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WHY SHOULD I SWITCH FROM A GASOLINE TO METHANOL?
At KillerRONS.COM, we believe the reasons are many to choose methanol over racing gasoline for your high performance racing engine. First, methanol burns more slowly than gasoline so it doesn’t build as much engine heat each run. This can help extend the life of your engine and at the same time makes between round temperature control more manageable, especially in round robin bracket racing.
There is much debate about increased power levels with methanol over gasoline and visa versa, especially on the dyno. In our dyno testing this is a "hit or miss" proposition, especially going from a gas to an alky carb. What is not in question is that rarely does a car lose performance on the track when switching from gasoline to injected methanol. Most average gains are .15 to .20 in the 1/8 mile and it can be as much as .2 to .4 in the 1/4 mile. It bears mentioning that most engine builders are referring to methanol carbs versus gas carbs when referring to their lackluster dyno results.
Lastly and most importantly, methanol is a more stable fuel for bracket racing due to its high oxygen content. Simply put, this makes methanol significantly less prone to react to atmospheric changes throughout a long race day. This will make your race car a more consistent performer from morning to afternoon, afternoon to evening and day to day.
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE ALCOHOL INJECTION OVER AN ALCOHOL CARB?
The answer to this question can be thought of from both a performance and maintenance angle.
PERFORMANCE – To operate, mechanical fuel injection does not utilize a venturi (restriction) to draw fuel into the engine as a carburetor does. This is why the flow numbers of an injection throttle body are typically much larger than you may be accustomed to with a carburetor. This increased flow allows the delivery of all the intake air the cylinder heads require for optimum performance. Without this restriction, and with no heavy fuel to deal with in the intake plenum and runners, the engine is able to pull more air at a higher rate of speed. The fuel is mixed in as a last step before the combustion process. This is the reason injection has the reputation of having excellent throttle response. This increased air intake allows the tuner to increase the fuel intake which, in almost all cases, results in more power…. and ultimately lower elapsed times and higher trap speeds.
MAINTENANCE – Mechanical fuel injection eliminates typical carburetor parts such as accelerator pumps, float bowls, power valves, metering plates, gaskets and the age-old transition problem from the idle to power circuit. Mechanical fuel injection literally has only a handful of moving parts, no gaskets and only a couple of O-rings. Most bracket racing injection systems are simple to tune with a single nozzle jet in each port working with a main pill in the barrel to deliver a set amount of fuel to the combustion chamber based upon the pump speed.
AM I TO EXPECT CONTAMINATED OIL WHILE USING METHANOL?
The answer to this is that it is absolutely unacceptable to have contaminated oil in any methanol-burning engine. If you are experiencing this with our system (or any other) it needs to be rectified immediately. In respect to our systems there are two criteria to be met that will ensure your oil is as pure as possible at all times. Those being the idle mixture and proper use of the shut-off cable included with each system. First the idle mixture needs to be adjusted so that the engine is clean off idle with no hesitation but not excessively rich. This can be accomplished with a leak-down procedure or the "snap test". The "snap test" is accomplished by lengthening (leaning) the barrel valve turnbuckle with the engine running (in park and on jack stands) until there is an audible hesitation with a quick snap of the throttle. Once you find this hesitation you can shorten the turnbuckle (richen) 1/2 turn and lock it in. The fuel shut-off cable is often over-looked but is extremely important in this prcoess. Once the engine is running and you are not in the burn-out box or making the run the cable should be pulled until you hear the engine RPM's teaking up to 1800-2000 RPM. This ensures that the engine is a little on the lean side while you are warming the car for the day, driving to the staging lanes and even returning to your trailer after a pass. A good policy after a pass is to see how much temperature you can gain before the trailer in preparation for the next pass. If you can reach 180* ANY and ALL moisture that is present will be eliminated in the oil and valve cover area.
IS A VACUUM PUMP MANDATORY WITH INJECTION?
This answer to this question is again absolutely not. It is "guestimated" that 1/2 of all injection users employ a simple header evacuation system. With that being said, a vacuum pump has its place and can be utilized with the Ron's mount kits. We offer a 1.0" i.d. pulley to slide on most vacuum pump mandrel assemblies. The only one we are aware of that does not use this size mandrel is Aerospace Components. They actually use a 1.5" mandrel and yes we have the pulley for that too. KillerRONS.COM offers complete vacuum pump systems from Star Machine that you can read about elsewhere on this site.
