New Alky Kit

[Steve Wood]

The alky set up in my GN has been moribund for a long time.  I have cobbled it several times until it refused to be resuscitated anymore and there is not much need to have one that might not spray anyway.

I ordered a new kit from Julio and a new panel to put the controller behind from Mark at Buickgn.  I installed one a few years ago in the T.  I am getting to the point that I hate to undertake anything but I guess I have at least one more alky set up in me LOL

I should be out there finishing up Taylor's wagon for him to get it out of the shop but I figure it is good for him to do the bulk of the work while I tell him what he should have done 

[xracerx13]

Which kit were you running that was close to death?

[Steve Wood]

Started out as one of Steve Chlupsa's kits.  Ended up just his controller.

[Forzfed]

That was a great kit and simple and fast to hook up!

[Steve Wood]

It was👍

[xracerx13]

Nice. I had thought about buying that panel Mark makes at one point. Its a nice piece. I am still using a kenne bell 6 switch plate that's been working just fine but the stock dash look is a lot nicer. In the switch plate I have a prime/test switch for the alky and a gauge on the cowl for pressure and a bunch of lights all over. (in dash and on switch plate). its better explained on my web page. I was at one point thinking of getting Julio's controller PAC and a 3 bar MAP to switch mine over to progressive hence the panel you bought, but my kit is working just fine the way it is for now running straight meth. In the future to come...we'll see.

I remember those Chlupsa kits. the first in car spray amount controller kit. A good concept tuning wise at the time. Steve Yaklin wanted me to create an in car controller to control the amount of alky being sprayed in and I just never did. Then Chlupsa's kit came out with one. I am still to this day using my style dual deadhead kit just different nozzles and pump than whats shown on my website.
My original pumps would seize up after a few years mainly from sitting and so I got tired of removing it and running CLR through it in a loop to clean it so I changed it for an E2000 style but then ran only M1 meth and no more seize after that. The nozzles got changed out also for full cone misting types used in a home heating furnace. I also made my own meth filter since I use a steel tank and there was some rust happening in there I got concerned so hence the filter. Obviously I cleaned out the tank before putting the filter inline to the pump and running straight meth.  Guess what? no more rust happening. The rust was caused by the 91% alcohol and even the denatured alcohol had some water content I'm sure. Also another reason the original pump was starting to bind more often.

What changed in my setup is since 1998:

Pump - Global Automotive GA2000 inline puller pump that makes about 110psi.
Check valve - inline 40psi. My 10psi ones failed after time, viton or nitrile seals or not. We don't want meth sucked in when not in use do we? and since mine is not progressive the 40psi crack pressure is OK. Julio's 10 PSI check valves per nozzle are the way to go for progressive if you use 1 or 2 nozzles.
Misting nozzles - Hago Full Cone misting M5 and M10 from mcmaster carr around the year 2000 maybe 2001. Notice they add up to an M15.  So between 4psi and 13psi the M5 is on only. then at 14psi the M10 kicks in. All around 110psi pump pressure. OLD SCHOOL. 

A little history follows:

A lot of people might know this but my original single kit was actually an original Jay Carter design using NOS fan spray nozzles with jets for tuning as seen on my website minus the pump brand/pressure/internals and added check valve. Jay had sold kits to some select people back in 97-98 including ME,and had told me at the first 1998 Buicks at Bristol that he was done putting the kits together to sell and told me I should continue selling them as he would not mind because it was a worth while concept that needed to continue. So I did. BUT, as everyone else has done, I improved on it and more so as the years went by. I always admired the fact that a steel under hood tank was the best way to go and safer. So the new nozzles, pump, higher 40psi check valve and tank float level did not got incorporated into my kits for sale because everyone was now buying the Chlupsa kit because of the in-car controller. If I had listened to Steve Yaklin I would have also been the first to sell an in-car controller kit, and continued to sell kits, but life goes on.  

Who copied who?

I have a feeling the following company was inspired and may have collaborated with Steve.... and why I think it is.. Steve kept asking me for the solenoid part numbers so I caved and gave them to him since I wasn't selling kits any more. The solenoids were made by PeterPaul with Nitrile seals. Then all of a sudden I noticed a company making similar kits like mine and Chlupsa's with both our parts mixed in to make their kit. One was a deadhead staged kit with a 2nd nozzle and solenoid. 

The following is not a vendor bashing statement nor am I upset in any way so here goes...

