Straick

I run 2 nitros, and the price of ready mixed fuel is going up fast around where I live(almost doubled in a matter of a year). I'm now wondering if it's possible to get the ingredients to mix my own fuel. Anyone tried this? The other reason I want to do this is so that I know for a fact that I have castor oil in my fuel, as well as the exact percentages. Thanks.

cool-joe

The price of fuel has risen because of the price of one key ingrediant - nitromethane.
An ingrediant you'll need as well, and a price you won't be able to get away from.
Nitromethane prices are high, and the only way you get a break is to buy in bulk - something I'm guessing you aren't prepared to do.

rast4man

My Feedback: (10)

How much is fuel for you where you live? I pay $29.99 a gallon of Traxxas 20%.

Straick

35 bucks a gallon right now, and I've heard that it's about to go up. I don't run the Traxxas fuel due to the fact that I've heard, repeatedly, that they use full synthetic oil, and no castor oil(to protect your engine in case of overheating).
Does anyone know if you can use Top Fuel drag car fuel for a nitro source? I've heard that it's methanol and Nitromethane, with the nitromethane running as high as 90%. Thanks.

fourwheels0

My Feedback: (7)

well i got away from nitro because it was so much money.
what fuel are you running?.
ever consider buying online? like 4 gallons at a time you can get it cheaper than your local hobby shop (which i figure is hobbytown on central ave?) yes i know the area lol.

cool-joe

RC car motors are not designed to run off methanol.

Straick

No, I get mine at Mardells. Hobby Town will only carry Traxxas fuel, even though I've asked for them to carry Trinity.
Have to ask, how do you know the area when you're in California?

fourwheels0

My Feedback: (7)

mardells? wow i haven't heard that name in years. i used to live about 1/2 mile from mardells on hamburg st.
i'm in virginia now.
here check these prices out. http://www.amainhobbies.com/index.ph...cks-Fuel-Cases

i used to use blue thunder but have switched to o'donnels 30% now. i run very little nitro anymore mostly electric.

DaveG55

yes, yes they are. They will run fine on just methanol and castor oil. Of course shimming and tuning is different.

To answer the OP's original question

For a gallon of 20% w/ 12% oil;
26oz nitromethane
15oz oil (total, you can split it up between natural and synthetic as you wish)
87oz methanol

You live in NY so you should be able to find local sources for everything. But as was said, Unless you're prepared to buy the indgreadiants in bulk you won't save much money.

cool-joe

Then they're not, like I said.

They've made automobiles run off deep-fryer grease, but that doesn't mean they were designed to or run as well as they were intended to either.



This discussion was first had almost two years ago, when there first started being a nitro shortage. One major drag racing series found itself on the verge of being cancelled because they couldn't get nitromethane. About the same time RCnitro fuel jumped in price, as a direct result of the nitro shortage because the lone U.S. nitro supplier was getting out of the business and the remaining importer was located in China which was doing things to cutting back on companies that producted environmentally harmfull products, nitormethane being one of them because of the then upcoming Olympics. But the price has remained high, again, because there is no U.S. producer.

DaveG55

Joe, shimming and tuning are required anytime you change nitro percentage. Going to 0% is no different than going to 40% in that aspect - shims and tuning have to be changed.
The very first glow engine I ever owned used methanol and castor oil and zero nitro.

Straick

We should all get together and fix the nitro shortage. Start our own company, and make for affordable RC's again.
I never did know that you could run a glow engine on fuel with no nitro. Don't want to go that route though. Did up the math on the shipping and all, and it'll be cheaper to keep buying fuel local than mail ordering it. I still want to mix my own. Only need to find somewhere that I can get a couple of gallons or so of nitro to start with(storage is no problem for me, have a climate controlled space I can store it in that well ventilated).
Can the nitro for the Top Fuel drag cars be used if you know the exact percentage of nitro that it currently has? If so, then I should have a source of nitro, if not, I'll have to keep looking.

DaveG55

Yes, the Top Fuel dragsters use the same nitro. For us in the states that is the easiest way to get it - at least if you live near a track or race fuel supplier. If you decide to mix your own be sure to use fresh methanol. Older stuff may have absorbed moisture.

cool-joe

And today's motors are not intended or designed to run off zero nitro, and there's no way you can match the performance if you were able to make one run without....'nuff said.

cool-joe

Do you not think the RC fuel companies would have done that already had it been a feasible option?

theRCreverend

You're wrong, they most definitely are, and comparing the removal or addition of a head shim to converting a vehicle to run on deep fryer grease is rediculous. Removing/adding head shims is something that many people do when making big changes in their fuel type, like going from 10% nitro fuel to 30% nitro fuel may require addition of a head shim. It's just a tuning thing, and it was meant to be played with just like needles on a carb, so the motors were absolutely designed for this.

Methanol is the primary ingredient in nitro fuels (with the exception of 50%+ nitro fuel used in RC boats), and nitromethane is just added to give extra power. You don't need nitro in your fuel, period. Methanol and a lubricant (castor) is all you need.