WHAT INJECTION SYSTEM IS BEST FOR MY APPLICATION?
There are many types of mechanical injection systems on the market today and all work based upon the same principles. They allow air into the engine based upon the throttle body sizing and at the same time the mechanical pump size and speed dictates the amount of fuel sent to the barrel valve. The barrel valve, working in relation to the throttle body blade position and main pill size, dictates the amount and pressure of fuel sent to the intake injector bodies. It is VERY important that experienced technical personnel help guide you in choosing the correct size throttle body, pump and nozzle jets for your application. It is a good idea to have some basic information ready regarding your combination such as engine size, compression ratio, cylinder head, camshaft specs, RPM range, tranmission type and weight of the vehicle. Flying Toilet and Terminator Kits are available in various sizes and can be outfitted with the correct sized throttle body to work on virtually any combination.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FLYING TOILET AND TERMINATOR SYSTEM?
This is a very common question and you will need to know this answer as you investigate purchasing a system.
The Terminator and Flying Toilet throttle bodies are quite different in appearance but they accomplish essentially the same task and that is to let air into the engine. The Terminator is CNC machined and is available in two sizes (1475 and 2100 CFM). The Flying Toilet is a cast aluminum unit available in three sizes (1250, 1435 and 1800 CFM). Give us a call or E-mail and we will be glad to help you decide which throttle body is best suited to your needs.
Except for the throttle the Terminator and Flying Toilet systems are identical. Once the throttle body decision is made the following parts would round out your complete system.
Combination Barrel Valve/Fuel Shut-Off
(8) Injector Lines
(8) Aerated Injector Bodies
(8) Nozzle Jets
Pump Mount and Drive Kit
Mechanical Fuel Pump
Shut-Off Cable
Fuel Filter
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO PURCHASE?
Unlike most fuel injection manufacturers we price our systems as complete units. The only other mandatory hard parts are three fuel lines; (1) #10 line from the fuel cell to the fuel pump, (1) #6 feed line from the fuel pump to the barrel valve and (1) #6 return line from the barrel valve back to the top of the cell. It is recommended that you install your system before ordering fuel lines. There are optional (but certainly not mandatory) accessories that can be purchased such as EGT gauges, air cleaner brackets, leak-down testers, priming systems etc.
DO WE HAVE THE PUMP MOUNT AND DRIVE KIT FOR YOUR APPLICATION?
We more than likely do. We have pump mount and drive kits for virtually all engine makes such as big and small block Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Pontiac and so on. The pump mount kit includes all of the appropriate pieces to mount your new mechanical pump to your block, the crank mandrel and bolt, both pump and crank pulleys and the appropriate length belt. All of these pieces are anodized for a great look.
IS A USED SYSTEM A GOOD IDEA?
It is apparent that for most, the continual rising cost of living and poor economy has gradually eroded our disposable income. In drag racing terms, other names for “disposable income” are things such as entry fees, parts repair, diesel fuel, racing fuel, etc. This list goes on and on as you already know. Due to this unfortunate circumstance; we as racers need to make sure that we get the best parts that our budget will allow at competitive pricing levels. These parts need to benefit us both in the short and long term. In other words, we need to get good results with limited repairs throughout the life of the part. As no surprise this article will focus on mechanical fuel injection systems as that is what we deal with on a daily basis. In particular we will look at a common customer question that we are faced with every day as technicians. “Should I purchase a used mechanical injection system from my buddy or one that I saw on the internet at a great price?” We have found that most who ask this question eventually purchase some type of system whether it is new or used. This information was written to aid these particular individuals in making an informed decision about a used Terminator or Flying Toilet system.
A new fuel system for today’s ultra-competitive bracket racing tends to be in the $1,500 to $2,500 price range. This is a relatively big ticket item for most of us. The sting of this purchase can be eased greatly if a properly sized and well maintained used system is located for around $750 to $1,500. On the other hand, be warned that a poorly sized system with mismatched or faulty parts can sting back worse than a new system.
In shopping for a used injection system you need to make sure that all of the parts are included and are in good working condition. The “good working condition” is tough to establish from a visual inspection and is one of the “stingers” of a used system. You will be able to begin to make a decision by asking if all of the following items are included in the system.
RON’S BASIC FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTRY
Throttle Body (appropriate size?)
Combination Barrel Valve/Fuel Shut-Off (newer or older style?)
Injector Lines (flexible and not stiff and brittle?)
Injector Bodies
Nozzle Jets (appropriate size?)
