Has anyone made their own methanol injection set up? It looks like a lot of people out there are doing this themselves as opposed to spending $1000 on a kit with good results I’m not looking so much for the power gains more for the benefits side of the system because i go drive my car hard on the track

http://www.turbomirage.com/water.html

 

Piece of mind, I bought the Aquamist HFS-4.

But if you have the know-how, then it'd be ideal for you to try?

 

Sure you could build your own, maybe. Good luck finding a controller for your system that will trigger off the injector duty cycle, and a pump with great reliability, and quality nozzles. There is more to the price then just a number. When your system brakes who you going to call for help? You can get an HFS-2 system if you want for less then $1000 and still have some reliability. If your worried about money then don't put in a Meth system and just get a walnut blast done every other year. The money you save buy getting a cheap system you will spend in fixing the cheap system, "You get what you pay for"

 

Where did you get yours? I am looking at doing that so I can retune my car for more powa!

 

One tip...
DO NOT USE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID...i have seen a few posts suggesting this, but even though it does contain methanol, and it is kinda cheap, it usually uses mineral laddn water...
if you are going to use less than 100% methanol, buy a premade mix, or mix it with demineralized (distilled )water....not tap or well water like is often used in washerfluid...

 

contact Jeff at Howerton Engineering 707-685-6279, he is the Meth injection guru. He has specific kits for the R56.

 

Thank you

 

Thanks! i guess i shoulder cheap out ill just do it right lol ill give them a call too and just do it right the first time

 

The man to contact.

 

How many of you guys who are running meth kits are tuned for it? Potentially stupid question, but does tuning for meth reduce some of its engine-protective potential?

What I mean to say is this:

The stock tune nets X power with Y impact on engine.

A non-meth tune nets X+n power with Y+n impact on engine.

Generally speaking, my sense is that adding meth (but not tuning for it) would give you the benefits of a tune but without as much drawback in terms of engine strain. In other words, adding meth to a tune (but not tuning for meth) would net you X+n power with Y impact on engine.

My sense has also been that when you tune for meth you are not using meth's protective properties to mitigate the potential downsides of a tune; instead, you are using those protective properties to run even more aggressive boost, timing, etc. than you could safely get away with without meth.

Not sure if I'm making sense here, but basically I'm wondering whether there is a tradeoff to tuning for meth insofar as it gets you more power, but at the expense of meth's protective properties.

 

Do you run a meth inj. system, or have you ever run one before?

 

Not me, but a few of the guys up here do...a few installed at the shop...not a bad thing, but keeping it filled onlonger trips if tuned for it seemed to be the complaint....big advantage on gen2 in limiting carbon buildups...not really a issue on gen1 sc cars.
3 or 4 years ago when i was spending $$ on the car, i almost made the jump...heck got the ecu flaher so i could run more than just my main custom tune...but life happens if you know what i mean.
A tuner will tell you to run stright meth for hp gains...but many guys were running water/meth on the street for cooling mostly...still some gains, and a bit of a safety margin, but not as dramatic.

 

Just asking, cuz I've run it in 4 different cars with different levels of tuning, and have never had a single problem running washer fluid on any of them. Close to 75k mis of meth from me.

 

I have run meth 60/40% in airplanes....turboprops...lol.
When the water/meth evoprates, it leaves the minerals behind....in your oil in a car...or in the hot section on a turbine/turboprop engine.....and the minerals longer that just the short term will destroy you motor....
Companies thar sell meth kits want to convince folks that if you ever run low, just stop anyplaces, and refill....sells more kits...but if you plan on keeping the car a bit, the mix your own or premade is much better on your car....heckmeth injection goes back A LONG WAY in aviation.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't the delivery path on a turbine, as far as meth injection is concerned, vary greatly than the delivery path of a turbo charged car? In a car, such as the Cooper S, and most other turbocharged automobiles, the water meth mixture is sprayed in right before the intake manifold, and this is just not so, on a turbine. 2 different mechanical devices, operating on 2 different principles, and while one scenario may not be good, it doesn't automatically become fact for the other.

