a few questions about mixing my own fuel (Full Version)

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Highflyer -> a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/12/2004 12:07:06 AM)

Ive never done this before but I would like to since i'm getting tired of paying $13-$15 for a gallon of fuel and the nearest hobby shop is more than an hour away from where I live. My first question is that some of you guys say that you run a 0% nitro content in your fuels. I was wondering the effects if any of using no nitro in fuels. I dont really care much about a few hundred rpm loss and its one less thing to buy when mixing my fuel. Also where can i find methanol in my area? there arent any speed shops around, and the only thing i can think of is to ask the guys who race dragsters at the local drag strip. do you think they would know??
thanks alot



downunder -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/12/2004 3:39:52 AM)

I've never used nitro because it's way too expensive here in Oz so to me a normal fuel is just straight methanol/oil. Virtually all my engines will start first flick hot or cold so the story that nitro gives easy starts is just rubbish. Nitro may help give a slightly lower idle but none of my models will move unless I open the throttle a little (OK, except for a 40 trainer that I've put a 1.08 in :) ). As for the couple of hundred more revs you'll get with nitro, I've always said that if you need those few more revs then your model is seriously close to being underpowered.

Another benefit of zero nitro is that fuel consumption is much less so you fly longer with cheaper fuel. This lower fuel consumption though is why the needle is more sensitive to adjustment, you can't be quite so ham fisted at setting the needle. But also because of the lower fuel consumption I think it's wise to use at least 20% oil (preferably with some castor) to make up for the fact that there's less oil flow through the engine.



Highflyer -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/12/2004 4:44:50 AM)

thanks downunder
do you think that an 18%synthetic 2%castor would be good enough or should i use more castor? Also is it true that for a new engine you should use an all castor oil for break in?



downunder -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/12/2004 2:13:59 PM)

Personally I use all castor because it's absolutely the best oil for our use if you can put up with a bit of carbon after a while. Adding 2% probably doesn't do much except give a bit of rust protection at the end of the day. I wouldn't go below a 50/50 blend for those times when things happen like having the muffler pressure line fall off and the engine goes VERY lean.



Highflyer -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/13/2004 11:35:43 PM)

does anybody know where I can buy Methane and oil locally?
there are no speed shops in my area



Cogburn -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/16/2004 2:53:31 AM)

Methanol is used for a cleaner as it is a pretty good solvent. The local farm store here has it in 2.5 gallon jugs. If you only make a small amount of fuel there isn't alot of savings as methanol in small quantities is expensive. Find a dirt track race and they will be selling it there. Go cart racers use it too. They also use the klotz oil used to make fuel. Remeber that you have to subtract the equivalent oil volume from the fuel volume when making fuel. ie. For 20% oil per gallon of fuel you use 25.6oz. of oil and 102oz of methanol. A quart of oil and a gallon of meth is the same 20% mix. 1 quart Klotz 8$ , 1 quart castor 8$, 2 gals. meth 4$. 2.5gals fuel 20$ [:D]



Highflyer -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/16/2004 11:56:05 PM)

thanks i'll check at tractor supply...i'm still trying to decide whether or not i should use nitro...does anyone else run a 0% nitro content?



Motorbrain -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/20/2004 7:00:17 PM)

Almost everyone outside the States uses 0 or 5% because of the cost. You
can get the oil at a motorcycle shop, or an online m/c accessory supplier.
Use 16 ozs of Klotz and 6 ozs of castor per gallon, and your engine will be
very happy about it. Make sure to use the Klotz that is compatible with methanol.

MB.



Highflyer -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/22/2004 12:53:41 AM)

thanks everybody
Cogburn: i checked at tractor supply and could't find it. Is the bottle labled Methanol or is it named something else??



FHHuber -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (4/30/2004 9:54:39 PM)

The label will say Methanol on it somewhere. There may be a big brand name on it.. but it has to say what it really is in the fine print.

I believe you can ask your local NAPA parts dealer to get you the methanol if you can't get it anywhere else. (maybe it was just that one local dealer...)

The way I always did it... I measured my 25.6 oz oil and my 12.8 oz nitro and filled the gallon jug with methanol. I never did measure the methanol. [;)]

When I got to playing with pouring in 77 oz nitro and 20 oz oil then filling with methanol.. I was COOKING! [>:] (and blowing off cylinder heads...)



downunder -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/1/2004 2:23:20 AM)

OK, I have to ask this because the rather strange American measuring system has always intrigued me. Just how do you measure 25.6 ounces? The metric system is SO much easier to calculate how much you need of everything :D



wvl -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/1/2004 9:06:35 AM)

I am pretty sure you can find methanol in a regular drugstore, or in a paint shop. Methanol is used for cleaning crystal, and for fuel in small gourmet burners. Be sure to get colorless methanol; it also comes in blue, but that's not the good one.

wvl



wvl -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/1/2004 9:08:55 AM)

about using metric system, it's so easy: 20% oil means 200ml oil in 800ml of methanol.( 1/5th oil on 4/5ths methanol.) This gives you a liter of mixed fuel. For larger quantities, just multiply.

WVL



jessiej -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/2/2004 2:04:07 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: downunder

OK, I have to ask this because the rather strange American measuring system has always intrigued me. Just how do you measure 25.6 ounces?


Very carefuly, of course.[:D]

jess



Sport_Pilot -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/3/2004 1:12:40 PM)

You can't easily find good methenol from a drug store or paint store, if you do it will probably have some water mixed in. Why go through these efforts when you can buy it from VP racing or that world wide racing link?



Cogburn -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/7/2004 1:35:57 PM)

Actually it is pretty tough to find good methanol anywhere cheap. I used to buy barrels of the stuff for 55$ (for my race car) and it was pretty good.
Recently there seems to be some reclaimed stuff around that works good for cleaner but doesn't run the same in engines even though it has the same specific gravity. Engines run hot and don't have as much power on the reclaimed stuff.
Usually the stuff racers have is pretty good and would be the easiest to get cheap. Go find a sprint car racer and he will probably be more than happy to sell you a few gallons(get it before they treat it with the additives they use).



fritch1969 -> RE: a few questions about mixing my own fuel (5/9/2004 6:54:35 AM)

please don't use cleaning grade or drug store bought methanol, you will have nothing but problems. Go to the local dirt track or dragstrip one night with a 5 gal. "plastic" jug and ask them to fill her up. around here (PA) it's like $3.50 a gallon. You can read about purity here. http://www.kellyracingfuels.com/analysis.html



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