How to convert to alcohol?

[Derrick Adams]

What are the steps to convert to alcohol?
What are the drawbacks? And what are the gains?

[ChrisD]

You just need the carb. You probably should get a hotter ignition and raise the compression in your motor, but the carb is most of it.

If you're interested, I'll sell you my FTZ Mikuni 38mm alky carb and jets for $200.

I used alcohol for a while, but now I only ice race that bike, so I don't use it anymore.

[twoodward15]

It will definately run a lot cooler. This is a problem when you want to ride and it is cold. It'll never get up to operating temperature. If you are just using it when it's warm it shouldn't be a problem. Why alcohol? How about just buying a trike with a bigger motor or rebuilding yours with a hich comp piston and a bigger cam. If you are running stock on alcohol I'd really have to believe that you'd make more power rebuilding with a high performance cam and piston and maybe a sprocket change to get some more speed. Just remember if you don't change the gearing it'll never go any faster than it does right now. You need to make more power to be able to pull a taller gear to get more speed.

[Howdy]

What are the steps to convert to alcohol?
What are the drawbacks? And what are the gains?

Empty your cup of Koolaide and fill it up with good old Jack Daniels. Drink a couple cups and you will be converted. The gains is you can forget all your troubles until you sober up.
LMAO J/K

Sorry Derrick, I couldn't resist!
Howdy

[Unclediezel]

The gains are nice -but a major drawback----Alcohol eats whatever you feed it---
Alcohol absorbs moisture, so you would think that rust wouldnt be a problem,,. All that white dusty stuff that accumulates on your cooling fins---builds up in the carb bowl and can get sucked into your carb , it dries out slide bores, choke linkages---ETC . If you wanna use alky--be prepared to drain it on a daily basis.

[hrc85250r]

yeah, im running alcohol next drag season...im building my hybrid motor this winter.....the positives are you will gain about 10-20% more HP, it will run cooler and its about half the price of race gas....the only real drawback is that after you are done with it for the day you need to run it on gas for a couple minutes to completely remove all alcohol as it will literally eat you motor, because alcohol is an axidizer it rusts everything steel or cast iron very quickly along with corroding aluminum and making rubber fall apart... if your doing drags its well worth it, if you just want to ride around i wouldnt recommend.....

[3Razors]

Your fuel mileage will suffer also as alcohol will burn twice as fast as gas. Many bikes will need an external fuel pump to supply the motor with enough fuel. Also run a 2 cycle oil that is compatible like Klotz or Castor 927.

[Billy Golightly]

Maybe its just all the people I've seen are not good at tuning their engines and carbs but everyone I know that runs alcohol spends atleast twice as much time wrenching on the carb trying to get it run right then before when they were on gas. I've heard that alochol is alot more tempermental with air temperature changes effecting it also. Is there any truth to that?

[3Razors]

Yep its definately more tempermental. Really requires top level tuning and expertise. Lots of tweaking and maintanence but the benifits are usually worth it for drag racing. I wouldn't recommend it for play/trail riding. I ran with it for a long time till I switched to nitrous.

If you run a keihin carb. it will not be able to be changed back to gas because the needle jet is pressed in.

The mikuni has interchangable needle jets so you can change back to gas if you like.

[3Razors]

There is a "poor mans" way of doing it. I wrote this back awhile ago on planetsand. It will get you in the ballpark.

For four strokes--For the way your bike is at the moment, this is what you need to do..Get a good number drill bit set...remove the jet you are currently running and slide in the drill bit that fitss the best...snuggly not loose...now mic the drill bit...(example)-if it measures .050" then you need to drill it out to .100"....
Get all the shavings out...now take your needle out of the carb. and mic it's largest diameter just below the clip grooves at top...whatever it mics then you need to drill your needle jet (brass tube in carb) .022" larger...This is a must!!!! Now put your clip in the highest position (lowering the needle all the way down)....Check your specs for float height and make sure they are correct before you reassemble your carb...If too low you will suck your carb bowl dry...no need to mess with pilot at this time...drain gas. No need to flush out. Put in your methonal/alcohol...start engine...if it will idle, then no need for pilot to be drilled...if it wont idle at all even after idle screw adjustment, then you need to take back off and remove your pilot and drill out about .008"-.012" over stock. Dont go over .012 if it still wont idle then remove the pilot again and drill the carb body .008"...This should idle now...Now rev full throttle for a second..if it sounds like it ran out of fuel then comes back in again then good...its not running out of fuel...it is actually washing the spark out...
Now you need to start going smaller with you main jets. Go in .005 increments...When it revs and keeps climbing with no signs of cutting out then you are now very close to final jetting.

Take it out and run it...

Alcohol spark plug readings is exactly opposite than gas.

Tan to brown is lean condition...
White to gray is perfect...
It should look like a brand new plug...

Porcelain should be white/gray.


2-Strokers---All the same as above...Drilling the brass tube is a must!!!!Dont forget this step...Because it will run...Run away that is even with the ignition off!!!
If you dont do this eng. damage will occur...When you let off the throttle, your needle slams shut immediately, when it does the tube doesn't have enough fuel in it to stabilize engine rpm. Needle will force out all fuel then it will lean out...Engine will start to race very high...Shutting off switches will not stop the motor...it will keep on running and rpm will keep climbing until something comes apart...If you feel yours starts to do this immediately put in gear and hold the rear brake and dump the clutch...This will also happen if you run your fuel tank out..or forget to turn the petcock on..it will run off compression and no spark...if you dont believe me then go ahead and try it...(not adviseable though)....

Hope this helps anyone out.:naughty:

[Bryan Raffa]

HRC85250R get ahold of me...I need to talk to ya!

[moose 53]

Thanks 3razors that is the clearest how to on running alcohol I have read yet.:idea:

[firefirefire90]

a little old thread eh bryan?

[cr480r]

Does anything need to be done with the timing? what about the sparkplug or gap? What kind of cranking PSI does alcohol allow?

[Bryan Raffa]

a little old thread eh bryan?

rather than start a new thred ya it is but good info..GOT SEARCH!:idea:

[gasmask34]

i just went back to race gas on my atc 500. but it's possible that you will need a fuel pump. an alky carb i would suggest lectron because once you get it to idle and hit the throttle and it still take the fuel without wanting to shut off it's time to turn the metering rod. { right=rich/left=lean}. after the metering rod is almost correct you move to the power jet.{topend} your motor will run alot cooler and performance will increase. the only main problem is if your getting ready to drag keep blimpping the throttle to keep the fuel from building up in the cylinder because you will burn twice as much alky than gas. last but not least remember to purge the system after using alky. it will rust up on you...i went back to gas because where i get my alky from he's thinking about stop selling it.