"Cackle Fest" --NITRO-- in your gasoline

I am a HUGE fan of "cackle fests" as well as a huge majority of people here on the HAMB, and LOVE that sound!! I started a new position at my job and was talking to an "old timer" about nitro engines, and he said just add a "little" nitro to your motor and you will get the "same results"! Now about 6 months ago I asked here on the HAMB about Nitro cars and got a HUGE amount of great info, but NO one said "just add nitro to your gas" I thouroghly enjoy that cackle sound and would LOVE to hear it on a regular basis, but I am sure if it was possible someone here would have advised me on it!!! Is it possible to add nitro to your gasoline, like those R/C car nitro cars?????? You can buy that R/C nitro car stuff at ANY model shop, and >>> (yes it IS A BUILT MOTOR!!!) and get that "cackle" sound even if it is on a "lower" level than the real thing???
Man have I just been out in the sun and drinking too much beer today?????.....Ken

 

try it out and let me know how it goes!!!

 

AHHH...NO NO NO! Thats why I am asking first! I am sure there are some guys here who "know what the hell is up" with this kind of experiment, and I am asking for advice FIRST!!! If someone has some knowledge on this then YOU AND I will -BOTH- know!!!!! Ken

 

Run down to your ex-buddies house, who is always scrounging kool hot rod stuff from the good guys and then never repays the friendship, and pour it in his gas tank and listen when he leaves for work in the morning.....

 

Why do all the T/F guys start their hot rods up on alcohol and then switch over to nitro after it is running?

 

Nitro costs alot. I don't know anything about it, but I have heard that 10% in alcohol will give you the Pop you want. Don't know about gas.

 

Like to know myself!

 

SO apparently what I am asking is "a bad thing to do???"
I am just looking for a straight answer guys! Is this possible??? or is it a "disaster" waiting to happen???...Ken

 

I don't think that just adding some small amount of Nitro to your gas will give you the cackle without having a really racy cam, and also larger jets in your carburetors.......when the old timers on the lakes started running a little *fuel* they had to bore out their jets bigger....and your exhaust had to exhale through short straight pipes...
Same thing for alcohol I am pretty sure.....

Any corrections to the above are welcomed......

Brucie

 

Nitro does not blend well with gasolene, you have to use it with methanol, or any other alcohol. Usually start with a 10% "load" and work your way up until the engine gernades. Common practice at Bonneville if you are close to a fuel record, or to make up for other mechanical deficentcies. If you want to see how it works , try model airplane fuel, it's 50 % alcohol ,40%nitro, 10% lubricant,(usually castor oil), then stand back.

 

I forgot,
The same "old timer" mentioned running "alchohol" also, what is the difference between ALCHOHOL AND NITRO Please forgive my ignorance, as that IS why I am on here at the HAMB asking and looking for answers...Ken

 

I have 1 quart of laboratory grade nitromethane [dont ask where I got it, its a secret] that i would be willing to donate if someone wants to try it. you would have to pick it up here because I dont think it would be a good idea to ship it!

 

Not your answer but interesting data about Nitro and Methanol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol_fuel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromethane

 

I hope you have a firesuit.

 

I think that they actually use gasoline to start them up.

 

I put a bit in my lawnmower once, that RC stuff, nothing happened, just smelt good, but that was most likely the castor oil. Which again is another old trick, put a few capfuls of castor oil in ya tank, smells sweeetttt.
Yep, you would need to drill about a 5/8th hole in your jets for nitro to go through them, forget it.
TF guys start their cars or boats on alcky or gas cause it ignites at a lower temp, nitro needs heat to work, cause it's basically an explosive!
Build a blown alky motor, you get that killer idle.

 

Nitro is hard to ignite with a spark. If you pour some on your garage floor and try to light it with a match, it won;t light.

Por a little on the floor and hit it with a hammer. You'll end p with a hole there.

They start the feulers on gas to get the motor turning over and add nitro when it gets enough compression to ignite the nitro. IIRC


jerry

 

Yes, from my understanding they do start the top fuel and funny cars on regular 87 octane gas, then switch to the Nitro. You know exactly when the Nitro hits the cylinders, the engine "wakes up".

