New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

I'm converting my 03 gsxr750 powered pulling tractor over to methanol and can't find to much info on what kind of engine oil to run and how often to change it. Hoping some mini sprint guys could clue me in. I'm running a Kevlar clutch if it matters. Also wondering being the engine only pulls for +- 30 secs under full power if I should remove the small oil cooler the heat up oil better to burn off any methanol that gets into the oil. I'm tuning the engine with a Yoshi box and wideband O2 and data logger. so hopefully not a lot of methanol in oil. Any help would b great! Cory
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Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

left

You need to look around and find some 40 to 50 lbs per hr injectors. You need a larger fuel pump and non paper fuel filter. A dyno jet to set AFR at about 4.5 to 5 to one under power. probably be running between 45 to 60 psi. We don't have clutch problems. I like man made oil, not too heavy if you aren't going to spend much time with warm up. Don't block off your cooler lines just run hose from one side to the other, or short cut it. The oil galley is restricted inside motor and must be drilled out if you want to block off cooler lines all together.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

I got the right injectors from Ryan Greth billet rail SS filters and tuning computer so I should be good there. The oil cooler is the type that looks like an aluminum can about 3" diam. bolted to block with 1/2" coolant line going in and out of. Should I leave it alone or disconnect the coolant lines? For oil i ran 10-40w Amsoil motorcycle syn. last year on gas and have some left could i run that again this year with alcohol? I also read somewhere that a guy was running his oil for a couple races then dumped it out and heated it up on camping stove to burn off the alcohols then reran it. Would that work as i don't want to have to toss $60 worth of oil every few weeks?
Sorry for so many questions!
I know for drag race car engines they run a vacuum valve to lean engine at idle and bring engine temp to 200 before the run could i do that kind of thing but tune a lean spot just off idle to create some heat quickly before a run?

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

LEFT

You got it, remember lean anyplace else turns it into a foundry real quick. Can't get any better oil than that. With electronin inj. deluted oil should not be a problem. If the oil temp get up to 220 or so methanol will boil off. If anything the cooler should bring the temp up qicker. We have used use a small heating coil to raise temp while we wait to run both in water and in dry sump tank. We changed oil about every 3rd or 4th race back when we could get a motor to last that long.

Do tractor pullers have to turn left also?:)

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Thanks for your help!
We only turn left off the end of some tracks. :6: I use to run a Wissota super before I married and had kids!

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

LEFT

One of the best ways I know to put an end to a racing career. Probably worth it, lots of fringe benefits.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

1 more question I'm using a bosch 044 pump similar to walbaro but has 1/2" inlet. On the outlet side it has a banjo stud with a check valve should I run it that way so the methanol stays in the rail when off or should I use the 6an fitting on the pump with no check valve. Thanks Cory

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Cory

If you are going to be off a month or so drain the methanol, if you have a purge tank run a little gas through it then I like to blow out and shoot a little Marvel Mystery oil or WD40 in the injector rails. Most new aluminum rails are anodized now and all the extra work may not be required. But nothing worse than getting ready to fire her up and finding all this crud and white powder in your fuel system clogging things up. "A thorn of experience is worth a wilderness of warnings."

I have no idea about the banjo fitting. I like "an" fittings as opposed to hose clamps when I have methanol at 70 psi running between my legs.:D

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Everything in the system is stainless steel or anodized alum. it will never sit more than 2 weeks between runs and I will prob. start once a week. the banjo bolt is the same as any car brake fitting with crush washers on each side for sealing and has an output of 6an male. The biggest concern is if I should run the check valve on the output side of the pump to keep the rail and injectors full of methanol when the engine is not running limiting the amount of air in the system adding to the corrosion/white powder developing in the system. Cory

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Cory

We don't run a check valve,. but I see no problems using one , it should make it start a little quicker, ours probably is a bit slow at times but I like to think that we are building oil pres. You should be good to go. Start out rich and lean as you go. The nice thing about methanol is that power does not fall off when it is too rich up to 20% or so over schoc. But you get it just a little lean and you have a real problem.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Thanks. got the new alum banjo last nite and machined a solid lugnut to act as a cap over stud to crush washer. $2.00 vs $20 from Porsche need a few fittings coming Fri. then should be ready to fire it up. Was told being the injectors are twice the flow I should start with a zero map and tune with AFR from there. Think that will work?

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Cory

I would probably start at about 60 psi fuel pres. raise pres to richen it all the way across, drop pres to lean it out all the way across. Methanol usually requires a little more than double size to work, but you can catch up with pres. Most injectors are rated at 45 psi so an extra 15psi more will richen it about 20% or so. Click on link http://www.injector.com/injector_selection_guide.php

When you get close then map it, A little lean at idle will keep it from fouling plugs and build heat, right off idle it needs to be fattened up quite a bit then you look for accelerator function in your box and set it pretty rich.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Thanks again. With all your knowledge you said 4.5-5 ratio. Should I start with the 4.5 and work down to 5 after some runs watching temps. to make sure they stay the same or slightly rise during run or do you have a better way to do if for a novice. Also can I use 6:1 on all the low TPS % and low RPM cells?

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Cory

Just remember at 6 under a load you are heading for problems, Unlike gasoline Methanol works real well rich and won't hurt power a great deal. At 10%-20% rich on gas power will go down very rapidly and you start blubbering at those numbers, Methanol will not fall off a great deal and aids in cooling. You can lean gas down until the plugs turn white and it will run ok and probably not hurt the motor. You can do that with Methanol also but all of a sudden you melt a piston if you are lucky.

Egt can fool you it can go up when rich and also when lean, watch your plugs.

Just stay away from LEAN. and you will be fine. Don't expect any HP jumps because it won't help there,

Now if we add a little oxidizer that turns it into a whole new ballgame.;);)

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

So my best bet is to just tune everything to 4.5. Then idle at 5.5-6 to build some heat before the run? What does a normal methanol plug color look like? I'm using the NGK double ground strap plugs recommended by Ryan Greth. They will be new and uncolored because I was running the NGK Iridium plugs and he said those could cause a high speed miss.

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Cory

Your plugs are OK. Kill it at the end of the run, and coast to a stop. When it cools a little, pull the plugs and electrode porcelain should be light tan to chocolate in color, Get a magnifier and look for specs of aluminum on porcelain also. (that is a bad sign). You should also look into a little more ignition timing about 2-4 degrees should work fine. You can also invest in compression, alky don't start making power until around 15 to 1 comp ratio or so.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

I was going to ask about the timing because the fuel box I'm using does have timing control built in. So should I add 3 deg. on the whole map or if I'm just using 8-14k just do it there? On the compression side the plan is to freshen the motor next winter and install the thinner gasket should bump to 12.5 or so. So you think I should stay with the Iridium plugs?

Re: New to methanol powered motorcycle engine!
 

Cory

Iridium is fine. We usually cut the timing back again at about 12000-12500 and go just a tad lean up at about the same rpm's. She starts running out of air up there and can't use all that stuff.

Honest Dad himself:6::6: