Methane

[mattbilick]

I bought the Ecutek program so i can drive to the track on 91 octane and change over to a methanol map at the track.I'm not sure if this matters but My next upgrade was going to be snow meth injection.

I want to know if methanol works like regular pump gas. by this i mean does the raised octane of the gas make it harder to ignite.

I'm wondering because i want to know if i should upgrade my ignition.

[06wrx4me]

I believe you are looking at Methanol not to be confused with methane.

[mattbilick]

exactly, I was half asleep when i wrote this thread.

[06wrx4me]

exactly, I was half asleep when i wrote this thread.

Tons of places make kits, overall it works very well. My tuner personally endorses the Aquamist set up. Allows lower the A/F ratios another point in most instances.

[mattbilick]

but if i'm gonna be running straight race gas am i going to want to upgrade my ignition to compensate for the higher octane of the gas

[06wrx4me]

but if i'm gonna be running straight race gas am i going to want to upgrade my ignition to compensate for the higher octane of the gas

No. DIS coil packs produce just about the highest energy/most efficient spark you can get, I've never even seen an upgrade available for Subaru.

[mattbilick]

thanks

[Wannabe]

If you have a standard compression ratio and are upping the octane of your fuel, you will be having a more difficult time to try and fire the added octane, which is really just a greater distance of the fuel from detonation. (Vague generalization for ease of understanding.)
If you are upping the boost, or compression in any format, you are getting nearer to detonation of the stated fuel, and this is why we up the octane of the vehicles we drive. The most power you can make is getting as close to detonation as you can, without detonating. The closer to detonation, the less spark you need.
Since I run everything I own on methanol, I am pretty fairly educated on this subject. The methanol is a very interesting fuel. It is cold. Burns cold, flows cold, and frosts up my lines on a humid day. The alcohol injection cools the cylinder chanber and the tops of the pistons to keep the intake charge further from detonation. Alcohol is no magic fuel. It is not some magic horsepower maker. It just does really cool things. Like almost completely resistant to detonation. A PSI C at 125 over on a 526ci is creating compression almost 64:1 compression and detonation free with methanol mechanical injection. Alcohol has a wide tuning band, and other little benefits. It is these benefits you are looking for when going to alcohol injection. Turning the turbo up where you would need 112 or 116 octane fuel without buying that fuel. And as long as you are fairly close on your tune up, there is no need for more spark. If you are set up to flood the thing, fix the tune-up, not the spark.

[mattbilick]

that's all i want to do. Avoid detonation, make my intake charge denser,cool everything down, and crank up the turbo a little.

[05Wrex]

Methanol has disadvantages also. If some sort of accident were to happen and you bust a fuel line methanol burns clear there is little visible flame. Also methanol or any alcohol creates water when it combusts so you have oil issues also. Many top methanol cars have to change the oil after so many runs due to milking, water in the oil due to blowby. Methanol also has less chemical potential energy so it takes nearly twice as much fuel to get you down the track. So the air fuel ratios are different for methanol. A normally aspirated car running methanol should have an air fuel ratio of nearly 6:1.

[Wannabe]

Run the injection and there is no real need to up your spark as long as you are not drowning the thing in more fuel.

A normally aspirated car running methanol should have an air fuel ratio of nearly 6:1.

Well, generally, yes. But that would be very dependent upon the amount of items within the engine that were ceramic, thermal or casidium coated.

And yes, most top alcohol cars will change the oil every 1/4 mile pass. And Methanol is very corrosive and will wreak havock on fuel lines and other parts not designed to hold methanol.
But it sure is fun!