I run pure methanol in all of my vehicles andhave been doing so for years.I own over 30 vehicles now and all are doing great on it. I just add castor oil to methanol and that's it. Tuning is the same as with running nitromethane in the fuel. Some of the motors are completely stock, but on most I removed the head shims to increase compression. It's a simple adjustment, just like adjusting the timing on a car that has a distributor.

DaveG55

People do it all the time. Just do a search. There are people all over the world that have RCs but cannot easily get nitro fuel but can get methanol and castor oil. Making one run is easy. Remove the shims and tune it. Yes there will be a performance decrease but it's just possible that some people would rather save the cash or simply be able to run and are willing to forgo the nitro.

Now I'm done with this as I think that you are just arguing to be arguing

theRCreverend

Forget the 'nuff said', you're attempting to discusssomething you clearly know nothing about.Why?

I believe it is possible to match performance, but it takes milling. I have 3 motors now that I have milled the heads on. My VSPEC and an OSXZ are both milled to increase compression, and it helped in the performance department. They both run on 0% nitro and I would say they are comparable in performance to the stock versions on 20% nitro. I don't have any dyno information to back that up, but it seems that way when I'm driving them

The loss in performance in going to 0% isn't all that bad, especially when you're running good motors that already make more than enough power.

cool-joe

You're funny.
If it was as easy as you suggest, then it'd be the norm instead of the oddity.
If you have no dyno info to back you up, why weigh in all high and mighty like other than to suggest you're a backmarker at the track.

So instead it appears you're attempting to discusssomething you clearly know nothing about.Why?

theRCreverend

Nice try. Actually, getting raw methanol is the tricky part, but I wouldn't expect someone like you to even consider that as a possibility. You're too caught up in wanting to be right when you're nowhere near it.

So now everyone needs a dyno to prove one motor is faster than another? Hmmm, maybe I'll put off buying that next VSPEC and consider that OFNA force 26 instead since they both claim the same horsepower.

Anyway, I used simple terms for simple people like you and explained this whole methanol thing pretty clearly, but you just don't get it. That's too bad for you I guess.

cool-joe

Do try and keep up, and instead of jumping into the end of a discussion for argument's sake start at the beginning and you'd have noted I've mentioned the lack of raw nitromethane supply several times. But unfortunately you're too busy preaching instead of reading and learning.

Move along..... Reverend................... roflol

theRCreverend

You can't read either, imagine that. I said getting rawMETHANOL is the problem, genius, not raw nitromethane. We are talking about methanol here. I know it's difficult for you, but tryto keep up.


You obviously don‘t want to learn anything, but instead would rather argue. You commented on something you know nothing about. People who do know about the subject came in and corrected you.

You obviously don’t like being schooled, so to avoid this in the future, might I suggest keeping your trap shut when you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s a simple concept, and it would really help you with your arrogance problem.

What's sad is that you actually believe you're being clever, but instead are making a complete idiot out of yourself.

Straick

I understand what you mean. When you're running 0% nitro, you're basically running a purely carbureted diesel engine, and have to rely on higher compression in order to achieve ignition, and relying on methanol's volatility to make it work, instead of relying on the glowplug catalyst to initiate combustion.
The methanol will be pretty easy for me to get, only need to refine my purification method. I use it for running a modified lawnmower(don't ask) that will take down a tree if you want it to. Just need to refine the purification to get at least 99.9% pure instead of the 80% or so I'm at right now.
Castor oil, easy, just have to go down to Mardell's and pick up more SIG Pure Castor oil(he carries it for the airplane guys).
Time to get to work.

Forgot to mention, I already know the safety requirements that are needed when working with these fuels in there raw for. A DROP of methanol can really mess you up if you end up with it in you, so extreme caution is needed. Already found a source for methanol at 185 bucks for 55 gallons. I already plan on storing it in smaller containers to prevent any moisture from being able to damage my fuel supplies. Just have to get ahold of a buddy of mine now. He should be able to get me all the nitro drag car fuel I'll need, and no shipping fees to deal with.

theRCreverend

The glow plug will still act as a catalyst (specifically the platinum wire in the plug). If you go this route, use the hottest glowplug you can find. Higher compression helps and can easily be achieved with removal of head shims.

You want the 99% pure methanol. If you buy methanol in 5 gallon containers, it's usually under $30 (about $6 per gallon or less).

I experimented with a few of my engines by milling the head buttons and some of the cylinder head down too. This increased performance andI have no problemracing with these engines in my vehicles. Nobody at the track knows I'm running no nitro, and nobody can tell.

I'm going to ask anyway, what about this modified lawnmower. I'm a gearhead and tinker with everything, so I'm intrigued.

cool-joe

What's truely sad is that you believe the drivel you write, yet can't recognize what an idiot you're making out of yourself by talking like a backwoods backmarker,

That's OK though, I seldom if ever listen to anything the guys that run in the E-Main have to say about anything.

Oh, and by the way, raw methanol is not the problem. It's pretty much readily available from numerous suppliers, while nitromethane is NOT.

Wake up and get with the program, Rev.