Is there a preferred engine oil that you use with Methanol? I have just switched to Methanol.
Thank You

I run Amsoil Dominator racing oil. Biggest thing is to make sure the oil is compatible with methanol. Not all oil is.

Lots of oils work with Methanol. I prefer Driven GP-1 but I know of many people using Valvoline VR-1 also. Mark above uses Amsoil and you will get a ton of different opinions on this.

I won't however run the Driven full synthetic with methanol any longer because it drains off so well that I had rust problems on my valve train parts. It will make more power though. LOL

Schaeffers, micron MOLY, made for methanol, I watched on a dyno for a 410 sprint car, several high RPM pulls and oil pressure and oil temp hardly changed. I have been running it in my 588 for awhile now, no issues

Valvoline VR-1 here. Nothing special, available everywhere.

I’ve used Penn Grade, Schaffers, VR1, Mobil 1 and for the past 3 years Maxima full synthetic in sbc. 10w30 is the weight I choose. No milking or moisture in my oil ever on methanol as reported in the oil analysis every year I have done. I think most any race oil is good.

Walmart synthetic 10w-30.

quote:

Originally posted by deadon1578:
Schaeffers, micron MOLY, made for methanol, I watched on a dyno for a 410 sprint car, several high RPM pulls and oil pressure and oil temp hardly changed. I have been running it in my 588 for awhile now, no issues

X2

I’ve posted this before but thought it might be of interest to the OP.

Hot oil....If you get the motor oil hot enough the water and methanol don't effect your oil.

There’s always going to be lots of opinions with a thread like this. We run VR1.

As Eman said make sure to get it hot. Many guys with alcohol carbs have the idle mixture too rich - takes forever to warm up and uses lots of methanol.

I use Valvoline VR-1, You can also us Rotella Diesel oil or Brad Penn as they have Zinc and Phosphorus which has been removed from most automotive oils because they can mess up catalytic converters.

Zinc and Phosphorus are supposed to help lubricate much better so if possible use an oil that contains them. That eliminates most automotive oils for street.

We have discussed alcohol here before many times and alcohol is great but there are a few things I do.
1. I like to use PTFE lined fuel hoses, they last much longer. If you use regular steel braided hoses I would change them out every other year. They wwill dry out inside and start getting rubber flakes in your carb or jets.
2. Get a lean out valve and warm up motor real good at start and END of every race day. I start it up, lean it out until RPM goes up about 500? RPM and toggle water pump off and on every 20 seconds or so until you have motor up to heat.
3. After I cross finish line last run of day (Hopefully Final Round) I open lean out valve and start getting motor hot. I want the water temperature over 220* before I put it in trailer. Water boils at 212*, alcohol boils at something like 160*? and with a vacuum pump even lower. But you want to get it hot enough to boil the alcohol and water out of the oil.
4. Others have said here and they are absolutely right, most people run carbs way too fat especially at idle and low RPM. Lean it down as much as you can.
5. Run good top lube.
6. Only time I drain my fuel is at end of season when car is going to be sitting up for a while. If you are racing every few weeks I think it does not hurt it to leave it in there.
7. Like all race carbs you need to blow out the air bleeds every once in a while. First thing I do if car does not sound nice and clean right off idle is go in and blow out all air bleeds with carb cleaner until I can hear and see they are blowing out good.
8. Run a large good fuel filter and clean it once in a while. Smileys racing has one that is stainless element and cheap. Something like $60 last time I bought one. It is about 2" in diameter and about 9" long.

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:
I use Valvoline VR-1, You can also us Rotella Diesel oil or Brad Penn as they have Zinc and Phosphorus which has been removed from most automotive oils because they can mess up catalytic converters.

You might want to do a little research on Rotella's ZDDP now.

Getting the water hot might help some but you still don't know how hot the oil is. You might be surprised how hard it is to keep heat in your oil. I have an oil temperature gauge to watch so I know what the temp is.

I run an oil heater in my pan and a water heater in my radiator. I have also started running a 160° thermostat. Makes it much easier to build and keep heat in the engine. All 3 save me on fuel. If I had more room in my car I would run a gas primer system to build heat.

It is the tune and the ability to remove what moisture does accumulate in the engine that's important when running methanol. Proper tune and a vacuum pump setup you can run whatever oil you want.

I have run the Walmart Mobil 1 15W50 on alky injection for years.

Engine oil temp, O2 and EGT sensors are all excellent indicators for monitoring your engine. Data acquisition if available can further aid in ones tuning to avoid condensation or milking with methanol.

If you remove the valve covers the day after a race and there is no condensation on the cover’s interior or rockers, then what you’re doing is working.

The oil temperature gauge is an eye opener, you'd be surprised how long before the oil heats up on your initial warmup.
I don't run a vacum pump, use header evac system. I found that getting the temps up and then pulling the breathers out of the valve covers lets the engine get rid of the alky and water vapors. The evac system is closed with the motor off, the check valves in the collectors prevent the engine from breathing.

quote:

Originally posted by Eman:
The oil temperature gauge is an eye opener, you'd be surprised how long before the oil heats up on your initial warmup.
I don't run a vacum pump, use header evac system. I found that getting the temps up and then pulling the breathers out of the valve covers lets the engine get rid of the alky and water vapors. The evac system is closed with the motor off, the check valves in the collectors prevent the engine from breathing.

Yes build some heat, pull the breathers and put it in the trailer. Been doing that for years too.

I am also "blessed" I guess with a filled block that builds oil temperature pretty quick. My oil temp approaches 200 when I hot lap my car. Water is not happy in 200 degree oil.

Castrol 20w x 50. Make sure you run a vacuum pump, make sure motor is sealed up good, idle as lean as you can, yet maintain consistent engine temps. Alcohol will evaporate out of the oil better if you can get oil temp up and pull good vacuum on the engine with the vacuum pump. Change oil every 30 to 40 runs.

quote:

Originally posted by Eman:
The oil temperature gauge is an eye opener, you'd be surprised how long before the oil heats up on your initial warmup.

Exactly what I found also. And it cools back quickly. When my oil gets over 180° I have to watch because it starts picking up.

Curtis.....

You gotta load the motor to get oil temp up. Without load oil never really gets hot. Warm up laps with no load is almost wasting fuel if you are trying to get oil temp up. I tend to see it 0.01 slow if the oil temp is low from a long break or first hit of the day and not heating oil up to normal operating temp.