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Water methanol injection for carburetor

45K views 31 replies 11 participants last post by  Freddyfingaz83 
#1 · (Edited)
HELLO:
Don't know if this has been covered already, but I thought that I would throw it out there for today's fuel prices seem to be going through the roof.
In Mother Earth's news back in the early 80's there were 2 articles on making a water methanol injection system for a carburetor type car. The system I use runs off the carb vacuum at the bottom of a port. I use a reed valve that you would use for making ice off the back of a refrigerator made of brass. Some 1/4" fuel line that connects to a port on the carb. The line goes back to the reed valve then to a plastic gas can that I sealed the lid with silicone. the hose only goes into the lid about 2 inches. I then drilled another hole that attaches to a vent tube, also 1/4 inch and that attaches to a piece of 1/4 copper tubing that is bent into a "J", which rests off the bottom of the container..I then drilled another hole big enough to put a funnel into to fill the container with and bought a rubber plug to seal it with.
when the reed valve is opened while the motor is idling, you can hear the bottle bubbling rapidly as the engine vacuum pulls the mist into the motor below the carb. This idea will give a increase in fuel mileage as well as steam clean the motor and fool the 87 octane gas into thinking it is 10 to 15 points higher~! Therefore NO PINGING~!
Here is an article from Mother Earth News from the early 80's after the first fuel crisis from the 70's~! Also note that in WWII Germany, as well as the U.S. used this in their Fighters...It has been said that they injected this mix into the cylinders of the Mustangs and gave them a 350hp boost for take off and also gave them 2 five minute bursts for combat with a 5 minute cool down in between...I see that it works wonders for turbo's as well as blowers~! Here is the original article:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/1979-09-01/Water-Injection-System.aspx

Anybody currently using a system bought through a vendor, or home make like mine?
 
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#2 ·
Here is the article that I used to build my own injection system that used vacuum port of carb. Note that the drawing shows the reed valve in line with the vacuum advance~! This is a mistake, because if you do this and turn the reed valve off, then you have no vacuum advance~!. So, all I did is run a single line to a port at the base of the carb. It works~!
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-I...ks-Do-It-Yourself-Water-Injection-System.aspx
 
#4 ·
Now for the arguing of the disbelievers~!
I advanced my timing to 16 degrees from 8 degrees factory spec's then the carb was already leaned out, because the RV lives half the year at 7,200 ft elevation in Flagstaff, Az...Then I go down for the winters to Lake Havasu, Yuma, or Quartzite, which is about 800ft above sea level...With the carb already leaned out I did my test with the advance already done..I went from 8 miles a gallon with detonation to 16 miles a gallon running water methanol mix. The mix I use is one 12 once bottle of HEAT in the Yellow bottle to one gallon of water which is about a 33% mix(pure methanol) not the ISO-Heat which is Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol ~!
I tested this 3 different times on a full tank of 32 miles. In all cases, I went from 8 miles a gallon to 16 miles a gallon.. Then I tried it up the mountains driving from Quartzite, Az. to Lake Havasu for a total of 72 miles; Again, 16 miles a gallon...In the 2-1/2 gallon plastic kerosene jug I use for the mix, I have now filled it a second time since last November...It sips it into the vacuum port at the base of the carb.
 
#9 ·
Years ago J.C.Whitney sold those they were called "Vapor Injectors" and I did use them on several cars and was surprised at the results,in place of the chemical that came with them I used a combination of "Heet" and water.A crazy buddy of mine wanted to win a grudge race "back in the day" and filled his up with nitro-methane but that's another story :nono:
 
#11 ·
too much methanol

I also noticed that if too much methanol added to my water bottle made the hose get kind of soft and mushy...So now I use one bottle of HEET in the yellow bottle to one gallon of water...Works great~!

Eventually, I am going to purchase one of the professionally manufactured ones, but for the time being, this works good enuf. Thanks~!
 
#12 ·
Need to make sure you're not running rubber hoses for any of the methanol system. All the hoses that came with my kit are flexible plastic hoses and they look like new ater several years use.
One thing to remember though is that the tank is vented and the more methanol added the faster it evaporates, so if you're not driving it much you'll find it's low when you do check it.
 
#13 ·
1971BB427 said:
Need to make sure you're not running rubber hoses for any of the methanol system. All the hoses that came with my kit are flexible plastic hoses and they look like new ater several years use.
One thing to remember though is that the tank is vented and the more methanol added the faster it evaporates, so if you're not driving it much you'll find it's low when you do check it.
I did pick up that plastic hose you were talking about and hooked it up to the bottle I am using....I originally used one of those air stones in the beginning and I must of used too much methanol to water..The air-stone disappeared the next time I checked it...Had to pull the bottle and rinse out all the material at the bottom of the container...That was when I decided on the new hose and using a J tube piece of copper instead of the air stone...No more problems~!
 
