Originally posted by john flynn
Gidday again men, I've worked out that I'm saving about $4.50 a liter by blending my own fuel, 77% methanol, 3% acetone, and 20% castor. I'd rather not purchase blended fuel due to the expence. I guess to be on the safe side and have a cleaner engine, I could add a little synthetic to the blend, maybe a 10% synthetic 10%castor. I'm happy with the performance using the acetone instead of nitromethane and it's cheaper too. My only concern is how my blend will effect engine life. From what i've gathered on this thread it won't be an issue. Thanks, John.
The addition of nitro will increase the cost, but a small percentage (between 5 & 10% is all you need) will make the engine idle better and the needle easier to set.
A 20% 50:50 synthetic castor blend works well. Probably the safest combo for the best of both worlds.
If you use sufficient oil of either type or a combo and tune correctly, you won't have a problem with P&L longevity. The enemy of engine life and most common cause of P&L demise are (i) lean running, (ii) insufficient oil and (iiI) FOB ingestion.