Alcohol as fuel

[Anonymous]

Folks,

Does anyone know if it's possible to convert a motorcycle engine to run on alcohol?

Dave

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is possible to convert to methanol as a fuel. The engine itself doesn't really care what fuel is used (it is only needed to supply energy to drive the pistons), as long as it doesn't detonate or burn poorly. The biggest problem you face is getting the jetting right, because you need to flow approximately twice as much methanol as gasoline to achieve a proper air/fuel ratio. This means BIG jets and possibly carb mods to correct the idle circuits for enough flow. Your fuel mileage will also drop by 50%, which is a big deal if this is a street bike. There are benefits, though. Jetting is much less critical with methanol, the engine will run cooler and make more power. It is a practical thing for a race bike (especially drag racing, where the mileage issue doesn't matter), but not really useful for a street vehicle.

Mark

[HiSPL]

Boosting compression also helps. Here is some info.....

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me1.html

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me2.html

[Anonymous]

alky

hope you got a really big tank, and a way to convert all the seals, it will take you 8 gals to get you where 3 gals. used to

[Anonymous]

Well, Grandpa used to carry home-made ethanol in big glass or stoneware jugs. (Grin)

The question came up because a few of us at work were kicking around ideas to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. I thought I'd heard that some race vehicles burn alcohol, so I windered if a bike could be made to do so. (Whether it can be done economically is another matter.)

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

Dave

[HiSPL]

Biodiesel is the way to go if you want to lighten your footprint on Ma nature. It can be made from many things including waste vegetable oil. You could have an almost limitless supply by going from one McDonalds to the next burning old fryer oil. And the best part is that you can run it in any diesel engine without modifications.....

Check it out.... http://www.veggievan.org/

[Anonymous]

As I understand, biodiesel sometimes or often requires a preheater modification. Not difficult I'm sure.

I run on alcohol. Give me beer for fuel and a cigar for ignition and I'll produce happy thoughts all evening long.

Michael

[Anonymous]

Biodiesel is the way to go if you want to lighten your footprint on Ma nature. It can be made from many things including waste vegetable oil. You could have an almost limitless supply by going from one McDonalds to the next burning old fryer oil.

I read several years ago where most of Disney World's service vehicles ran on a 50:50 mix of diesel and used fryer oil.

I'll bet the smell increases french fry sales, too.

Would a diesel engine small enough to fit a bike be practical?

Dave

[HiSPL]

Most definately..... http://motorcyclecity.com/Military-b...l-Kawasaki.htm

[mcycle-nut]

As it's already been said, you have to rejet, and you burn a LOT more fuel. Another thing mentioned is the seals. I run alcohol in my dirt drag V65 Magna, and EVERYTIME after I use it I have to drain the tank and carbs and run a little gas through the fuel pump and carbs with the float bowl drains open, or I'm replacing carb seals and fuel pumps. I didn't build the bike, but the jets are HUGE! Basically, they are straight tubes.

I also have to run an Alcohol Lubricant, as there are NO lubricating qualities to alcohol. I run Methyl Hydrate, as it is readily available at Canadian Tire, whereas methanol is a little harder to come by. 8)

[Anonymous]

Another neat site on running veggie oil in your diesel:

https://www.greasel.com

I'd love to own a diesel of some sort, as the economy is MUCH better, they last longer, and here, diesel is cheaper than any variety of gas.

[gremlin]

dont fall for all the hipe. do the research.

Pure biodiesel will eventually devour any natural or butyl rubber parts in the fuel system (hoses and seals)

Biodiesel has a higher viscosity than conventional diesel and therefore becomes less useful at lower temperatures. This limits its use in Canada, the northern U.S. and much of Europe. In these areas, biodiesel is marketed as an additive in a five to ten percent blend with conventional diesel fuel www.greenfuels.org/bioindex.html

As can be seen from the table below, only coconut oil has an IV low enough to be used without any potential problems in an unmodified diesel engine. However, with a melting point of 25 deg C, the use of coconut oil in cooler areas would obviously lead to problems. With IVs of 25-50, the effects on engine life are also generally unaffected if a slightly more active maintenance schedule is maintained such as more frequent lubricating oil changes and exhaust system decoking. Triglycerides in the range of IV 50-100 may result in decreased engine life, and in particular to decreased fuel pump and injector life. However these must be balanced against greatly decreased fuel costs (if using cheap, surplus oil) and it may be found that even with increased maintenance costs this is economically viable.


From "Waste Vegetable Oil as a Diesel Replacement Fuel" by Phillip Calais, Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, and A.R. (Tony) Clark, Western Australian Renewable Fuels Association Inc.

http://www.shortcircuit.com.au/warfa/paper/paper.htm

[Anonymous]

I personally don't want a diesel so I can run veggie. Just to run diesel.

The site I mentioned is for hobbyists only. To get around the melting point issue, they use heaters piped from the engine's coolant system to heat up the oil and lines.

You can't start or shut down the engine on veggie oil with their kits. You have to switch to diesel a bit before you shut down the engine, and run on diesel for a while after you start it to heat up the oil and melt it.

[Anonymous]

I've been running my Suzuki on e85 (85% ethanol + 15% gasoline) for over a year now. The conversion was much simpler than I thought it would be.

The only changes is as follows:

Main jet: drilled to size 150 (orig 107.5)
Pilot jet: drilled to size 70 (orig 47.5)
Needle in highest position whith a spacer below.

The fuel consumption increased with about 20%.

Forget about methanol, it will destroy your engine. Methanol is much more agressive against materials than ethanol.

[lecroy]

Forget about methanol, it will destroy your engine.

Agree. I use methanol mixed with Sunoco's lube and flush it at the end of the day.