Re: Car Craft Ramblings

[John McEwen <moparrr@xxxxxxx>]

It's a possibility Bruce, but the costs of converting won't make it 
attractive.  Alky requires a lot of changes internally to compression 
and timing.  It doesn't provide near the energy that petroleum does 
and it's a problem to important bits of the fuel system.  The other 
really big problem will be finding enough of it if petroleum-based 
fuels disappear.  Unless the entire industry switches, not at all 
likely given the current directions of fuel/drivetrain research, 
there isn't going to be a significant amount readily available.

Several jurisdictions are using alky now - mixed into gasoline - but 
the proportion is limited by the engines it's used in, their 
resistance to alcohol damage and by the technology we have - which is 
moving in a different direction.

John

>  >It's all moot in any event because ten years from now, the only cars
> > which will be of interest - even if there are still a few of us "car
> > guys" left - will be rice rockets.  V8 engines will be deemed only
> > suitable for selling to fishermen with a length of rope attached and
> > gasoline will be $10 per gallon - if it is still sold that way.
>
> I don't believe that will happen. IF Gasoline ever gets to $10 a gallon it
> will make ETHANOL the fuel of choice. It SHOULD have happened years ago. I
> used to work in a shop that specialized in Alky (Methanol) big block chevys.
> The engines ran VERY clean, no carbon like gas. Hard to start when cold,
> needed to give em a squirt of gas down the injectors some times. High
> octane, we ran 13 to one or more if we could. Didn't Kalifornia have an
> "Alky for the street" program a few years back? Wonder what happened to it?
>
>
> > Hmm, I wonder if my Matador Barcalounger will run on liquid hydrogen?
> Hmmm....
>
> No Hydro today,,,,, but you CAN run on alky !!!!!!!!!
> But hey,,,, that's just ME!
> Bruce Hevner