What kind of mods, what do I need to change, to run a motor on alcohol?

 

Depending on what type and percentage of alky you plan to use. For the same amount of power you need much more alchool than gasosline. This means the fuel system will need to be upgraded to increase delivery. If injected, larger injectors will be required and the controller reprogrammed for alchool. If carbed, jetting and carb will have to be adjusted accordingly. There is also the question of fuel system corrosion, especially if using the good stuff (methanol).

 

I think the biggest thing would be you need the internal compression to justify needed Alky or meth. I dont think your going to see any big power gains just by switching your fuel. Even if you bumped your timing up as far as it would go with out increasing your compression by uping your CR or running more nitrous or boost your not going to see any gains on a near stock engine.

Boosted guys like the stuff since it acts as a cemical intercooler and lowers air intake temps (IAT's) and adds octane when we need it the most (under heavy boost) Some nitrous guys run a stand alone nitrous system with higher octane fuel in a small fuel cell also. This allows you to run race fuel into the wet side of the nitrous nozzle for more detination controll.

And its been a long day so forgive the speeling.

 

You have to ask yourself why you are using it and build your whole engine around that. You can get gobs of power with gasoline. I used alky injection in about 15% on my Sc'd C5R '02 ZO6. It allowed a bit more advance and thus boosted RWHP from around 700 to around 740 - 5%+ is significant and while I could not feel it in the seat of pants I could see it in the 1/4 times and trap speeds. But there was no need to use it until I got to those levels where, mostly, it provided cooling more than more energy. It required a lot of money and effort -- those forty HP cost about 150$ each when you look at the equipment and the cost of the tuning.

 

Its a great idea if you are building a true track only car. The kind you pull off the trailer and roll down to the track and fire it up just to hit that right IAT to get that right fuel atomization and make it down the track and back to the pits.

Its also a great tool for keeping IAT's down on boosted cars. But as said by LeeWillis is not the best tool for a engine that is not set up for it. Now if you build a engine knowing your going to run a higher grade fuel from the start. Of course once you build that type of motor where it requires that higher fuel you will never be able to run any thing lower unless you lower its octane requirments.

On a side note to LeeWillis what kind of block are you running on that camaro? LS2 i am assuming.

 

It's not for my car. Not a chance in hell, I've got a 427 block that Im building into a wicked track car. I debating blower, alcohol, and spray, budget isn't really a factor b/c the project is so long term. I'm just looking to get an idea of what I've gotta do with my block for it to run alcohol.