Ethanol Engines

[Beprepared]

Anyone know how to convert small gas operated engines to pure ethanol, and not the E85 (85% gasoline, 15% ethanol stuff) I mean the pure alcohol stuff.

Coversion technique, or kits to do so.

I was thinking of alternatives to gasoline in a SHTF or TEOTWAWKI, where gas will quickly disappear, and I could run emergency gens or vehicles on *suprise* moonshine. :D It was done 60-70 years ago, and I know that most new computer controlled fuel injection systems will freak out on it, but it should be easy enough to do it with older carb controled engines. (And my wife wanted me to get rid of all those old trucks and engines in the yard!:p )

Any thoughts group?

The growing is easy, the still is easy, the engines would be the hard part.

[Bidah]

We had a guy on the ranch that used to do this for small engines, and some other stuff. I believe that all he did was get new jets (larger ones), or drill out the original ones. With alcohol, you burn about 2x as much as gasoline for the same output (burns cooler).

-Bidah

[xdshooter]

Yeah, jet it richer, but I think the number is somewhere nearer to 40% richer, not double. Also, if you have a timing adjustment, you could advance the timing a bit more due to ethanol's resistance to knocking. Cylinder pressures might be a bit higher, make sure your head gasket is in good shape and your head is torqued down properly. An engine with bad rings _might_ have some cylinder wash due to unburned eth slipping past, so running too rich wouldn't be advised. Besides, that is wastful, last thing to be in a SHTF situation. A check with a compression tester and a good quality (read changed recently) oil would be the preventative measure.

E85 is 85% ethanol, not 85% gas as you had said.

The pure ethanol will also clean any accumulated gunk out of your gas tank and lines, and flush it into your filter and/or jets. I would get a backup filter, and know how to clean out your jets just in case.

[Beprepared]

E85 is 85% ethanol, not 85% gas as you had said.

The pure ethanol will also clean any accumulated gunk out of your gas tank and lines, and flush it into your filter and/or jets. I would get a backup filter, and know how to clean out your jets just in case.

I stand corrected sir, ty. DEFINETLY a backup filter (who doesn't have 2 on the shelf?) and I guess its time to learn carbs.

[xdshooter]

Yeah, carbs are kinda a magic voodoo that some do so well. Myself, not so much. However, I would do a few things if I were planning a switch to ethanol. I would think the best bet would be prep a carb for pure ethanol, test it, then box it up and keep it clean until needed.

Depending on your engine, you could probably find a Holley off road or demon by barry grant off the shelf that would be jetted for alcohol. The added advantage to this would be no parts in the carb that degrade in the presence of alcohol. High quality seals, no nylon floats, etc. Once you get it tuned in, just take it back off, and put the stock carb on.

If you do decide to re-jet and re air correct your stock carb for alky, you should be able to source a rebuilt kit with alcohol resistant parts. Try a racers source like Jegs, Summit or PAW. I would also try to reduce the amount of rubber hose in the fuel system. Alcohol won't degrade these items quickly, but keeping the majority of the system brass copper and aluminium might solve headaches before they arise.

[MdlMkr 7.62]

One good thing about fuel injected cars. When you pick up a new car from the dealership it has E85 in the tank - the auto mfr plants use ethanol in their cars because it doesn't go bad like gas does. I worked at a GM truck assembly plant and that's what we put into the gas tanks there.


7.62

[xdshooter]

I think that's more of a marketing trick than a scientific trick. E85 will go bad too, just in a different way, it absorbs water. I don't think vehicles should sit on the lot for weeks and weeks with E85 in their tanks, and dealers are notorious for never filling up their inventory, so after a few test drives, there is plenty of air above that ethanol.

[Beprepared]

Thinking of reviewing my plan, I have access to two 750 gallon tanks, I can bury them with gas in one and eth in the other, run hand pumps and mix the e85 stuff (unless they add more chemicals, I make a five gallon bucket for 15%) to run sorta normally in engines.

This is one of my longer term TEOTWAWKI situations, not really a hurricane or weather type of situation. I can make it w/o power, but there maybe times I really need to run those gennies.

Any other ideas? And lucky for me, I have those SUmmit and Jegs catalogs on the coffee table...

[xdshooter]

well, since the original idea was to avoid being SOL when the gasoline pumps quit working, I'd say that mixing them wouldn't be the best idea.

Heres why. First determine what your still puts out in gallons per month. How much mash can you feed it? Total production will be in the tens of gallons. So you could make the occasional trip into town, just for basics and to barter. You won't be doing a ton of driving. But your vehicle will run on pure moonshine, and you keep the gasoline in reserve. But everyone else's vehicle won't run on white lightning, so the gas in your 750 gallon tank just went up in price, alot, the day your local gas pumps went dry. That's what you take to town to barter with. Better than that lump of 22 ammo to a pacifist non firearm owning city.

later
xdshooter