New engine build thoughts

79410aspenrt said

I just switched to Rons flying toilet. Obviously you know what your doing with no moisture in oil. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about methanol getting into the oil.

Hopefully it warms up today as I want to fire it up for the first time on methanol

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Most of the oil getting alcohol in it is because guys like to run them really fat at idle. They use a cooling system way too small because they think alcohol will cool the engine. It will, when you run it pig rich. To make power you have to make heat. I never used alcohol to cool my stuff.

The other issue with alcohol in the crank case is oil. You can’t use Group IV or V synthetic oils and alcohol. You’ll never keep the oil clean. Group III oils only. Unless you spend 14 bucks a quart (which I did gladly) to get a synthetic blend that uses Group IV and V base stocks. Then you can do it, but very few companies make an oil like that.

I forget what percentage of leak I set my Ron’s barrel valve at, but the last I remember or a barrel valve I made, with a 15 pound idle check, I was able to leak the barrel valve at about 16% and still get a good idle.

Get the idle cleaned up, and you shouldn’t have alcohol in the oil. Also, I never ever lean the engine out with the fuel shut off to warm it up. Ever. If you need to do that, you need to fix the idle stuff...smaller nozzles...higher pressure and less barrel valve leak. I’ve seen guys hurt the engine on warm up, not know it and make a run and kill it.