87GNcospg
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everyone knows the pros about alcohol injection but what are the cons with SMC's alcohol kit and just using alcohol on a car in general?
cons about SMC alcohol injection?
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i have a con about it...
i can't solve my transitional knock problem...when you go WOT and have a really fast spooling turbo setup...your motor will most likely ping at first but then clears up right away
this is because the system doesn't spray fast enough and early enough to cool the intake charge BEFORE you go WOT...there's a guy named Razor in the alcohol area that is making a progressive setup where it will spray according to how much boost is present...less alcohol with less boost...more with higher boost...
the smc kit just sprays the same at any boost level whether it be 5lb or 25lbs of boost
my car is a major exception because it's a pos...but i cannot go WOT without pressing the test button first for 2 seconds otherwise i ping badly at first...
other than that the kit is awesome...no knock at all once the alcohol is spraying...had it up to 25 psi towards the top end and no knock...the car flys
i can't solve my transitional knock problem...when you go WOT and have a really fast spooling turbo setup...your motor will most likely ping at first but then clears up right away
this is because the system doesn't spray fast enough and early enough to cool the intake charge BEFORE you go WOT...there's a guy named Razor in the alcohol area that is making a progressive setup where it will spray according to how much boost is present...less alcohol with less boost...more with higher boost...
the smc kit just sprays the same at any boost level whether it be 5lb or 25lbs of boost
my car is a major exception because it's a pos...but i cannot go WOT without pressing the test button first for 2 seconds otherwise i ping badly at first...
other than that the kit is awesome...no knock at all once the alcohol is spraying...had it up to 25 psi towards the top end and no knock...the car flys
BlackBeauty
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It's just another variable to tune/screw around with. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard.
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IMHO it is no more intrusive than the alcohol content in retail fuel.
Red Regal T
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There is no downside to alcohol injection.
Ohh boyyy .. dont know where to start
My first issue was the connectors mounted on top of the bottle. They are prone to getting corrossion from alcohol, environmental, etc.. He should of three years ago employed better connectors. period. If the connection fails..you have ZERO alcohol spray. His fix was adding the pressure switch to tell you its spraying/not spraying...but the .15 cent connectors stayed there. I will never understand why this wasnt addressed earlier in the kits. His new kits have connectors away from the bottle. Next was the use of that epoxy resin on the bottom of the connectors, it fails and lets the alcohol eats the tin on the bottom of the brass. I have repaired 5 kits by drilling the brass plug and physically running the wire to the pump..All this is the famous "my pump doesnt work". Its not always the pump, but the connections getting to the pump. The newer kits kits employ different connectors guess what..AWAY FROM THE BOTTLE
. I had called Steve on the connector issue in nov 2001, a month after I had my first kit, and it failed at the track 23 PSI. Acting intermittant. Soldering the wires and bypassing the connector left me with no more of these issues.Your alcohol system is suppossed to keep your engine from detonating..hence why its used. If it fails, your are up the creek. And there cannot be any weak links. Electrical or otherwise. one hose, wire, connection..fails..the whole kit fails.
I wont get into the drivability stuff. Just stating facts that are true to the question being asked.
No engine damage from using methanol. Water may be another story..the exhuast system corrosion..humm..could be..dont matter, thats why the make stainless steel exhuast systems.
Typcially the GN chips have a miserable to lousy timing table.
While folks turn off the EGR they fail to account for that in the main timing table, BTW withour EGR you can use ALOT less timing.
Not to mention the fuel tables aren't much better.
Looking at the torque you'll notice that it is rather flat from peak torque to peak HP. So depending on exactly what your doing and at what HP level, constant water might not be too far off. BTW, on most pulling tractors were they run 60-300 PSI of boost they run the water that way.
87GNcospg
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so SMC's new system has completely resolved all these issues previously stated by RAzor and its a damn good setup now after all the bad components have been fixed?
and how is the driveablitity stuff?
and how is the driveablitity stuff?
If the pump connectors have been fixed, then you have the sticking float I've heard complaints off.. Maybe the new one thats fixed as well.. then we get into the controller, where there is no filtering to suppress transients on the main power line, let alone the "chip" used for generating the PWM signal is way too unstable. Hence why most have issues with settings under pump speed 4 the system is useless.
Another con is that you cant run methanol through the pump. And if the pump fails, its expensive...that is out of warranty.
Capacity at 2 quarts is too little..you constantly having to refill.
And the drivability issue with too much too low or not enough on top..
Got a couple more if ya want them
I'll leave it at that..
Another con is that you cant run methanol through the pump. And if the pump fails, its expensive...that is out of warranty.
Capacity at 2 quarts is too little..you constantly having to refill.
And the drivability issue with too much too low or not enough on top..
Got a couple more if ya want them
I'll leave it at that..
Red Regal T
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My kit has been going strong for almost a year now and suprisingly it hasn't self detonated or corroded into dust yet.. 
I did have one switch problem that Steve quickly corrected with a new switch.
It's a good kit if you're not a do-it-yourselver type of person. The new kits should be much better but they still cost more than do-it-yourself kit. Check out the options and decide what is best for you. I don't think you can go wrong with a new SMC kit, but it will cost you more $$$. You will become an Alkyholic either way though.
James
I did have one switch problem that Steve quickly corrected with a new switch. It's a good kit if you're not a do-it-yourselver type of person. The new kits should be much better but they still cost more than do-it-yourself kit. Check out the options and decide what is best for you. I don't think you can go wrong with a new SMC kit, but it will cost you more $$$. You will become an Alkyholic either way though.
James
Love the Alky, Alky is good, no down side for me at all. I use the SMC Alky Kit and I also had a problem with the switch and Steve replaced it no questions asked. Great service. My entire exhaust system was upgraded to an SS system so I don't anticipate any corrosion. I go through a gallon every two weeks, @ $9.00 a gallon it cost me $4.50 a week to run 22 lbs of boost with no knock at all. I just cannot think of any down side.
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On my DIY kit, I used solder filled heat shrink connectors throughout the pump. Additonally, I used a GM fuel pump relay to trigger my alky system. One reason for using the GM relay is the availability of a wire repair kit (with a molded weather proof plug) that matches the relay. I expect my DIY kit to last just as long if not longer than Reds or anyone else using a DIY system.
fast eddie
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no problems at all with my 21/2 yr old SMC kit
Ed
Ed
i have a couple of issues with it, the pump inside the bottle was starting to get corroded so i called steve and he said now they use a different type of pump glue to protect it, so i send it out and he cleaned it up a bit and use the new adhesive to protect it he also replaced the spray sensor with a new adjustable one but now my adjust button on the controller does not seem to be working it seems this new sensor on the bottle has bypassed the sensor on the controller i will be giving him a call to find out why this happen, other than that i am happy with the system.
