1QwkSport2.5r

I've been told one can use regular food coloring to dye fuel. How much is too much?

Dave Harmon

I've used it before in several colors.
I just added coloring till it got to what looked good....not sure there is a to much or not.
Not to worry.

1QwkSport2.5r

I kinda figured, I just wanted to make sure. The methanol I get has a blue hue to it, and making a whole gallon of fuel in a clear jug I think I will dye it a little so I can tell the difference between my Car mix and my Airplane mix.

Thanks Dave.

Dave Harmon

Blue methanol??
I've never seen that color....ever....and I've been mixing fuel since the mid 60's.
It could be contaminated....be careful.

1QwkSport2.5r

Nope. Comes out of the can this way. I'm sure it should be clear, but its just a slight blue hue, fresh brand new 5 gallon bucket. The company I have been getting my methanol from says its 99.9% pure methanol. No additives like acetone, etc. I'm sure that .1% has to allow for the slight amount of moisture it soaks up during packaging or something of that nature. I have zero complaints with it, anyway..

It may be a dye they add, but its ever so slight.

I have already ran 4 gallons of mixed fuel using this methanol in both my car engines and my airplane engines. They run superb on it. I saw the biggest change in performance in my car engines running my homebrew fuel vs. premixed fuel. Ease of tuning is a night and day difference on my homebrew fuel, 200% better than premix.


I have another vendor I'll be getting methanol from in the future for about $1 a gallon cheaper and I know that stuff is dead clear but thats straight from the refinery.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Back in the 60's I ran about 10 gallons of that blue methanol.

I worked for Ashland Oil Company in a gasoline terminal at the time and it was methanol based antifreeze. I bought two 5 gallon cans of it.

1QwkSport2.5r

My vendor I've been getting methanol from is called Lubrication Technologies. I'm not sure if they're national or just local but they deal with just about every petroleum chemical known to man. According to their catalog, this is their cleaning solvent methanol. They sell methanol fuel they call "dragon" but I don't know if it's the same color or not. It runs fine so I don't care.

Dave Harmon

I get it.....the blue color is to indicate that it is not pure.
If it runs good for you....ok....but it's not for me.

kenh3497

A bit off topic......

1QwkSport2.5r I see you are mixing your own fuel in some other threads. Are you using any nitro or is it an FAI fuel? What oil are you using?

Thanks!

Ken

Oh, I've heard of Lube Tech before. Good company, not very popular in this neck of the woods.

1QwkSport2.5r

I am using only the "finest" ingredients. Methanol, Castor oil, Nitromethane, and whatever makes my methanol blue. (I'm waiting for a call back from the chemist at LubeTech to determine the cause of the blue color)

I use 20% nitro and 8-12% castor for my car fuel (haven't found a mix I really like yet), and 5% nitro 20% castor for my airplane engines. Airplane engine break-in I up the castor to 25% and for car engine break-in I up the oil to 15%.

Last year's fuel was made with Nitro from FHS Oils which was 80% nitro 20% methanol for about $63 a gallon shipped(hazmat fee delete method). This year I bought a gallon of nitro from Torco for $50 and free shipping (no hazmat either I guess..).

I did run a quart of FAI fuel (80/20) in my Super Tigre S90 but I lost about 800rpm by doing so. I went back to 5% nitro since it will tolerate it and gives better power.

1QwkSport2.5r

I followed up with the supplier I get my methanol from in regard to the blue color. They told me they dont directly manufacture it; they buy it from someone else in bulk and package it for resale. They did tell me it should be "water white" or clear in laymans terms, but if there are no ill effects in my application to not worry about it. Color doesnt declare its purity. Their quality control lab tests every product they sell and they tell me this product tests 99.9% pure with the residual .1% being the denaturing compound. They also said any methanol sold in the United States must be denatured (its a law) to prevent people from drinking it, so it is possible that this particular vendor's vendor uses something with a slight blue color as the denaturing compound.

I have a new 5 gallon bucket I haven't opened yet; If this other bucket is the same color and if for some reason it doesnt run in the engines properly I can return it. I found another supplier (a refinery) that sells clear methanol that too is 99.9% pure and for a much better price so I will use that vendor next time.

I haven't seen even the slightest bit of rust or corrosion in any of my engines or any ill effects on my glow plugs so I will use this up and buy from another vendor and be done with it.



Back to the subject... Does anyone know if regular run-of-the-mill food coloring is water based or alcohol based? Someone I met recently makes his own fuel and he found alcohol based food coloring. I've used the regular stuff that you'd use for making frosting or cookies and didnt have any problems with it other than having to use several drops to see any change in color. I'm certainly not concerned, just asking the question..

Thanks for all of your replies, folks. Even if my alcohol is 'tainted', I appreciate the information.

Jezmo

Just to make sure we keep the record straight, it is "Ethanol" that must be "Denatured" by law in order to be sold commercially for purposes other than human consumption. "Methanol" is naturally poison and will cause blindness if taken internally (It needs nothing added to keep you from drinking it other than the knowledge that it can blind you and other very serious health issues). Ethanol is the alcohol found in Liquors, Wines and Beer etc.

1QwkSport2.5r

Evidently, based on what the supplier told me, is Methanol must be denatured as well. "All methanol sold in the United States must be denatured to basically make it taste bad so people don't drink it." Methanol in its natural state is looks and tastes like alcohol, albeit maybe a worse flavor than a cheap vodka perhaps. Of course, those in the know will be aware of the adverse effects if one drinks it, but a wino walking down the street isnt going to know the difference.

I'm just going off what I was told by the supplier. I will do a little research later today when I have more time to find out what the regulation really is.

Wildcat Fuel

Do not use food coloring to fuel! Food colorings are salt based dyes, this will cause corrosion....rust....in yor engines. If you wish to dye fuels use solvent based dyes, as use in gasoline. If you need help contact us at 859-885-5619. Ask for John.

1QwkSport2.5r

I researched all of the ingredients in the regular old food coloring vials I have, and I didnt see anything that worries me. I use all castor oil in my fuel and I run the engine dry at the end of the day, so I am not worried with the product I have.


Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Yallow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Red 3, and 0.1% propylparaben (preservative).

If you have any information that I don't have access to, please post it here.

Skeezix4me

I had a case of fuel that was clear as soon as I broke the seal.
After adding some food coloring to the fuel, I came back the next day to find that the food coloring had dropped out of the fuel, and appeared as a 'silt' on the bottom of the jug.
If anyone has another idea of what dye to use, please post here.

billinpa

If the engines like it why bother? Was this home brew fuel?

Skeezix4me

It was a case of VP fuel I bought and upon opening it, found the dye had not been added at the blending facility.

Dave Harmon

Back in 96' or 97' PowerMaster added a dye to their fuel that corroded many, many engines.
The word was that PM replaced a lot of those engines when they discovered the new dye had caused the corrosion.
More than likely.....PM is reluctant to add dye anymore due to likely being blamed for corroded engines that have been laying around for years that never ran on PM.

Skeezix4me

Now that's very interesting!
I wonder what dye was used?

So in my case, is there an engine-safe dye that a consumer can use to dye 5 gallons of 23% nitro fuel?
Obviously the food coloring didn't work.

1QwkSport2.5r

What kind of food coloring did you use and what were the ingredients in it? I use food cooking in my fuel all the time and never have the color settle out even after being stored for a year or more.

carlgrover

I've been running a commercially bought fuel that is sort of a red/pink in color. It's stained the white monokote on my plane pink. I don't much care for colored fuel.

carl

Skeezix4me

Clear fuel is fine as long as you're flying fixed-wing.
I'm flying helis, and without color in the fuel it's difficult if not impossible to see the fuel level in the tank.
Thus, my need for colored fuel.