Nitromethane + Hydrazine = MADNESS!!!!

I seen something on the tube the other day.We sent a rocket up into space to blow up a sattelite or something in that manner that was loaded with Hydrazine.They did not want it coming back here.

 

Yeah, on top of it, thanks, we did not know

 

Newsweek did an interesting article on the satellite thing,basically stating that the hydrazine was just a ruse..wouldn't of lasted through reentry anyways.The actual reason for destruction was that the spy satellite was loaded with stealth technology which rendered it almost undetectable.
Hydrazine has been actually used as a cancer fighting drug .If memory serves me,Bob Guccione (sp?) of Hustler magazine fame testified before a federal hearing that Hyrazine treatments saved his wife from a sure death from her battle with cancer.
Around ten or so years ago,I remember reading an article about a series of alledged warehouse arson fires in the Pacific Northwest where a high temperature accelerant (h.t.a.)was used.It was thought to be rocket fuel,although Hydrazine was not mentioned.The fires were so hot that they could not be fought,and resulted in total destruction of the building,including all the steel beams and concrete.There are additional details,research them if interested..I don't feel like receiving a visit from the Patriot act police.

 

Capt. Jack McClure

 

Hey, start a satelite conspiracy thread - this is about racing.

Anyway, I grew up in San Antonio. You older Texas guys may remember another "killer go-cart" that would distroy amost any competitor at tracks around south Texas in the sixties. The Thomas brothers ran a nitro fueled cart with a full-kill blown Hilman (I think) 4 cylinder mounted on the back with chain drive. Bobby would smoke the little slicks the entire 1/4. I don't remember the speeds or times but they were beating serious gasers and such. I heard they had a mysterious fuel can explosion one weekend that burned Bobby pretty bad while he was tossing the can over the fence to save everybody else that was standing around. I don't know if Hydrozine was the cause, but if they could have gotten some and made more power, they would have.

Anybody else got info on this?

 

I heard of a roundy round SBC that blew while racing at a central Arkansas dirt track that scattered so hard the track owner paid a visit to the car owner at home the folowing Sunday. He brought with him a clay covered cam lobe, and asked what the hell where they trying to do.

 

a guy in Houston named Bugs Threadgill used to run that stuff and more in his Olds fuelr. LOL,,no wonder he could race with the hemi's.

 

Clay?

 

Yes sir, clay. I've seen a couple of blown motors, but never one with one out of seventeen lobes separated from the rest. They couldn't even save the cylinder heads. You won't roundy race on much asphalt in Arkansas.

 

Old thread, however; I hope it does not die and continues to be added with new stories of years gone by.....

 

The Hydrazine/nitromethane mixture itself is not a shock sensitive explosive...the vapors it releases condense and form a compound called the Methosodic Salt of Hydrazinium Acid, and that's the hairy stuff.

 

We carried the hydrazine in the trailer, because we knew the stuff was bad. It was in what looked like a miniature 55 gallon barrell about 10 inches tall complete with steel ring on top with a bolt to hold the ring together. Inside was a dark brown bottle with padding between the container and the bottle. The bottle was about 8 inches tall by about 4 inches in diameter. We carried one of the small Bayer aspirin glass bottles with us and would pour the aspirin bottle about half full, no rubber gloves, no small funnel, we would just pour it from bottle to bottle. Just before we would fire the car someone would pull the lid on the tank, pour in the Hydrazine, then take a short piece of rubber hose and stick it into the tank and blow into the hose and mix the Hydrazine and Nitro together. As soon as the run was over we would immediately drain what was left in the tank and lines.

A friend and fellow FED driver finally told me a couple of years ago how he beat me in the finals at a race where we had everybody covered that day by about 2/10ths. Yep! he said we put in Hydrazine, the can, label and lid in the tank that day (100% + Hydrazine), because that was the only way we could out run your ass. That was about 40 years ago, but atleast we're both still here to laugh about it. We had some great times back in the day, push starts at night in a FED fuel car, it just don't get much better than that.

As stated earlier, the Hydrazine would make nice pretty green flames. Propylene Oxide would make white puffs as each cylinder fired. The Propylene came in a dark brown one gallon bottle, but no miniature barrell, just the glass bottle.

Someone in a earlier post asked where we got the stuff? Back in the 60's and 70's all this stuff could be purchased from local chemical companys.

The stuff was plenty bad, but it would give you one hell of a ride until she puked all the guts out.

408 AA/D

 

My cousins and I spent most of our younger days at the Beach, my youngest cousin used to crew for Keeter and Stewart. We got hold of some Hydrazine and decided we were going to try it in a Go-Kart. So we are out in the alley with the kart, add a little Hydrazine and give it a push. As it springs into life it begins to accelerate so damn fast that we weren't sure what had happened. As we begin to run after the kart, it hits the end of the alley doing about 60, as it hits the crown of the cross street, it launches into the air and slams into the neighbors garage door that has a new T-Bird parked behind it. Fortunately, no one got hurt and we had to pony up for a new garage door and have the T-bird fixed. The kart was originally clocked at 70 mph on pump gasoline so my estimate at launch might be conservative.

