Alky Injection Got me ALL the wrong attention!
Nov 21, 2005, 03:35 PM
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Alky Injection Got me ALL the wrong attention!
AND NO I didn't get a ticket (knock on wood).
So this story starts right after Al got done cutom tuning my alky injection in Seattle (Dynoflash tuning session). The car is so much fun to drive I just cant stay out of boost. My research before install led me to believe that I was going to be able to make my 1 gallon tank of pure methanol last for almost 2 tanks of gas most of the time. Not with my current driving habits.
The problem. Before I decided to run pure methanol I made sure I had an available supplier since I don't live in a major city. I found a local chemical distributing company right down the street! The only drawback was that Methanol from them was VERY expensive by the gallon but EXTREMELY affordable by the drum. I'm talking $22 a gallon after tax by the gallon vs $3-4 a gallon by the drum!
I bought the only two gallons they had readily available before my tune with plans to buy a drum later after I learned more about it. My rapid consumption of the juice has left me needing a drum sooner than expected. With my bright RED low light on, I ordered a drum of Methanol and parked the car for the weekend.
They were very interested in why my friend and I wanted to buy 55gallons of methanol and have it delivered to our house. I showed them the car and explained the situation. Chemical salesmen not seeming to be the liveliest of a bunch looked more confused than excited and said, "uh... ok."
Early this afternoon, the dilivery guy backs up to my garage with a bright blue metal barrel of methanol. Looking very confused he puts it where we ask him to and says, "we sure don't do many residential deliveries." I said thank you and he left.
After reading through the chemical data sheet (safety) several more times and still feeling completely incompetent as to the saftest way to extract the methanol from the drum, I decided to go back to the chemical supply store and ask more questions that had been left unanswered earlier. One of the gentemen there was nice enough to show me there was a tool I had to buy in order to open the valve on the barrel (You think they would have told me that when I bought it).
Here's where I guess I made a mistake. I had just come from reading this thread I found regarding octane boosters.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...6&page=1&pp=15
If you read the article, a chemical they discuss is called toulene. I did some research on toulene after reading this post and was interested in its availability at my local chemical supply store. Uh oh. RED FLAG. Assuming a small amount would be less cost effective just like methanol, I asked for a quote on a drum price . Two young males in their mid 20s interested in two drums of chemicals delivered to a residential address.
It turns out that BOTH of these ingredients are on the same list of common ingredients to make methamphetamines and it doesn't help that we were seen around town buying gas cans, funnels, etc. I felt the tone of the visit change almost all at once. I reinterated that I was a car enthusiest interested in performance modifications. It didn't seem to help.
I've never been in trouble in my LIFE. Now I feel like somones out to get me. Anyway, probably a long story that wasn't necessary but I enjoyed venting. If the feds don't show up at my door before the nights over, I'll post my first experience getting the methanol out of a 55 gallon drum safely. I'm sure there are more people on here that might be considering buying bulk methanol as there only option that were as clueless as me when it comes to how to do it.
Wish me luck!
So this story starts right after Al got done cutom tuning my alky injection in Seattle (Dynoflash tuning session). The car is so much fun to drive I just cant stay out of boost. My research before install led me to believe that I was going to be able to make my 1 gallon tank of pure methanol last for almost 2 tanks of gas most of the time. Not with my current driving habits.
The problem. Before I decided to run pure methanol I made sure I had an available supplier since I don't live in a major city. I found a local chemical distributing company right down the street! The only drawback was that Methanol from them was VERY expensive by the gallon but EXTREMELY affordable by the drum. I'm talking $22 a gallon after tax by the gallon vs $3-4 a gallon by the drum!
I bought the only two gallons they had readily available before my tune with plans to buy a drum later after I learned more about it. My rapid consumption of the juice has left me needing a drum sooner than expected. With my bright RED low light on, I ordered a drum of Methanol and parked the car for the weekend.
They were very interested in why my friend and I wanted to buy 55gallons of methanol and have it delivered to our house. I showed them the car and explained the situation. Chemical salesmen not seeming to be the liveliest of a bunch looked more confused than excited and said, "uh... ok."
Early this afternoon, the dilivery guy backs up to my garage with a bright blue metal barrel of methanol. Looking very confused he puts it where we ask him to and says, "we sure don't do many residential deliveries." I said thank you and he left.
After reading through the chemical data sheet (safety) several more times and still feeling completely incompetent as to the saftest way to extract the methanol from the drum, I decided to go back to the chemical supply store and ask more questions that had been left unanswered earlier. One of the gentemen there was nice enough to show me there was a tool I had to buy in order to open the valve on the barrel (You think they would have told me that when I bought it).
Here's where I guess I made a mistake. I had just come from reading this thread I found regarding octane boosters.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...6&page=1&pp=15
If you read the article, a chemical they discuss is called toulene. I did some research on toulene after reading this post and was interested in its availability at my local chemical supply store. Uh oh. RED FLAG. Assuming a small amount would be less cost effective just like methanol, I asked for a quote on a drum price . Two young males in their mid 20s interested in two drums of chemicals delivered to a residential address.
It turns out that BOTH of these ingredients are on the same list of common ingredients to make methamphetamines and it doesn't help that we were seen around town buying gas cans, funnels, etc. I felt the tone of the visit change almost all at once. I reinterated that I was a car enthusiest interested in performance modifications. It didn't seem to help.
I've never been in trouble in my LIFE. Now I feel like somones out to get me. Anyway, probably a long story that wasn't necessary but I enjoyed venting. If the feds don't show up at my door before the nights over, I'll post my first experience getting the methanol out of a 55 gallon drum safely. I'm sure there are more people on here that might be considering buying bulk methanol as there only option that were as clueless as me when it comes to how to do it.
Wish me luck!
Last edited by Abicus; Nov 21, 2005 at 03:40 PM.
Nov 21, 2005, 03:40 PM
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HAHA yeah you are probably going to have the cops watching you now. Some people just don't understand the whole car thing. Anyway good luck and let us know how everything turns out.
Nov 21, 2005, 04:01 PM
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How is the car running man - it was a beast to drive in the rain !
BTW - in the future source your methanol through a race fuel supplier - no hassels !
BTW - in the future source your methanol through a race fuel supplier - no hassels !
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Nov 21, 2005, 04:55 PM
#14
Good luck getting it out. Hopefully your storing it safely as well. I used to buy drums of race gas, and it is kind of nerve-racking trying to get it out of those drums and not spill it everywhere (if its the same set-up I'm thinking of).
