[Dactyl]

Originally Posted by 08redgt500

Thanks for all the insights and suggestions...

Now I'm actually not sure which one the speed shop tech did say the guy was using, I still think he said ethanol, but maybe not and I mis-spoke when I started the thread. E85 is mostly ethanol, corn squeezin's and all. ;) I believe you can buy de-natured alcohol, which is ethanol with a little methanol added to make it non-potable; therefore not a controlled substance and no liquor tax. We used de-natured alcohol in the boat stove, years ago; which in the scheme of things is a lot safer than little tanks of propane banging around, or at least that was one opinion back then. It can get pretty rough when ocean racing(sail), which is what we were doing at times. ;)

The question remains which would be better for this type of rig, do people use both?

Ethanol & Methanol Defined

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug, best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and in thermometers. In common usage, it is often referred to simply as alcohol.

Ethanol is abbreviated as EtOH, using the common organic chemistry notation of representing the ethyl group (C2H5) with Et. This designation is used both by EMS and Hospital ER staff when describing alcohol intoxication, and is found in most chemistry textbooks as well.

Ethanol is a straight-chain alcohol, and its molecular formula is C2H5OH. An alternative notation is CH3-CH2-OH, which indicates that the carbon of a methyl group (CH3-) is attached to the carbon of a methylene group (-CH2-), which is attached to the oxygen of a hydroxyl group (-OH).

Its empirical formula is C2H6O, making it a constitutional isomer of dimethyl ether.

Except for use of fire, the fermentation of sugar into ethanol is one of the earliest organic reactions employed by humanity. The intoxicating effects of ethanol consumption have been known since ancient times. In modern times, ethanol intended for industrial use is also produced from by-products of petroleum refining.

Ethanol has widespread use as a solvent of substances intended for human contact or consumption, including scents, flavorings, colorings, and medicines. In chemistry, it is both an essential solvent and a feedstock for the synthesis of other products. It has a long history as a fuel for heat and light and also as a fuel for internal combustion engines.


Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH). It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable, toxic liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than ethanol. At room temperature it is a polar liquid and is used as an antifreeze, solvent, fuel, and as a denaturant for ethanol. It is also used for producing biodiesel via transesterification reaction.

Methanol is produced naturally in the anaerobic metabolism of many varieties of bacteria, and is ubiquitous in the environment. As a result, there is a small fraction of methanol vapor in the atmosphere. Over the course of several days, atmospheric methanol is oxidized by oxygen with the help of sunlight to carbon dioxide and water.

Methanol burns in air forming carbon dioxide and water:

2 CH3OH + 3 O2 → 2 CO2 + 4 H2O

A methanol flame is almost colorless in bright sunlight conditions, causing an additional safety hazard around open methanol flames.

Because of its toxic properties, methanol is frequently used as a denaturant additive for ethanol manufactured for industrial uses— this addition of methanol economically exempts industrial ethanol from the rather significant 'liquor' taxes that would otherwise be levied as it is the essence of all potable alcoholic beverages. Methanol is often called wood alcohol because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of the destructive distillation of wood. It is now produced synthetically by a multi-step process: natural gas or coal gas and steam are reformed in a furnace to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide; then, hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases react under pressure in the presence of a catalyst. Methanol is also produced from the gasification of a range of renewable biomass materials, such as wood and black liquor from pulp and paper mills.

The whole purpose of Methanol Injection (yes, it is Methanol/Water mixture) is to reduce the after supercharger air temps. It acutally helps to reduce the dreaded IAT2's (downstream temps, after supercharger air temps) As the supercharger rotates faster under throttle you further create heat which in turn will begin to reduce horsepower. The stock tune actually pulls begins to pull timing once the IAT2's exceed 100 degrees. With most aftermarket tunes the timing retard does not begin until 130-135 degrees IAT2 is reached.

I spoke extensively with Ford and Ford Racing about this subject. Instead of the constant refilling and running of hoses and injection and tuning aspects of Methanol injection to cool downstream temps I went a different direction.

That's when I developed the Dual Pass/ Dual Puller fan Heat exchanger to more effectively reduce IAT2's and maintain horsepower by reducing the IAT2 charge. If you call and talk to Matt Snow at Snow Performance and ask him about what the product does he should tell you that it is designed to reduce IAT2's and help maintain horsepower. The effectiveness is to raise the octane of the fuel. You can reduce IAT2's the same way by using Race Gas.

The whole research and development I did with the heat exchanger was to prevent (for myself) an added reservoir and lines in the car. The dual puller fans pull the heat out very effectively and reduced my IAT2's by 50 degrees over the Steeda aftermarket Heat Exchanger and by 30 degrees over the AFCO aftermarket Heat Exchanger.

I have datalogged stock, Kenne Bell, Whipple cars with stock Heat exchangers, AFCO and Steeda Heat Exchangers. In all instances at WOT the IAT2's exceeded 150 degrees at WOT first pass. Timing is being pulled in all datalogs. One difference. Each of the cars I data logged were datalogged at night and the Ambient Inlet Temperature was between 69 and 70 degrees. All of my personal IAT2 measurements were done on track during the day with high humidity and average ambient inlet temperatures at 90 degrees plus. I will be datalogging my car at Daytona in two weeks and hopefully have similar ambient inlet temperatures (70 degrees or so)

Final point. This is really a discussion of IAT2 reduction. The dual puller fan heat exchanger after installation is "Hassle Free" where as the Methanol Injection requires constant monitoring and refilling with boost juice or gauges and re-tuning. Also, you have to then concern yourself with boost pressure on the Methanol Injection system.

Also, I am about to add new positive news to the Dual Pass/Dual Puller Fan Heat Exchanger Thread.

My 2 cents. Good luck.