Hey Tater Salad....

[INEEDAGN]

I plan to add an alcohol kit to my car over the winter, and was wondering how much there is to gain by ordering an extender extreme chip calibrated for alcohol, VS. dialing in a couple degrees timing with my current trans plus/EE chip combo (ordered for 91 octane). Let's assume for the moment that I'm going to resist the urge to run 25+ psi with it, with pump gas I have to be weather conscious when flooring it because I have a 17lb. spring in the external gate. With alcohol I doubt I run it over 20, all I do is fart around on the highway with it. I did order a powerlogger yesterday but I don't ALWAYS monitor for knock, etc.

If I order one I'd like to do it on cyber monday.

Thanks
Bob

 

[TurboBob]

there is enough adjustability in your setup to tune for the alky. I don't have a specific alky chip, I make alky chips the same as 98 octane chips..

Bob

 

[INEEDAGN]

Thanks! I believe timing is 19/17 in this chip, do I put it at approx 23/21?

 

[we4Mateo]

Thanks! I believe timing is 19/17 in this chip, do I put it at approx 23/21?

I have a similar setup and transition between no alky in the cold months around 17psi boost and then I crank it back up to 25psi plus when the weather gets warmer (above 50 deg F) and I turn the alky back on. I run the 19/17 timing to keep it safe in both scenarios though. My tune is reliable and fast imo. The moral is, leave the timing down and just run more boost when you introduce alky. The gas fuel curve is the only adjustment I make and I add only 4-6% back through the translator when the alky is off. I've ran my car like this for tens of thousands of miles and hundreds of passes.

 

[INEEDAGN]

I've had to add 6% of fuel through the translator since the day I set it up, if I spray alcohol to it I might dial it back a couple %. Of course, I've had a lean issue pop up this fall that's unresolved so fueling might change across the board once that's straightened out. Oh there's a front mount to install too. Gonna probably have to "square one" the tune after all that and then add some alcohol. I've been a holdout on alky forever but pump gas gets worse every year and I think the engine is safer at 20psi+alky than it would be at 17 on straight 91.

 

[we4Mateo]

...I've been a holdout on alky forever but pump gas gets worse every year and I think the engine is safer at 20psi+alky than it would be at 17 on straight 91.

Agreed, to a certain extent...no knock is key and boost is just a number so with no knock, regardless of boost, the engine should be ok, but it ain't gonna last as long at 25psi than it will at 17psi even without knock in either case. I'm approaching 100k miles on my stock 109 with alky being used since 45k miles and it still runs great with very minimal oil usage. Good luck with the re-tune and please post how it goes. Are you going dual-nozzle or single? I haven't hit the dual-nozzle point yet but it has been said to be around 500rwhp or 125mph in the 1/4. What size hair dryer are you pushing?

Pump gas definitely sucks these days but E85 just doesn't get me the range I need.

 

[TurboBob]

get the alky in and start tuning. Then we will know more. A front mount is not as necessary on a street car with alky. So do the alky first and get the car running smoothly and cleanly.

Bob

 

[INEEDAGN]

I'll be the first to admit I don't need a front mount. I currently have a stock necked stock intercooler, PTE front mount went on super sale for $695 and I bought it, original plan was to stick with pump gas and the benefits of a front mount on straight pump gas are obvious. THEN I spent a lot of man hours polishing the pipes myself so in order to sell it, someone would have to want it REALLY bad. I'm pretty sure it's going in the car, I got the radiator and fans for the job. Besides, it's "kool guy" stuff that makes me look like a bad-ass LOL...

 

[INEEDAGN]

Agreed, to a certain extent...no knock is key and boost is just a number so with no knock, regardless of boost, the engine should be ok, but it ain't gonna last as long at 25psi than it will at 17psi even without knock in either case. I'm approaching 100k miles on my stock 109 with alky being used since 45k miles and it still runs great with very minimal oil usage. Good luck with the re-tune and please post how it goes. Are you going dual-nozzle or single? I haven't hit the dual-nozzle point yet but it has been said to be around 500rwhp or 125mph in the 1/4. What size hair dryer are you pushing?

Pump gas definitely sucks these days but E85 just doesn't get me the range I need.

E85 would be awesome for me if it was in my area, but it's not. I'm sure I'll be buying a single nozzle kit, it's a TE44 with a restalled D5, 60lb hi-z mototrons. I like buying stuff once, I bought more injector than I need and more intercooler than I need, knowing I won't outgrow them. turbo was on the car when I bought it, converter was stupid cheap when I worked at the tranny shop. Someday it will get better heads and a 9/11 converter and a turbo to match....

 

[TurboBob]

You might talk me into selling my spare intercooler. Its a 17 row, big-neck, stretched stocker. I went 10.60's in my old car with it.

Its seen a lot of miles, but matches your combo well.

Bob

 

[INEEDAGN]

I appreciate the offer, but with a front mount sitting here and the cooling system to support it, It'd be hard to bolt anything else on it. Besides, it will be tax time before I can afford the alcohol kit. Blew all my fun money on the powerlogger

That's not to say I won't be begging for a stock location after the first hot day with the FM on it.