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Originally posted by racerdude2054:

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Originally posted by HS professor:

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I have never understood the “alky is cheaper” mentality. Yes alky is half the price, but you burn twice as much

$170 a drum for alky, $485 drum for gas.

Simple math really ..........

2 drums of alcohol per one drum of gas needed. 340 dollars versus 485 is 145 dollars saved running alcohol

2-3 oil changes per 1 oil change from alcohol to gas is also a difference

I’ve ran alcohol for 90 percent of my racing career, carbs and injection for 2 decades... after the switch to gas I’ll never go back

Why all the oil changes?

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Originally posted by Bucky:

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Originally posted by racerdude2054:

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Originally posted by HS professor:

quote:

I have never understood the “alky is cheaper” mentality. Yes alky is half the price, but you burn twice as much

$170 a drum for alky, $485 drum for gas.

Simple math really ..........

2 drums of alcohol per one drum of gas needed. 340 dollars versus 485 is 145 dollars saved running alcohol

2-3 oil changes per 1 oil change from alcohol to gas is also a difference

I’ve ran alcohol for 90 percent of my racing career, carbs and injection for 2 decades... after the switch to gas I’ll never go back

Why all the oil changes?

I don’t know what everyone else does, but on alcohol with a primer plus system and vacuum pump the oil was changed every 25-35 passes. On gas it’s changed every 50-60 passes

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Some people must really love to work on stuff. I fog the motor at the end of every SEASON, and change the oil about once per month. I don't really count passes but it is a lot more than 20!

I don't ever drain the fuel system. I do run Klotz lube in the fuel.

Same here except we don't use Klotz brand.

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Don't let folks scare you away from methanol.
Just call a reputable alcohol carb builder (not a gas carb guy that dabbles in alcohol stuff). They will setup the carb correctly to keep the oil clean and be able to build heat. You don't need a primer plus. It is handy but If not easy enough to build heat a lot of folks with carbs use a vacuum leak device to help build heat (this technique doesn't always work so well with mechanical injection though). You will also probably have to downsize your cooling system. everything you did to help keep it cool on gas will just make it harder with methanol.

Everyone has there preferences. For me I like the mechanical injection. Wink But I can understand it when someone wants to stick with something they know and are comfortable with.
Plus like you said with an adjustable restrictor plate a carb is the best choice.

X2

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Originally posted by racerdude2054:

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Originally posted by Bucky:

quote:

Originally posted by racerdude2054:

quote:

Originally posted by HS professor:

quote:

I have never understood the “alky is cheaper” mentality. Yes alky is half the price, but you burn twice as much

$170 a drum for alky, $485 drum for gas.

Simple math really ..........

2 drums of alcohol per one drum of gas needed. 340 dollars versus 485 is 145 dollars saved running alcohol

2-3 oil changes per 1 oil change from alcohol to gas is also a difference

I’ve ran alcohol for 90 percent of my racing career, carbs and injection for 2 decades... after the switch to gas I’ll never go back

Why all the oil changes?

I don’t know what everyone else does, but on alcohol with a primer plus system and vacuum pump the oil was changed every 25-35 passes. On gas it’s changed every 50-60 passes

Is the oil diluted? If so, why? If not, why change it?

Oil companies must really love you guys. If the oil is not contaminated with alcohol why change it every 50 runs?

Exactly, it is the moisture not the alky, unless you have a REAL LOOSE MOTOR and ring package.

I'm thinking some guys are reading this thinking we all have two heads or something. LOL.

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Originally posted by I Hate Dragsters:
Oil companies must really love you guys. If the oil is not contaminated with alcohol why change it every 50 runs?

if the valve spring isn't broken.... why would you put new ones in?

You do not have to see any visual evidence of moisture in the oil for it to have began a chemical breakdown process, just like you don't have to have visual evidence of a broken valve spring for the metal to be weaker over time.

Oil and a filter are probably the cheapest component of a race engine, which to me means cheap insurance for a race car.

If you don't want to change your oil often, don't. If you think everything is fine and your engine builder tells you how beautiful everything looks during a rebuild... then keep doing what you are doing. Regardless I changed the oil more often when running methanol, maybe it just made me feel more warm and tingly inside... but if you can't afford to change the oil in your race car, it may be too expensive of a sport

so out of curiosity... how often do you change your oil on gas? how often do you change it on methanol? curious as to what others do

This message has been edited. Last edited by: racerdude2054,

Gas or alcohol every 50 runs

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.. but if you can't afford to change the oil in your race car, it may be too expensive of a sport

I try to change things based on some sort of condition based monitoring. Does it look diluted? How does the filter look when cutting it open? Is there any sort of smell or color change to the oil? The ultimate condition based monitoring is of course oil sample testing. I don't do it on the race car. I do it on a lot of equipment at work though. We could use the argument....if you can't afford to change 100 gallons of oil in a 2 million dollar machine, this might be too expensive of a business to be in. But really I'm just trying to be practical about it. And you are right. Some of it is whatever makes you feel good about it. I go at least 75 passes usually. In a heavy season maybe more. But often it is decided on by what is convenient. If I am doing other maintenance or have the containment pan off for some other reason. My bearings haven't shown me any signs of being abused nor the lifters.

I guess my point is....I hear this argument that the maintenance is so much greater when you run alky. In reality, it ought to be exactly the same. Your fuel doesn't belong in your oil. If it is there, you probably ought to change the oil every day. Same goes for moisture for that matter. If there is methanol or water in your fuel, something is wrong.

125-150 runs, gas or methanol. Nothing wrong with changing oil more often. I just don’t see the need.

150 passes is around 125 miles if you consider warming car and driving back from a pass.

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Originally posted by racerdude2054:

quote:

Originally posted by HS professor:

quote:

I have never understood the “alky is cheaper” mentality. Yes alky is half the price, but you burn twice as much

$170 a drum for alky, $485 drum for gas.

Simple math really ..........

2 drums of alcohol per one drum of gas needed. 340 dollars versus 485 is 145 dollars saved running alcohol

2-3 oil changes per 1 oil change from alcohol to gas is also a difference

I’ve ran alcohol for 90 percent of my racing career, carbs and injection for 2 decades... after the switch to gas I’ll never go back

Not when alcohol around here is $130/drum versus probably $800-900 for Q16.

where is alky only 130 a drum

[/QUOTE]

Not when alcohol around here is $130/drum versus probably $800-900 for Q16.[/QUOTE]

I have and inside deal out here in the west and I'm still paying $155/drum..... You getting a great deal, under cost for out here.....

Drums this spring were 148 for alky, 490 for Sunoco 112 in Wisconsin. I thought that was pricey alcohol.