nitromethane and the small block chevy:

A lot of us share the same sentiment.

 

well we ran the can @ 15 to 1 or 151/2 but that was a big inch arias, since then I believe you see more injected than blown alchol in the class. We ran 5.77 @ 255 in 92

 

Be careful with toluene. When we took our bike to the salt in 2010, I was playing with toluene. At 10% with 60% nitro, we stuck the piston. Toluene pulls the flame down the cylinder promoting a more efficient burn of the fuel charge. Problem is, it also creates more heat. You can buy it at paint stores. Some old time painters use it as a thinner. Be careful!!

 

You can use all the nitro you want - once. Bring a broom and dust pan.

 

don't think toluene is an oxegenate anyway. Not really the same thing.

 

I confess I don’t know shit! But have built and drove several nitro burning hemi’s, both blown and injected like one in my avatar that was 11:1 injected 426 hemi and ran 80 to 85%. I did however think your talking blown. By the way, straight out of drum good nitro is 99.9%.

 

Precisely why you could see guys with long ratchets jacking blown motors backwards a couple of turns before starting in staging lanes.

 

If it's just flame and the light show you're after, just pump it directly into ports at the base of the exhaust headers. It won't sound like a nitro motor, but you'll get the flames and the smell. And a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

correct toluene is a hydrocarbon that burns slower ( raises octane number ) but has a good amount of Btus in it .

 

yup. No experience with nitromethane, plenty with toluene and nitropropane...

 

isn't NP the same as Nitromethane ??? or a precursure to it ??? as nitromethane is made from propane and nitric acid .

 

precursor to it in terms of the manufacturing process? Could be, I honestly don't know. I DO know its cheaper and easier to get, and works well, although the gains are not as substantial. But it will definitely pick up power, and its not as easy to detect, although it will show up in a full-on NHRA fuel check. But its not like you can walk by a car idling in the pits and smell it, like you can with nitromethane.

 

Wikipedia to the rescue...
nitromethane: CH 3NO 2
nitropropane: C3H7NO2

 

1-NP and 2-NP are also both known carcinogens, handle with care.

 

Preparation
1-NP is produced industrially by the reaction of propane and nitric acid. This reaction forms four nitroalkanes: nitromethane, nitroethane, 1-nitropropane, and 2-nitropropane. 1-NP is also a byproduct of the process for making 2-NP, which is done by vapour phase nitration of propane.

looks like its more of a by-product than a precursor.

 

Back in the day we cut our Nitro with PO.. Propylene oxide I believe is the correct name. Dont remember why we used it instead of alcohol but it seemed to work pretty well on a unblown motor.

 

They still do....

 

Ran up to 15% in a 509 Donavon with 13 to 1 and constant flow hat type injection. Above that I started getting what is called pepper on the plugs. Pepper is burnt aluminum, looks like pepper. It feels like you just added a passing gear and stinks enough in the cockpit to make your eyes water. What a kick!