Craig is the Malibu running on Alky now?

[Dark Horse]

Just curious, I know we talked about this at the FAST event up in Michigan and wondered where you were on that project. I am thinking of setting up my "other" car like that. I found a used ECU with 83lb injectors that might be the right price(keeping fingers crossed) and am interested in trying the alcohol injection set-up. Curious about injector size and the air-fuel number issues with the alcohol. If you can, shoot me an E-mail. Are you or are others using mechanical driven pumps? I am using a Product Engineering pump currently with the Dominator and wonder if it will even come close on the injection. I know it pumps like 45-50 psi and 480 gph. I have a Aeromotive (can't remember the part # without looking) that claims 1300 hp FI and Supercharged or 2000 carbed and can support a 650lb/hr demand, this may be the pump I try, just not sure if it will be enough on a 400 inch N/A alcohol engine. Thanks

 

[Craig Smith]

The engine I just built lost some bearings and kicked the rods out on the dyno but it was on alcohol when it happened and ran very well. I've got another one in the works. The one that blew had 55 lb/hr injectors and I had to run the pressure up to 70 psi to get enough alcohol. It made about 620 hp right before it came apart and used all the injector at 70 psi. It was a 388 inch motor so I think the 83s you have will do it. 55 lb/hr injectors at 70 psi are actually flowing just under 70 lb/hr.

The Product Engineering pump you have should be more than sufficient. 480 gph is well over 2000 hp worth of alcohol. If you can maintain pressure at 45 or 50 psi it should do the trick. My pump is a belt driven DSR pump. It just couldn't quite keep 70 psi at a 1500 RPM idle but once you revved it up at all it was great.

You will either have a hard time finding an electric pump that works with alcohol or you will pay through the nose for it and it will suck the life right out of your alternator/battery. Belt driven is the way to go with this setup, no question about it.

 

[Dark Horse]

Thanks Craig, really sucks to hear about the dyno damage I can't say that enough. Glad to hear you guys are planning something again this year. I hope to be there with 2 cars instead of one Take care and sorry again about the motor. Hope to be flooding you with questions soon about the Alcohol and the FAST system (that means the guy sold it for the right price )

Talk to you later Craig.

 

[ijames]

Saw a guy at the Cecil Co. (MD) track last year after the North East Buick Regionals with an early 60's Barracuda - the one with the huge wraparound rear window. He had added a large tail, and was running a small block Chevy with a giant single turbo. No intercooler, and claimed about 35 psi boost. Had a mechanical pump and alcohol injection system (Kinsler, I think) for the main delivery, plus a 160 lb/hr injector per cylinder controlled by a TEC III system. That way he got enough methanol but had the control and tunability of dfi . Made one quiet, whooshing! pass, a 7.8 at 193 mph that turned about every head in the stands, and was told to leave because he dripped a little oil at the starting line. He wasn't upset because he had been warned before - said he just couldn't keep the crank seals, pan gasket, dipstick tube, and valve covers from weeping a little when the boost came up (sound familiar ?). Forget his name but he said he used to tune for Jim D'Alessandro 5-6 years ago, and the turbo might have been one of his old ones. We discussed it in some length last year either in the lounge or the event forum if you want his name (Mark something?). Anyway, just thought you'd find it interesting.