There is a kit out there by Snow Performance that to this day uses the same 50/50 meth to water mix Steve Yaklin used (I never did),misting nozzles, solenoids for a staged kit, and also the Chlupsa type pump and similar style in car controller, and the same plastic lines Steve Yaklin suggested I change to. Heck they even have a MAP progressive kit too like Julio's. And they might be selling those kits a lot but we all know Julio's are the best in today's times and a quality product.   Think about this for example: Plastic lines with push on connectors vs. Stainless braided line? well call me late for dinner..... I choose stainless braided line all day long!

So as you can see, Julio, Steve Chlupsa, and myself tried to improve on things and that is a good thing. 

Most important is this lovely learning curve:
91% alcohol = worked decent at the time of alky kits inception
Denatured alcohol = worked better until they changed the mix to 48% meth 52% grain alcohol from 98/2%
VP M1 Methanol = pure race meth works the best and makes the most power

Don't ask how long it took to write this and re-read and make changes. I'm blind and can't see straight.

[Steve Wood]

Interesting read, for sure, Joe.

As you may know, Steve Yaklin and I have been friends for about 30 years, I guess.  My favorite chips were MaxEfforts and I still run Eric's version that started with Steve's software.  Steve was also the one that got me interested in alcohol.  It was not that long ago that I thru out a box of solenoids, etc from back in those days.  I remembered trying to buy a kit from Carter but he never got around to it and I recall that he had passed it on to someone else but forgotten it was you.

As I recall, there were a number of people playing with Alky, you, Steve Y, Bob Avellar, and I think Steve Hill back in those days.  I think Steve C had the first decent controller.  The in tank pump was not strong enuf but I did pretty well for a long time  with dual nozzles.

Julio upped the ante with a more robust controller and a much more powerful pump and he tweaked it quite a bit since he introduced it.  More than that, he stayed in business and continues to support his customer base.

The Snow kit does not seem to work that well on the turbo cars.  It lacks spray quantity and it just not tailored to ramp up with boost.  Steve Yaklin eventually sold both of his Regals and now has a 426 Challenger which runs very well and a Dodge Demon which runs extremely well.  On his 426, I think he has added a Snow kit to keep it cool with some extra timing.  You are probably friends with him on Facebook--  Mopar Steve

Over the years, my feelings regarding how to use have continued to evolve.  These days, I believe the more you can spray, the better off you will be (as long as you understand the tuning to get it going may take a little more thought).

I have watched Russ Merritt a lot and noted how many nozzles he has going and realized that getting the mix lit at launch is the trick, but, once it is spraying, the more you use, the less critical the A/F becomes as methanol has a broader power peak and is not that sensitive to minor changes in tuning.

You are certainly right in that Steve Y liked 50-50.  I am sure that is because what GM had intended to use.  No doubt in my mind that a lot more power comes out of 100% methanol.  With regard to steel braided lines, last year I was using Julio's pump tester to check the pump and I swung the steel braided line around and hit the positive terminal. I not only got a big spark, but I also got a pretty blue flame!  That braided line was really hot when I grabbed it to get it away from the battery post.  It reminded me of the booklet that Aramco used to pass out to their Saudi employees on how to distill their own alky.  It was entitled The Blue Fame.

[xracerx13]

thanks for the tip on Steve I was just chatting with him. Its been at least 10-15 years.

[Steve Wood]

He is really nice guy and always thinking  

[Forzfed]

Nice. I had thought about buying that panel Mark makes at one point. Its a nice piece...

Great story, thanks for sharing!   I definitely agree the braided lines are way nicer.

[xracerx13]

Steve you obviously know by now that I still use the MaxEffort 8 position.  See my signature
The fuel out option reduces gas and lets you run more meth. Not sure where that is set to its been 18 years.
Steve Yaklin was a genius. I was very happy to have spoken with him today.
I recently revived the maxeffort website that was on tripod and also updated my buick site and at the bottom I have a link over to Eric's maxeffort support page. How do you like that......
I'm gonna go dig up the paper work for my custom chip to refresh my brain and the settings.

Just looked and Eric canned support for the maxeffort. Last post was 2015. OOPS

[nocooler]

IMO - alcohol injection pushed these cars to the next level. It was a total game changer for the street car. At one point I was buying 4-5 gallons of denatured alky every week, The guys @ Sherwin Williams were always amazed that I was dumping denatured and xylene in my car. 
The first car I saw with a supplemental injection was The mad scientist "Jerry", but he was spraying a mix of alcohol, kerosene, marvel mystery oil, toluene, and lord knows what else. It was a basic washer pump deal. Jerry was a chemist at one of the local colleges, and he was a character. He wouldn't say much to us kids, until he saw a bunch of denatured alky cans littered around our buicks in the pits.