Ok, so I read on here long ago about a fuel additive that some guys ran back in the 60s. Dangerous stuff, if it sat too long it would explode?? What the hell was that stuff called?? I searched and just cant find it. Thanks, Doc.
Amonia Hydrazine. Acts as an exciter to Nitromethane. I think it adds an extra oxygen molecule causing it to become hypergolic. Very unstable shit, man.
I seem to remember at the Nationals some years ago, a fuel dragster had some problem at the line. They pushed it back to the pits, didn't drain the fuel, later BIG BOOM!!!!!!!.............OLDBEET
Could be picric acid also. It can crystalize and the crystals are unstable and can go boom. I heard they used to use that stuff also. Hydrazine however - nasty nasty stuff. I heard that at nationals one year everyone was running 'zine and there was a LOT of engine explosions. And after the third one everyone was running back to the pits and dumping their tank onto the grass before the stuff got too unstable and blew up the car! I also heard of one digger that was sitting there after they drained the tank not running, and suddenly the engine blew one of the cylinder heads and blower right off of it because of the hydrazine laced nitro left in the injector lines and cylinders from cutting the mag while it was running. If you ever look at some of those old color night photos of the md 60's fuelers, some of them are blasting out green flames! Thats hydrazine! "If the ground is a-shaken, and the flames are green, they is-a runnin' that hydrazine!"
"If you light your flatulence, and the flame is green, you've been tasting the Hydrazine Flash, that is "
Hydrazine was the stuff that they outlawed. You had to mix n run. There was no real premix on that fuel.
There were a couple of deaths in the pits, I heard. NHRA won't talk about it though. Liability issues, I guess. I remember a Jr Fueler the blew the heads off in the pits at Lions. Anyone remember the REAL Jr Fuel cars? Small blocks on pop and about 750-900#s. Some of 'em were even made of exhaust tubing. Bitchen, but dangerous.
There was a lot of really scary stuff that went on back then. I vaguely remember the early JR Fuel cars. If I recall I saw one fold up @ Lodi on the old air strip/track.
There were some pretty cool stories on Header Flames - Cole Coonce's Nitronic Research site regarding its use in Drag Racing. Many had no idea what they were dealing with in terms of volatility...... Here is something worth reading. http://www.competitionplus.com/2004_10_21/hydrazine.html Later
I tried a lot of different stuff back in the old days. Hydrazine perchlorate. Picric acid. NitroETHANE. Nitropropane. And various combinations thereof. There was other stuff that I don't remember. I worked in a research lab so we had access to most. The anhydrous (dry) crystals of most of these chemicals are VERY unstable. Don't let anything dry out. Pete
Nitropropane was aslo used by an old buddy in the 50s in stcok cars. Its an extreme carcinogen and ultimately may have been responsible for him dying of cancer
Reseda Coupe, thanks for that link. A very good description of what Hydrazine was about. The guy who carried the Hydrazine to the fuel tank? John Hogan. John was a Viper member and he had some incredible stories about those days. Be careful when talking about Hydrazine. It will make the Homeland Security people wonder about you. Not a good thing, IMO
I was talking to my uncle the other night about the very first March Meet in Bakersfiled. He went up there with my grampa,my dad & Chet Herbert. Evidentley before one of my dads runs,Chet handed my uncle a small glass bottle & told him to pour it in the tank. My uncle said the car sounded totally nuts when it was push started,& it left the starting line so hard the car "jumped".I vaguely remember my dad talking about it,but never new for sure if he used it. Maybe thats why it was the fastest car on the grounds that day,,,Hydrazine. 180.36 MPH. Heres the car.
I always heard they added about an ounce to the tank and gave it a shake just before the run. All this is way before my time however and I have never had any experince with it.
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