RE: Home-brewing fuel

RE: Home-brewing fuel
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RE: Home-brewing fuel - 3/12/2006 1:24:56 AM

Posts: 29
Joined: 3/12/2006
From: Canon City, CO, USA
Status: offline

I have recently begun to mix my own fuel with great success. Now I pay about $5.00 per gallon rather than $15+. The only thing I need to know now is what can I mix with the fuel to make it more visible? It is hard to see in the fuel lines since it is clear. Does anyone know of a good ingredient to add color?

Thanks

Sopwith

(in reply to volare)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 3/12/2006 1:33:19 AM

Posts: 29
Joined: 3/12/2006
From: Canon City, CO, USA
Status: offline

I've just started mixing my own fuel with great success. Now I just need to add color so I can see it in the fuel lines. Do you know of any ingredient that will add some color?

Thanks

Sopwith@mesanetworks.net

(in reply to downunder-RCU)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 3/12/2006 1:56:02 AM

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From: Jordan, NY, USA
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A couple drops of food coloring will do just fine and not harm anything.

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(in reply to sopwith)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 3/12/2006 2:32:39 AM

Posts: 29
Joined: 3/12/2006
From: Canon City, CO, USA
Status: offline

I have been using water to replace some of the oil in the fuel that I mix to reduce the cost and mess. I have been using 10 percent "Morgan fuels Heavy Gold 4 stroke oil" with 5 or 10 percent water. I have good operation, cleanliness, needle valve response, and no overheating problems. I suspect there will be no detremental effects in the long run, but only time will tell. I figure that since the latent heat of vaporization of water is so high, it will be a far better coolant than the oil is with just conduction cooling. Has anyone tried this? I have identical or better power as when I use 20 percent oil, but the engine and plane are much cleaner. I also seem to have fewer dead sticks, can run the engine leaner, and the needle valve sensitivity is less.
I have been using these mixes for a few weeks, so haven't fried any engines yet. After a few months when summer arrives the story may change.

Sopwith

(in reply to volare)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 3/21/2006 7:57:34 AM

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Joined: 2/25/2006
From: sandy, UT, USA
Status: offline

any suggestions on topic for off road nitro use

(in reply to sopwith)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 3/23/2006 7:03:28 AM

Dil

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Joined: 10/27/2004
From: Colombo, SRI LANKA
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i play with nitro trucks, on my tnx, its the stock engine, i run about 7-8 % nitro, it works great,
i use degummed castor and synthetic blend of 20% and the rest methanol!! the oil i use is the castor 927(degummed castor and synthetic blend) its a racing oil should be avaliable at the hobby shops

u can hardly tell any difference from the 30%nitro fuels, it idles great as well, and good power!!

< Message edited by Dil -- 3/23/2006 1:10:54 PM >

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RE: Home-brewing fuel - 4/23/2006 2:16:16 PM

Posts: 113
Joined: 11/13/2002
From: Newark, DE, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sport_Pilot

AntiFreeze, in all its versions is also and alcohol. Acetone is also and alcohol. Infact any hydrocarbon with an attached oxygen molecule is and alcohol.

Post 245

Some misinformation here.

Yes. No. No.

Alcohol is a molecule that has a -OH group. Methanol has one carbon (C) , four hydrogens(H) and one oxygen - arranged like this CH3-OH. It is useful as a fuel in our engines because of its high vapor pressure. The liquid does not burn- it is the vapors that will combust. As you increase the molecular weight of the alcohols methanol, ethanol, the propanols - your vapor pressure will decrease at a given temperature.

Ethylene glycol(antifreeze) has two OH functionalities and will not be useful as a fuel - very low vapor pressure.

Acetone in not an alcohol, it is a ketone - but has a higher vapor pressure than methanol - it will combust in our engines.

Antifreeze is typically ethylene glycol.

For a hydrocarbon to be an alcohol the OH function needs to be there. There can also be ketone's and aldehyde's- each contains oxygen but are not alcohols.

< Message edited by Arebeck -- 4/23/2006 2:19:12 PM >

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RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/2/2006 4:34:42 PM

Posts: 12
Joined: 3/24/2005
From: BENTON, MO, USA
Status: offline

HI too everyone.I have some questions for yal.I am mixing my fuel like this.128oz. plus 20% Subtract 128 from the total. The amount left is divided by two.I then round this off too the next whole number.I come up with 26oz.I use half castor and klotz.Is my formula okay??For 20% mix??Next I checked prices oil.9dollars plus,Too 8 dollars plus.For Klotz.Castor around 26 dollars a gallon. Alky 3.75 a gallon.I live about half way beteen St Louis,and Memphis.Can anyone tell where I can get these item cheaper??Address phone numbers of said places.I would be very gratefull for any help.Thankyou,
Ronald.

(in reply to Arebeck)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/2/2006 5:37:36 PM

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Joined: 10/9/2002
From: Austin, TX, USA
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I don't understand your figurin'. 20% of 128 is 25.6, rounds off to 26. So whatever you did worked this time.

. I live in Texas, but I buy my Sig Champion 10% nitro 20% oil 50/50 at Schaffers in St . Louis. If you buy by the case you'll get a little price break. I make a once a year trip to the St. Louis area to visit. It's a little closer for you.