 

Same delivery path on radial engines...which have been mechanical DIRECT INJECTED fuel systems for years...turbo's includined....
And in both the fluid is used in the comnustion chamber...
in the turbine there is what looks like a fire hose nozel, and about 7 gallons per minutes is injected diectly into the intake....called AWI...
Some airplanes use it for just "hot or high" takeoffs, some emergency, but some stuff it is route, adds about 15% to 30% thrust instanly, with a DECREASE in temps...kinda like a civilian afterburner, whete fuel is used after the combustion chamber.
in either case the minerals in the water can build up...not trying to debate ya...but i live/work in a word where 55 gallon blue plastic barrels of 60/40 water meth are deliveted
by a chemical company, and i cary 45 gallons....
The principal and mechanics of continious combustion vs internal combustion when it comes to meth are similar in effect, and virtually the same on the old radial engine airplanes...but with radials, you have to go to alaska or northern canada to still see them, and even then they are rare..a bit in miami...called anti det injection....mostly removed in this day and age .

 

OK, that's all well, and good, but you do realize that almost every brand of plain jane, blue windshield washer fluid is made with distilled water, right? If not, then using your logic, all of the washer nozzles would be clogged, and the pumps would die a very quick death from being clogged up with minerals. Hell, even the companies who sell the kits, tell you it is perfectly safe to use it, even the ones who sell their own premixes. You're just way off base with your message of doom and gloom, and death to engines if you use it. You probably think ethanol is killing cars, too. :smh:

 

This is where I am at and the rationale for being there - I have the aquamist system and don't plan to tune to the outer edge should I add a bench tune for my N18.

 

^^^^^It's always a good idea, when tuning for a mod, to leave a little something on the table. Every car responds differently, and since these bench tunes don't allow you to actually road tune and datalog, I'd be a little hesitant too.

 

Ok so newb question. Do these kits such as aquamist or aem turn on and off automatically or do they only get switched on by the driver?

Cause if I was going to do a tune would I have to run one with meth injection and a different tune when it's off, say sport button?

 

They switch on automatically, either by boost level or injector duty cycle.

If your tune is done properly, the tuner will increase timing when you are flowing meth so no need for 2 tunes. I have been tuned for meth for about 6 months now without issues.

 

Recently added the AquaMist HFS4 ---
http://howertonengineering.com/produ...quamist-hfs-4/
Had lots grief 'til I found some clean meth to use. Aquamist systems use a precision pump / valve to control flow, and cannot tolerate contaminated liquids! Distilled water and only the purest meth. I tried some "industrial use only" meth, only to discover "industrial use" means it has been used once and reclaimed. Had to replace the entire fluid-handling system parts because of the contaminates. Finally found a distributer for M1 by VP Racing Fuels --- highly recommended. There may be other brands, but not in my area.

I chose Aquamist over the windshield washer systems because of the control / valve system. And yes, Alta will create a custom tune for their AccessPort. Just adding meth to a non - meth tune (in my case, a 50 / 50 mix) caused the performance to drop significantly, so a custom tune for meth is highly recommended. Aquamist also has a built-in "fail safe" system, for those using 100% meth and altered timing. And it can be switched on / off by a button on the gauge --- useful if you run low on fluid and aren't close to a refill source. It's also not always injecting fluid --- the HFS4 can be set to start at user defined set points --- IDC and/or boost. A truly awesome system!

Whoever / whatever tuning process you use, go for the maximum performance by getting a special tune for the meth ratio you choose. Now that my HFS4 is working properly, I highly recommend Jeff Howerton for his experience and helpfulness, and Jeff Perrin for his willingness to work with me and the HFS4.

There are obviously other systems and tuners out there. Check with whoever you prefer BEFORE committing to a WMI system.