ethynol?

[rugar77]

this is probably a dead horse here, but what do the gearheads think about ethynol and flexfuel cars. CNN says brazil is 90% middle eastern oil free.wether or not thats true i dont know. just wanted to know what you guys think about it.

[roadwarriormfp]

I dont know what percentage petrol free Brazil is, but i do know they have used ethonal for a very long time. They even have certified a piston aircraft engine on bio-diesel, which is not cheap to do.


Our government here in Australia have no lifted one finger to help bring ethonol into any major production, nor does it seem interested. It would rather slug us with a 45% tax on petrol.

[Foxtrot X-Ray]

While Ethanol as a motor vehicle fuel would certainly HELP with the skyrocketing price of Guzzolene, it's certainly not the End All-Be All of alternative fuels.





As far as "Flex Fueled" vehicls go.. I don't much care for the term.. these are more "Bi-Fueled".


To Me, "Flexible" implies a lot more actual flexibility than just two kinds of fuel.





Vehicles such as Mazda's RX-8H deserve the term more as these are capable of running anything from 100% gasoline to E85 to 100% Hydrogen Gas or any mixture of the above..








That said, I'm all for pushing Hard into making Ethnol into a solid competitor for Gasoline..


But it's only ONE option and should be treated as such.





While we're at this, Plese keep in mind that ANY Gasoline powered vehicle can be made to run any percentage of Ethanol, from 0-100%.


A 2007 Mustang, a 1973 Ford Falcon XBGT.. ANYTHING.





Get out there, do some research and find out what you need to do to Your own vehicle to allow it to run Ethanol without melting/rusting your car's fuel system.


(While you're at it, look at Hydrogen I.C.E. technology as well. They can definately be used together to really fun results)





Oh, an additional option is Home Brewing your own fuel..


Look that up as well.


I've read of folks doing so for a calculated cost of under $2 a gallon.


Since Gas is ticking over to new record highs weekly, this looks promising to me.








(Hmmmmmm.. I wonder if you can ferment & Distil Lawn clippings?)

[bike]

Quote: Originally posted by Foxtrot X-Ray on 07 August 2006





(Hmmmmmm.. I wonder if you can ferment & Distil Lawn clippings?)

Dunno, seen a car (Beetle) converted to run on a chicken sh*t biomass though. Looked funny, smelt awful, short trips only.


Beetles (made under license in Brazil unitil recently) have been running for years on ethanol, a waste product from sugar cane.

[Foxtrot X-Ray]

As I understand, it's the Cellulose that's the problem..





Sawdust & Pulped wood can be fermented & distilled, but it takes special enzymes (And thus extra Cost)..





I'm certain that Grass clippings Can be fermented & Distilled... But would it be worth the extra Cost?





Think about it.. Most people need someplace to get rid of the stuff and some even pay for it's removal..





Go 'round & undercut the remover's prices, collect the yard waste.. then take the clippings & make your fuel!

[Bugsgecko]

Here's the info from one of Melbourne's bus companys -









Ventura Bus Lines is proud to deliver a cleaner transport alternative, operating three buses powered by a totally renewable energy source.


These buses run on 100% ethanol, made from molasses, a by-product of the sugar milling process. It is processed from fermented cane that would otherwise be discarded.


The result is cleaner air and a healthier ozone layer. Ethanol emits only half the harmful Greenhouse gases of regular diesel fuel so each of the three buses reduces Greenhouse gas emissions by 80 tonnes per annum.





In 2001 Ventura won the prestigious National Greenhouse Challenge Award. Ventura is the first company in Australia to run vehicles on this environmentally friendly fuel.


Rest of article here http://www.venturabus.com.au/ethanol.html

[rugar77]

thanks for the input! while i would love to make my own ethynol, it just doesnt sound safe if you dont know what what you are doing. i know guys that make moonshine and they say you can blow yourself up real easy.

[Foxtrot X-Ray]

Those guys may just be pulling your chain to scare you.


Never known a "Bootlegger" to give out free information.


Or ANY information for that matter.





There are plenty of sites that have precise details on the chemestry of the process, as well as equiplment designs and even complete part lists & Blueprints.








I say again.. Do your research and learn the facts..

[Bugsgecko]

From memory there was a bloke advertising in a national Aussie newspaper(The Weekly Times maybe ?),about 20 years ago ,selling blueprints on how to convert standard carbies to run ethanol made from a recipe of vegie scraps cleanly and without any need of other fuel at anytime.For some ridiculous price of $30 Aussie dollars, one could send away for this magic formula and specifics on carbie conversion....mind you the dickhead ex hubby refused with the opinion"When would we ever need to use another fuel source?"...(needless to say I divorced this braindead oxygen thief soon afterwards) and here we are today searching for a cheap fuel alternative .(But this advertising bloke disappeared about 17 years ago).


There is currently a Solar Shop in Adelaide,South Aust,that imported an electric car from the UK about 3 years ago.This car has been sitting in customs ever since purely because the Aussie Fed Govt refused to recognise it being a "Recreational vehical" .The Aussie Fed Govt insists on it being safety tested as a family car,(cost of $300,000 Aussie $)before it's allowed to be registered for use on the road.This electric car can be recharged from a battery bank of solar panels for 8 hours(over night) and give the average person enough power to run around the suburbs/city or 90 mins into the country before it needs recharging...all without PETROL that fills the dear,darling,cuddly Govt coffers.


This car is used on the roads of all of Europe,UK,Japan and several states in USA, registered as a "recreational vehical".


OOPS no petrol tax into the Govt coffers !!! Maybe that's why the Fed Govt has kept changing the rules for this all electric car for nearly 3 years ?!


Geeze who wouldn't like to power their own vehical from their own solar-charged battery for next to $00.00 ????????????

[Foxtrot X-Ray]

Whaddya need Blueprints for?





Replace all the Non metal parts with stuff that won't melt in the presence of Alcohol and install either 30% - 40% larger Jets or Bore your Jets out 30% - 40% with a drill.





The carb is actually the easy part..


The fuel pickup and lines are the hard part.





Stainless hard lines and a pickup made out of something alcohol-proof.. (Bahahaha! Alcohol - Proof! Get it? Hahah.. er.. Sorry.)