Curtis nailed it and he said it much better than I. We agree on checking everything to make it right or it will bite you.
With the good bearings we have today I am not sure it is a good idea to hit them with Scothbrite but it does not matter to me if others do.

For over 20 years I ran companies that supplied the OEMs like gm, chrysler and Ford internal engine components. As a requirement they mandated that all scotchbrite pads be removed from the premises and ban on the purchase order system.

The reason... The microfine dust created from these pads tears up IC motors and was causing premature failures.

This could be caused by inadvertent use near processing engine components that are then sent to these ones.

So if you using them to remove gaskets, etc. I'd think about that twice.

Just saying...

Ripper, what are you paying for the Interstate Methanol? Can you share your source? Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by bullcutter:
Ripper, what are you paying for the Interstate Methanol? Can you share your source? Thanks

Not on here I can't, without permission.

He's really not in the business of selling methanol.

If you PM me, I might be able to help ya out. I have one other racer, here in the hood.

quote:

Originally posted by bullcutter:
Ripper, what are you paying for the Interstate Methanol? Can you share your source? Thanks

Pretty sure Alan Glatt was $185/drum this year for methanol with top lube.

Been on methanol for 20+ years have tried klotz, M2, and power plus. Never seen them stop corrosion. The only way i've seen to stop corrosion on aluminum in methanol service is to have it anodized. Anywhere there's bare aluminum it will corrode. Darn near corroded the fittings off of my aluminum tank in my dragster. The replacement i built i got it anodized before i ever put fuel in it. Don't bother trying to anodize an old aluminum cell if you've run methanol and fuel additive in it, the anodizing won't take.

If there's bare aluminum in my system, it gets corroded. I've seen plenty of fittings just like the one pictured on page 1, usually they were used fittings installed when building the car so i attributed that to scratches or nicks or defects in the anodizing usually caused from multiple make ups on the same fitting. If the anodizing is in good shape, no corrosion. Wondering if there's an environmental component to it, i'm in south Louisiana so it gets hot and humid here for the majority of the year, maybe this accelerates the corrosion. Not sure just a guess.

If you leave your car and fuel in a trailer ALL the time, you WILL have issues. Keep fuel jugs sealed, and if the car is not raced EVERY weekend, at end of race day, turn fuel pump off and let engine burn all fuel out of the carb. Dont make this **** harder than it has to be.

Oh, and a can of wd-40 is your friend for when things do gum up in the carb. Or, switch to injection, and then you dont have to worry about squirter needles, floats and gummed up carburetors.

quote:

Originally posted by 329L:
If you leave your car and fuel in a trailer ALL the time, you WILL have issues. Keep fuel jugs sealed, and if the car is not raced EVERY weekend, at end of race day, turn fuel pump off and let engine burn all fuel out of the carb. Dont make this **** harder than it has to be.

No way can you make that blanket statement. You just described my operation. My car stays in my trailer unless it's being raced, washed or I'm working on stuff I can't do in the trailer. My fuel jugs stay in the trailer also. I do heat my trailer anytime it's below 55° or so though. There have been some years when it sat all winter with fuel in it. I just made sure to keep fuel in the carburetor bowls and not let it dry up.

I made my own fuel cell from 3003-H14 that was welded with 5356 rod in 2005. It is not anodized and I have zero problems. I really wish we could pin point something specific so people wouldn't have problems. I would bet that my heater keeps the air drier than normal and if people used heat or a de-humidifier it would pay off. In a large garage or large trailer a car cover with a de-humidifier under the cover would probably stop it all. I believe it to be the water not the alcohol that does the damage. JMO

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by 329L:
If you leave your car and fuel in a trailer ALL the time, you WILL have issues. Keep fuel jugs sealed, and if the car is not raced EVERY weekend, at end of race day, turn fuel pump off and let engine burn all fuel out of the carb. Dont make this **** harder than it has to be.

No way can you make that blanket statement. You just described my operation. My car stays in my trailer unless it's being raced, washed or I'm working on stuff I can't do in the trailer. My fuel jugs stay in the trailer also. I do heat my trailer anytime it's below 55° or so though. There have been some years when it sat all winter with fuel in it. I just made sure to keep fuel in the carburetor bowls and not let it dry up.

I made my own fuel cell from 3003-H14 that was welded with 5356 rod in 2005. It is not anodized and I have zero problems. I really wish we could pin point something specific so people wouldn't have problems. I would bet that my heater keeps the air drier than normal and if people used heat or a de-humidifier it would pay off. In a large garage or large trailer a car cover with a de-humidifier under the cover would probably stop it all. I believe it to be the water not the alcohol that does the damage. JMO

Just saying, when i started taking the fuel and car out of the trailer, i quit having as many issues. Humidity and enclosed spaces is the worse case scenario for alky.

quote:

Originally posted by 329L:

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:

quote:

Originally posted by 329L:
If you leave your car and fuel in a trailer ALL the time, you WILL have issues. Keep fuel jugs sealed, and if the car is not raced EVERY weekend, at end of race day, turn fuel pump off and let engine burn all fuel out of the carb. Dont make this **** harder than it has to be.

No way can you make that blanket statement. You just described my operation. My car stays in my trailer unless it's being raced, washed or I'm working on stuff I can't do in the trailer. My fuel jugs stay in the trailer also. I do heat my trailer anytime it's below 55° or so though. There have been some years when it sat all winter with fuel in it. I just made sure to keep fuel in the carburetor bowls and not let it dry up.

I made my own fuel cell from 3003-H14 that was welded with 5356 rod in 2005. It is not anodized and I have zero problems. I really wish we could pin point something specific so people wouldn't have problems. I would bet that my heater keeps the air drier than normal and if people used heat or a de-humidifier it would pay off. In a large garage or large trailer a car cover with a de-humidifier under the cover would probably stop it all. I believe it to be the water not the alcohol that does the damage. JMO

Just saying, when i started taking the fuel and car out of the trailer, i quit having as many issues. Humidity and enclosed spaces is the worse case scenario for alky.

I would never try to argue with your results and wholeheartedly agree with your last statement.

Just the "if then WILL" part of the first quote is all.

I understand completely, and not everybody has the same issues. I am also the same guy that will not leave VP alky in the barrel for more than a week after i open the drum. I have had NUMEROUS issues with plugged up filters from running vp alky. Whatever coating they put on the inside of the drum always finds its way to my filter. Funny enough, I normally use methanol from a local oil company, and they do not use lined drums, and i have 0 issues with plugging up the filter

Methanol & aluminum fuel cell

Asking for trouble - act in a way that is likely to incur problems or difficulties.

Gas isnt the best bracket fuel for MOST combinations, but alky isnt for everybody. Pick your poison and roll with it.

I didn't have a corrosion problem for 17 years. Then I did.

I have never used VP alcohol. For most of the years I have raced I have used no name fuel from a local oil distributor. Have been using Renegade lately just because a friend started selling it. No problems with either.

Instead of general conclusions about methanol and aluminum there is a better way to analyze it.

I agree with SR4400, it is the water (alky absorbs water especially in humid environments) that mostly attacks CHEAP low grade aluminum. I have had more problems with cooling system fitting rotting than fuel system. But, Higher grade aluminum alloys that are corrosion resistant don't have the any or near the problem as low grades.

Scott