#16 ·
Edelbrock kit

I have one I bought gears ago. Its a very nice system put's the water into the top of the carb.
It has a electronic control that you can adjust the water by vacuum, RPM. as to when and how much water.
I have never used it but plan on putting on a dual 4 V
 
#17 ·
FE 427 said:
I have one I bought gears ago. Its a very nice system put's the water into the top of the carb.
It has a electronic control that you can adjust the water by vacuum, RPM. as to when and how much water.
I have never used it but plan on putting on a dual 4 V
FE 427: If you don't mind can you show pic's of what you have? I am thinking along this line with what you have...I am curious to see if I can modify mine, so that I can have vacuum at the base of the carb for in town driving, then for Highway driving, have something like yours..I already drilled my air cleaner top and have a fitting and hose in place..I need to find a jet size that is small enough to mist water and a big enough pump with at least 100# pressure to vaporize the water out of the jet...perhaps a solenoid to activate when pedal to the metal, or something similar...

Recently, I added to my 750cfm Holley an adjust a jet from Percy's...I pulled out my 70 jets and installed the new metering block in front of the Holley metering block...So, I am curious how close this jet size would work with a 100# water pump and solenoid switch backing this jet at the top of the carb somewhere...
Thanks for your input~!
 
#19 ·
Silver Surfer said:
Are you guys using water injection at part throttle cruising?
Yes, I posted a design at the start of the thread from Mother Earth News from back in the late 70's...If you do the search for Ron Novack's water injection, or just click the link I have at the beginning, you will see the plans and what I am currently using...I think I have about $20.00 into it... It does work~!
 
#20 ·
Water injection

I will measure the jet tomorrow and let you know.
I read this forum a lot but this is the first time I have posted
If I can figure out to post pic. I will send you the manual
This unit uses a ford windshield washer that has the pump
in the bottom so a floor switch should work perfect.
 
#21 ·
FE 427 said:
I will measure the jet tomorrow and let you know.
I read this forum a lot but this is the first time I have posted
If I can figure out to post pic. I will send you the manual
This unit uses a ford windshield washer that has the pump
in the bottom so a floor switch should work perfect.
I go through Photo bucket to post pictures...just start an account and that will allow you to post pictures here...takes a little bit to figure it out..I use to windows to copy and past using the icon right above the enhanced mode as you type ur reply like I am doing right now..It is the one that has the blue ball and chain to post pictures...
 
#22 ·
Water injection

I didn't get the unit down it's in the Attic of the garage but got a copy of the manual in my filing cabinet , looked at it but gave no measurement's, the jet is a tube with groves for the hose on one end the other is pointed with a jet hole on each side to
discharge into both pri. vent.
If you will give me your E-mail add. or I will send you mine
and I can send you a nice large copy
 
#23 ·
FE 427 said:
I didn't get the unit down it's in the Attic of the garage but got a copy of the manual in my filing cabinet , looked at it but gave no measurement's, the jet is a tube with groves for the hose on one end the other is pointed with a jet hole on each side to
discharge into both pri. vent.
If you will give me your E-mail add. or I will send you mine
and I can send you a nice large copy
I'll PM you with my email address...Thanks
 
#24 ·
so im thinking of running this in my 302 ford engine. will i have to advance my timing for sure? and also could'nt the increase in compression blow a head gasket? and anyone know where the proper vacuum line is on a general 2 barrel?

sorry I know I am asking a lot of Q's, but I'm looking to get any power/mpg gain I can! :cool:
 
#25 ·
allclassicsbefore70 said:
so im thinking of running this in my 302 ford engine. will i have to advance my timing for sure? and also could'nt the increase in compression blow a head gasket? and anyone know where the proper vacuum line is on a general 2 barrel?

sorry I know I am asking a lot of Q's, but I'm looking to get any power/mpg gain I can! :cool:
There's no reason to advance your timing when you add a methanol injection system. It's designed to simply keep your engine from pinging under load at normal timing with higher compression engines.
There;s also no reason to run straight methanol. The instructions with mine said to use a water/methanol mix, and the percentage of methanol wont cause any compression issues.
Your vacuum connection should be a port in the carb's base plate where your vacuum hose for distributor vacuum advance hooks to. Simply put a T in the line to hook in the system.
 
#27 ·
Yes, the methanol does deter freezing, and the more you use the less chance to freeze up. It also evaporates quicker the more you use, so putting more in just means you'll need to add more sooner. The reservoirs are not sealed, so it happens.
My system uses so little fluid that I usually find it dries out long before I use it up. My system instructions said to use premixed windshield washer fluid for the perfect mixture of water/methanol.
 
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