(in reply to REFODGE)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/2/2006 11:56:35 PM

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Joined: 3/24/2005
From: BENTON, MO, USA
Status: offline

Jim,
thank you.I dont want any nitro.

(in reply to Jim Thomerson)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/7/2006 6:25:52 PM

Posts: 29
Joined: 3/12/2006
From: Canon City, CO, USA
Status: offline

I would like to know what engines run well on 0% Nitro fuel (.40 to .75 size). I have some that run well and others that don't . My experience is the Thunder Tiger Pro .46 runs great, the OS FX series not at all, the OS LA runs poorly, Older OS engines run decently, Magnum 4 stroke .51 runs well, K&B .61 Twister runs well. I only use homemade 0% nitro fuel now so will sell the poor running engines and buy some that run well.
Any experience you have on the subject would be appreciated.

(in reply to Dave Harmon)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/7/2006 7:06:56 PM

XJet

Posts: 3164
Joined: 3/31/2003
From: Tokoroa, NEW ZEALAND
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Supertigre engines run quite well on 0% and (as you've already found) so do Thunder Tiger engines.

Most 4-strokes (apart from the Laser engines out of the UK) prefer at least 10%.

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RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/7/2006 7:29:46 PM

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Joined: 2/18/2006
From: Arroyo Grande, CA, USA
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Has anyone used the hardware store alcohol for fuel? I've used it for cooking fuel when I had my sailboat, and I use it for lapidary and jewelry work. It seems to be very clean burning and no soot or if left to evaporate, no residue.

I need to mix a small batch of fuel, a quart or so for breaking in a new 4 stroke. and it seems all the hobby shops around here are focused on 1, cars 2, helo's, and 3, electric power. Glow airplane engines, fuel, even balsa is hard if not impossible to find.

Don

(in reply to 1705493-AndyW)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/10/2006 12:06:27 PM

Posts: 25
Joined: 10/23/2005
From: Launceston, AUSTRALIA
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G'day
another Aussie here .Nitro ok I've used name brand fuel and recognise the the name nitro but what is it realy? above i have read the term alky and eather ect can some one please use the full names so I know what I'm looking for to make my own .I have just purchased 2 saito 180 engines and as they are 4 stroke and there is no comercially available 4 stroke fuel here I HAVE to mix my own.
I have got 20 lt of methonol cost Aus $45:00 Called into local BP servo (Service station/petrol station) and asked them to get the distributor to send us out a 20lt drum of the stuff and wallah next day was here.
So what else do I need ?
Thanks
Mick
Tassie Australia (the island down under Down Under)

(in reply to Dave Harmon)

RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/10/2006 12:24:20 PM

Posts: 280
Joined: 9/23/2004
From: BoulderWest Australia, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline

Tates hobbys will send the oil you need http://www.tates.com.au
Nitro is a little harder to get since most frieght services will not touch it.
Is there drag strip in tassie? if so there will be a performance drag shop some were that will sell nitro. Thats were i get it in perth from a performance shop.
Try to go to a caltex depo not a servo for your methanole should get it a little cheaper or again the performance shop may have it in 200lt drums that they will normaly sell it to you by the ltr if you take your own container or find a speedway freak they run methanol and get it in bulk drums.

I run saitos and normal model fuel works well in them 10%nitro 20%oil 70%methanol iwill run any were from 10%nitro to 30%nitro in my saito.
no need for special blends it just works out cheaper to mix your own.

quote:

ORIGINAL: tasdevilmick

G'day
another Aussie here .Nitro ok I've used name brand fuel and recognise the the name nitro but what is it realy? above i have read the term alky and eather ect can some one please use the full names so I know what I'm looking for to make my own .I have just purchased 2 saito 180 engines and as they are 4 stroke and there is no comercially available 4 stroke fuel here I HAVE to mix my own.
I have got 20 lt of methonol cost Aus $45:00 Called into local BP servo (Service station/petrol station) and asked them to get the distributor to send us out a 20lt drum of the stuff and wallah next day was here.
So what else do I need ?
Thanks
Mick
Tassie Australia (the island down under Down Under)

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RE: Home-brewing fuel - 5/10/2006 4:00:21 PM

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Joined: 10/10/2002
From: Adelaide, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: tasdevilmick
Nitro ok I've used name brand fuel and recognise the the name nitro but what is it realy? above i have read the term alky and eather ect can some one please use the full names so I know what I'm looking for to make my own.

Tassie born here

Nitro is short for nitro methane which is a hop up additive in glow fuel. Alky is a hot rod term for methyl alcohol but we call it methanol. Eather (and here I can't resist it

) is the name of a guy from near Sydney who makes what are probably the best CF props and tuned pipes in the world. But ether (actually I think our stuff is diethyl ether) is used in model diesel engine fuel so generally you won't have to worry about that.

I get my methanol from a Caltex depot too because they have it in bulk and fill my own drum but it's still BP A racing fuel. Shell methanol costs a lot more because they'll only sell it in a new drum. But the other thing you need is oil and that's where everyone has their own ideas. For myself, I only use castor but I don't have any 4 strokes. Yesterday I got 5 litres of castor for $40 (for the yanks that works out to about $23/gallon).

(in reply to tasdevilmick)