could not flow that much fuel.


oh for sure . it will be set up for E85 methanol but I want to have more than one fuel available to me .. the flow of the methanol fuel will match the flow of E85 and its more like matching the fuel to the carb instead of matching the floats and jets to the fuel ..

example a 10.55 : 1 ratio is a 10.55 ratio no mater what the fuel but that is not mean that any fuel at a 10.55:1 ratio will burn correctly .. with the correct mix of gas and methanol I can mimic the same a/f ratio of E85 and it be the correct ratio for the burn..

I am just trying to figure out if gas and methanol can be mixed together in any ratio without additives and it not separate or do something unexpected .. as far as corrosiveness I would not think that a 50/50 mix of gas/methanol would be any more corrosive than a 85% mix of ethanol and 15% gas (E85).. unless the mix will just separate and not suspend water in the mix ..

from what I have read so far said that methanol will not hold as much water as ethanol will .. and once methanol or ethanol reach there saturation point then thats when the mix will separate . dont take the last statement as truth.

 

[clintster7]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Methanol is very corrosive - you have to get the carb, pump lines, pickup, tank set up for it and use co-solvents -


can you point me in the correct direction to find the most cost effective co-solvent .. I have ran across isopropanol or acetone as a possibility.. isopropanol is used in the making of Acetone

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I think you may want ATF and some toluene and or Xylene. See that Blending link flacoman posted above. Methanol is MUCH more corrosive than ethanol and it only takes a little water in either alcohol blend for them to phase spearate. I would try to talk to some guys at the strip running alky. Or Find a better forum than this one