this guy at NAPA told me that adding two bottles of rubbing alcohol to my gas tank and then running the truck hard all the way to the e-check place will pass everytime. anybody ever heard of this? i was just wonderin. i need to have my bronco e-checked this week.

 

I've heard that before too. Rubbing alcohol is just methyl alcohol, the same as racing fuel. Around here some gas stations have alcohol added to the gas to cut emissions. Just don't add too much, it likes to eat seals and gaskets.

-Jon

 

i never knew about that before. i'll never try it tho on my truck

 

Yes it does work, I also use it to absorb water in the fuel tank like fuel dryer. I also use it in a spray bottle to deice the windows.

dj

 

>this guy at NAPA told me that adding two bottles of rubbing
>alcohol to my gas tank and then running the truck hard all
>the way to the e-check place will pass everytime. anybody
>ever heard of this? i was just wonderin. i need to have my
>bronco e-checked this week.

(Capital's intentional!!!!)
NO NO NO NO. RUBBING ALCOHOL IS NOT METHYL ALCOHOL. Being a medic for the last 28 years I can definately tell you it ain't! Go down to your local supermarket/drug store and look. It is most definately ISOPROPYL Alcohol which is a totally different compound. You will ALSO NOTE the most Rubbing Alcohol is 70%. Look at the ingredients and you'll find "INERT INGREDIENTS" of 30% WATER

Methyl Alcohol is also known as wood alcohol, a particularly NASTY compound if taken internally. More than a few submarine crewmen found out how nasty after sipping even after filtering thru bread (doesn't work. ). Some became blind, and a few even died.

As for the Rubbing alcohol, I'd take a bottle of it and show the guy at NAPA the water content. In a 16oz. bottle 4.9oz is water. I sure as he&% wouldn't want that much water in my tank. No amount of "Rubbing Alcohol" in a fuel tank will work much less make it work better.

Spend the money on a tune-up with a sniffer check, then go get your e-check.

Larry

 

I'm thinking that rubbing alcohol, with its 30% water, would cause the engine to run a little cooler and possibly de-carbon the combustion chamber and valves a little bit. You might try spraying this directly into the intake. As I understand it, the alcohol holds the water in suspension.

 

All your alcohols will help with the emission checks for the fact that they supply extra oxygen to fuel mix which means more complete combustion. Alcohol also causes an engine to run cooler. Less Nox emissons. Some of the roundy roundy cars around here use methly alcohol for fuel and the operating temps don't get abve 145 degrees F
And alcohol does have an affinty for water that is why you use it when you have water in your fuel ie: gas drier. Most liquid alcohol has some water in it because pure alocohols are hard to keep from just vaporizing on contact with the air. but I do preffer to use 90-95% alcohols IE: 190 proof

 

If adding a bit of alcohol helps why not get a 1/2 gallon of 110 racing fuel? If this is a really stupid suggestion don't hold it against me. I was just curious about that as an idea.

 

Alcohol contains Oxygen. In a sense, it is already partially 'burned' or Oxidized. So when it burns, it gives off less heat than burning gasoline does. Oxides of Nitrogen form at high temperature, and alcohol can lower the temperature in the combustion chamber, so it reduces the amount of NOx that is formed. Because it burns cooler, alcohol added to gasoline raises its octane rating. Alcohol also tends to absorb water, which also helps cool the combustion process.

'High Octane' means that the fuel resists detonation, it burns more evenly and slowly. I don't know of a direct effect on emissions of high octane fuel such as race gas.

 

Alcohol in the fuel won't hurt emissions testing a bit, if you can find it. I wouldn't run rubbing alcohol though. _Change the oil_ and make sure the engine is fully warmed up prior to the test helps the most.

 

If you really want a good quality alcohol for this, go to your local paint store. Or the paint aisle of your favorite hardware store or maybe even Wal-Mart. They sell denatured alcohol. This is almost pure ethanol (grain alcohol) with enough methanol mixed in to make it poisonous (that's what makes it 'denatured').

 

i have used denatured alcohol in my vehichles right before the sniffer tests passed every time even on some that never passed the ratio i used was 1 qt per 10 gallons of fuel also ran hard as i was able to on the way to the test good luck deno

 

I agree with the above the NAPA guy had his alcohols mixed up or was miss informed. Denatured alocohol is the one you want. I've used it in several cars. It will also idle better and does help your gas mileage as well. I've also used it mixed with old tranny fliud. The old tranny fluid works great as an upper cylinder lube( the same thing as say lucas fuel cleaner). It works and you find postings about it on several forums from SAAB to Fords.

 

We use gas line antifreeze (1 litre into half a tank). It will lower the HHC and the truck will pass. Once tested go and fill it up with 90+ octane gas and then you won't have any issues.