Pump Mount Kit (appropriate make?)
Pulleys (appropriate ratio?)
Belt (appropriate length?)
Shut-Off Cable (appropriate length?)
Assortment of Pills
If the above items are included in the system at a fair price you are on your way to saving money and getting your hands on a new (used) injection system. Of course, if particular parts are missing you will need to factor in the cost of replacing them.
The next question that you need to ask and get answers to is absolutely critical at this point. Simply put the fact that mechanical injection systems are “push” rather than “pull” systems it is imperative that the pump and nozzle jets be of the appropriate size for your application. This is the number one culprit in an ill running injection system; whether it is new or used. The best way to go about this is to call and ask a technician what pump and nozzle jet size you need for your application. You can then identify the size of the used pump by the number that is stamped on the housing. The style or color of the pump will also help with this identification. All Ron’s nozzle jets and pills are flow tested and set-matched for the utmost in consistency and accuracy. The best way to tell if these are of the new generation is to check the sizing of the return pills. New pills are in increments of .002 and are of even numbers. It is not imperative that a used system have the new generation pills and nozzle jets but it is a bonus and can help the value of the used system. Pump resizing and nozzle jet adjustments are a cost that you need to factor into the purchase if they are incorrect for your application.
Though not as critical for performance there are other parts of the system that you need to address for correct sizing or application. You will need to be sure that the fuel pump mount kit is designed for your specific engine make. Example being, if you own a big block Mopar and you are purchasing a used system originally set-up for a big block Chevy you will incur expense in obtaining the proper mounting brackets, mandrel, pulley, belt and so on. Also check to make sure that the fuel shut-off cable is of appropriate length for your vehicle. Dragsters will need a shut-off cable in the 8’ to 12’ range and door cars in the 4’ to 6’ range.
Many people think that all barrel valves are the same but this is not true. Ron’s barrel valve assemblies have evolved since their early days. Older barrel valves were fitted with Teflon bushings that both the fuel shut-off and barrel valve scroll “rides” in. These barrel valves could be black, blue, purple and today are gray. These barrel valves also have a series of different barrel valve scrolls that change the flow and ultimately the engine tune-up. Things to look for on these older barrel valves are slop in the bushings, corroded fittings, or signs of fuel leaks. If any of these signs are evident it may be necessary to rebuild the barrel valve to proper clearances to ensure good idle quality and performance. To take the barrel valve discussion one step further there are also different barrel valves for different applications such as superchargers, turbochargers, gasoline and small engines. Some of these barrel valves can be modified to work with your current application but not all. If you are planning to go to a boost application with either a supercharger or a turbocharger, you will need a barrel valve made for this type of application. A very large percentage of barrel valves in circulation today are for normally aspirated engine applications but you do need to know that this possibility exists before making a used system purchase.
Buying a used system can save you a nice chunk of money or it can cost you more than you expected; possibly more than a new system set-up for your application. The more informed and aware you are of what you are looking at the better decision you will make.
IS A BYBASS NECESSARY FOR ME?
To this day, a very large percentage of our customers do not utilize any type of high-speed bypass. We are aware that a small amount of performance COULD be sacrificed by this policy...but consistency is NOT! There are circumstances when the bypass may be necessary and some of these are touched on below.
A bypass, when used, tailors the fuel curve to the special requirements of a high-revving engine throughout its operating range. Mechanical fuel injection typically utilizes a positive displacement pump, which means that as the engine's RPM increases, so does the pressure and the volume of the fuel being delivered. As this engine speed increases in the upper RPM ranges; the volumetric efficiency of the cylinder heads begins to decrease. In other words, at higher RPM's the intake valve is open a shorter amount of time and the cylinder does not have enough time to fill with a fresh mixture. The result? Less fuel is needed. So, a mechanical (preferably) or an electric bypass can be installed to pull fuel back in the upper RPM ranges of the pass.
Bypasses can also be used at idle, part throttle, while on the transbrake, during throttle stop applications and around the shift point(s). Please contact KillerRONS.COM if you feel that you need a bypass.
I HAVE DECIDED TO PURCHASE INJECTION; HOW DO I DRILL AND TAP MAY MANIFOLD?
Each Ron's system comes complete with a 30+ page instruction booklet for your reference. In that paperwork there is detailed written instructions about drilling and tapping your manifold. You can also click here to see written and photo illustrations of this procedure. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself any local machine shop will be able to accomplish this task or you can ship to the main office and they will do it for $125 in labor charges.
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