As for the "Just add a little Nitro to the gas." theory, I think it goes a little further than that. I know you need to mod the motor to run on Alcohol, but after that I have no idea on how to get the motor ready for Nitro. I'm sure the timing is different, but who knows.

I would like to know the answer to this one too.

 

I'm heading to the Hobby store!

 

A guy I was in Auto Shop with in High School,used to run nitro in his moped. It hauled ass!

 

My friend and I did the same thing. Then we started to hear a "tick" so we decided to tear down our first motor (it was awhile ago). Long story short, a piece of one the rings came out the exhaust port.

 

I believe the "cackle" is as much a product of large amounts of ignition lead, crazy high, blower induced, compression and radical cam profiles as it is about the fuel. I doubt putting a little or even a lot in the gas tank would produce any thing close to a "cackle" in n/a relitively mild street motor. A case in point would be the difference in the sound of a A/fuel dragster and a AA/fuel dragster.

Methanol is high octane and likes high compression and also burns cooler than gasoline. Those are a couple of its advantages over gasoline but there plenty of disadvantages in using it on the street. And no, it makes no difference in exhaust sound, all things being equal.

 

God damn you guys know your shit! Why the hell didn't I pay more attention in school, instead of " the school of hard knocks"?? Thanks guys, it at least answered all my questions in my peanut brain. I still just can't get enough of that BEAUTIFULL sound!! Almost as good...hmmm maybe as good as....well at least EQUAL to good sex!!! CACKLES!!!! NOT to be confused with "cankles"

 

I have a buddy that used nitro-propane in various engines and had some success with it. We fooled around with some,the stuff is quite volitile and burns clear like alchohol. he ran it in a derby car 10:1 with gas it worked well once the rad was gone,only one problem you have to shut the fuel off to shut it down. It willl run without spark or air! The heat from the engine detonated the fuel. we put some in a chainsaw to try to blow it up, We failed. But did it ever rev! He has a special tach for chainsaws and small motors that goes to 30 grand and it quit! It reved farther than anything I have ever seen it sounded like a turbine.

 

I ran my Pucci moped on model airplane fuel,it smelled good,had maybe a little more power,but then(80's) it was over $12 a gallon,and gas was only 60c/gal. so it made no sense..

 

Nitro has a super low octane and explodes. It's around 67 I think. It has a crapload of oxygen content and requires LOTS more fuel. The more you add, the more you need to fatten the mixture. Lots more. There are agents that blend it with gasoline, methanol is most likely the cheapest. A 10% mix will require about a total of 20 to 25% more fuel. You typical Holley car's fuel circuts only supply a 92 jet size hole. This means in most cases, a standard carb can't be jetted that rich. An alky carb may get you closer, but not recommended . The fuel will imediately wash the rings out, dilute the oil and If you don't have forged pistons or are the least bit lean, they will melt in a few seconds. Other than that, go for it. There's a reason the fuel boys re build after every 1320 foot pass. The engine is shot! The heads need re-done, the bearings are gone, rings too. Oil is diluted and if it weren't for a billet crank and block, they'ld shitcan them too.

 

Oh BTW, the story that nitromethane will blow holes in concrete,if hit with a hammer is a myth.. Nitro-Glycerine..maybe..

 

i ran my dirtdrag/hill climb bike on methanol of awhile, it was a 900 honda twin cam and i just doubled the jet size, it ran not bad at wide open throtle, i dont think i had enough spark though, on a test run one of my fuel lines fell off and poured fuel all over the bike and my pants then caught on fire, i wasent hurt and the bike had a melted seat, i have spent lots of time around pulling trucks and tractor that ran methanol and they all start them with a little gas first, once you have your vehicle running on meth. then you can start adding a little nitro to the mix, i havent done this but have seen it done.

 

If you try it I am coming over.

 

Back in the 60's a buddy of mine had a 57 Ford 312 and another Guy had a 55 Chev 283 that was supposed to be Bad,so to settle it we had a place out in sticks marked off for 1/4 mile and they set up to run.In those days J.C.Whitney sold a device called a vapor injector so to give the Ford a little help he bolted it up and filled it with 80% nitro and 20% alky,it sounded louder and he gave the Chev a whoopin' ,only thing was when he let off a belch of flame came out from under the car and we towed him home with a large hole in his block.