 

Something from "The Greeks'' website

 

I wanted to ask if anyone ever heard of using the nitro pills the doctors give you to put under your tongue when you thing you're having a heart attack. I've got a small bottle of those pills from a few years back. What do you think would happen if I put one in a normally aspirated V8, say a 350 Chebby?

 

Actually two stories &a ???
[1]the afternoon before a cruise nite on van nuys backintheday i sent my galpal cruizing buddy to get me a pint of moroso racing additive she brought back a gal can we had set the carb up richer then usual&ran out of gas while in middle of the cruise so we poured the additive in>it started to ran with a wild sound&smell was so bad we drove with the doors open[what was is in their additive]

 

[2] i bought a mid engine 55chev mostly fiber glass car 377sbc clutch autosetup hilborns ect>the story i was told when i picked up the trailer&car was that the owner &his brother ran the car on nitro&hydrazine&proplyene>>>the last time they where at lions on the startup of the car they thru the jumper cables back into the pickup truck bed[spilled fuel oily rags ect]sparks caused fire fire caused big explosion they where told to leave &not come back<<>>???is: Car was candy red then had hell something or something hell on door in gold leaf anyone witness to this or have photos imfo on car?...will find some photos will scan&post sap thanks

 

I've heard of guys doing that In Briggs/Stratton Tecumseh go kart engines.Gave them a boost.

 

Great stories, shit like this can only happen to hot rodders. Never messed with hydrazine but had fun with prop. i shared some with a pair of brothers that put together a blown sbc and they got in a hurry starting the engine the first time and when it came to life they had a heavy dose of prop in it and they whacked the throttles the supercharger sucked open the secondaries of the carbs it went instant rpm and they never hooked a kill switch to the magneto. They said by the time they scrambled around and got a piece of wire to ground the mag the head bolts had stretched so much they could actually see the pistons going up and down.

 

I work in a test facilty that tests hydrazine,hydrogen peroxide and monomethylhydrazine as well as various other hypergolic fuels and oxidizers. Those guys adding hydrazine to their gas tanks is just plain scary.We are not allowed to handle it without a full suit and airline respirator and have to wash our tools and components when we finish a job. Under certain conditions, hydrazine is very unpredictable. I have been involved in testing with this stuff for over thirty years.

 

That brings back great memories...Division V Finals at Cornhusker.

The two final FED's being pushed up the return road.

Man, when they finally fired, the sight, the smell, the sound...every time I think of drag racing those elements pop into my brain.

Those were great times. Thanks for that.

Mike

 

Patrick2965 Thank you for finding & reviving this post. This is FUN to read.
I was telling a retired Army buddy about this post & he said "I worked with rockets in the Army in 1959 and they were powered with RED FUMING NITRIC ACID and UNSYMMETRICAL DIMETHYL HYDRAZINE."
It was so cool to hear him say exactly what 50Fraud said in post #31.
I asked him "How did you remember the name of that stuff ?" and he answered " We had a test on it."

Lucky667

 

Man that made me laugh, 'We had a test on it' man I cant remember the number of times I have recieved that answer from another soldier!

 

Testing Hydrazine for 30 years? Whats left to test??!! Taste?

 

Actually we are involved in testing for compatibility with various components and soft goods that are installed in valves and test systems. Most of the work is aerospace or defense related.

 

is that a polite way to tell us "you don't have high enough clearance"

 

It was on a test & He remembered the answer from over 50 years ago!

Now it's my turn to laugh,...Thanks so much, My best laugh all day.

Lucky667

 

Just stumbled over this thread, I remember those times,I think hydrazine or something similar was used in Gas Dragsters. The strips started using "strip gas"sealing the tank caps,and I saw some of the "big names" opening the jet holder on the injector return hose and pulling an eye dropper from a pocket and putting something in the hose. of course it went straight to the tank.These guys would run very rich puffing black smoke and then nail it and clean out and haul. Some of the locals,tried it and sputtered all the way down. Hydrazine is used in F-16 fighters in an "emergency power package",so the components of these must be tested and serviced.The German ME163 rocket plane used hydrazine mixed with 90% hydrogen peroxide,BANG ZOOM! I worked with the 90% peroxide on rockets and it was tricky too.when sprayed on a silver screen it broke down into 1300 degree steam,it was used for small steering rockets,not anymore I don't think.I love this site!

 

The ME163 fuel was maybe more exciting than Nitoro and Hydrazine even...
According to a book we have here in the Drew Library there was a problem with minor fuel leaks DISSOLVING the entire pilot, and one whole ground crew was lost while messing with the fuel because a bee (who the hell identified the type of bug??) flew into the fumes and detonated, setting off the whole shebang.