fuel
 

I want to know how to make my very own fuel for the four stroke engines. Did anyone of you here at RCU has ever attempt to do this? Is it safe? I pay roughly 15-24 a gallon!!! and I fly a lot at least two times a week sometimes three. I spent so far 130 dallors in two months straight!! I ran 5gal through my magnum .91 and it has exactly 16 hrs on it.

RE: fuel
 

Find the local "VP Fuels" distributor. (the closest to me is just outside San Antonio)

Specify the mix ratios you want, and even the color you want.

You'll have to buy a minimum of 15 gallons... and it will come in a drum. ( a large can... 15, 35or 55 gallon drum sizes. They mix it by the drum.)

If you are flying enough to spend $130 in fuel in 2 months, its worth making the trip to San Antonio to pick up two 15 gallon drums. (which would be about 6 month's worth of fuel for you.) 30 gallons is about the maximum I would put in a car trunk.

The drums are VERY well sealed. so spilling and fumes are not a problem. If the drums are padded into place so they can't roll around then it would take a collision that would split your gasoline tank of the car to split the drums open.

Its been a couple of years... they charged me $110 for a 15 gallon drum of 10% nitro fuel. I didn't fly enough and by the time I got to the last 3 gallons, the fuel had absorbed substantial moisture. (took me over 11 months to get that far down in the drum.) If it wasn't so long a trip, or if I was burning fuel faster, I would do it again.

************

It is BEST to transfer all the fuel out of the drum into 1 gallon cans in one shot. The fewer times you open the drum the less air you let into the drum and the less moisture the fuel will absorb. (that would have saved me from having 3 gallons of poor quality fuel. Hindsight is 20-20)

RE: fuel
 

Crazy,
Mixing your own is possible, but you should look around for cheaper premixed fuel first. I pay $13 a gallon for 15%, including a dollar discount for case purchases. It's also possible to mail order mixed fuel at good prices. For best pricing, you need to buy 5-10 cases at a time.

Tom

RE: fuel
 

Pure Nitro from Klotz, delivered, was right at $35.00 a gallon...HAZMAT charges and all..
Klotz Super Teckniplate oil was $7.50 a quart.. 18% oil equals 26oz of oil
Racing Methanol $3.00 a gallon..
Worked out to about $9.00 a gallon when I flew glow motors...
ONE word of caution.....mixing you're own fuel is DANGEROUS and ya should use common sense and clean containers.

Go to their sight and look in the RC Model section they also have a mixing chart for glow fuel..for about any combination you would want to mix..

http://www.klotzlube.com

Hope this helps..
BB1

RE: fuel
 

Its not very cost effective to make your own fuel. It cost me about 10 bucks a gallon to homebrewer 50 gallons of 10% nitro fuel containing 20% oil.

I got lucky one day and was able to purchase at selling cost to retailers many cases of fuel from a major glow fuel company. I paid about 7 bucks a gallon for 15% nitro and about 8 bucks a gallon for 20/20.

RE: fuel
 

why the heck does the r/c feuls cost so much more than regular automobile fuels? what's the diference? sometimes I think they are ripping us way off!!!!

RE: fuel
 

Well Gasoline is common and used by everyone in cars etc... Nitromethane is more rarely used as a fuel and is ussually just an additive for Drag Racing etc (gasahol)...... I have been doing some online research: Methanol (CH3O3) is most commonly used in producing other chemicals/gases such as the future hydrogen fuels that our future cars may run on. I have been doing some online research if you feel like reading... I learned a lot myself :D If anyone else wats to know here you go:

Methanol (CH3O3) is produced from natural gas in large commercial facilities in a two step process. The first step is to convert the feedstock natural gas into a synthesis gas stream consisting of CO, CO2, H2O and hydrogen. This is usually accomplished by the catalytic reforming of feed gas and steam. Partial oxidation is another possible route. The second step is the catalytic synthesis of methanol from the synthesis gas. Sounds like a pain in the butt huh????

Now to Gasoline: To break it down easy, Gasoline is a product of crude oil/petroleum. Oil contains hydrocarbons. The oil is distilled (basically boiled) and different gases are able to be extracted because of their different boiling points:

From lower(lighter) to higher(heavier): Methane, Butane, Propane etc...

Napthas (used to make solvents, paint thinners etc...)

GASOLINE (C7H16 through C11H24)

Kerosene

Diesel

Lubricating oils

Greases

Tar

If I missed anything significant let me know....

RE: fuel
 

I like the gas part......:D

Get to fly all weekend on $4.00...

Remember the three Mo's

Mo fuel
Mo heat
Mo money :eek: