Register now to get rid of these ads!

History Ssssssnake Oil Anyone?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by carbking, Mar 20, 2019.

  1. I remember that device being advertised back in the late 50s.
    I actually did make and use a water injection system on my 396 back in the 70s and early 80s. This was because the gas was so crappy, and in a lot of places, it was difficult to find premium.
    It took a little tuning but worked great. I used a Ford windshield washer bag and pump to move the water, (or water/alcohol mix in the winter). I found an adjustable jet from an aquarium air pumping system, and used a vacuum switch to activate it when the vacuum dropped to 5 in. It worked great and the water used to last about the same number of miles as the tank.
    I never checked the mileage, because I didn't give a damn, I just wanted to be able to mash the pedal to the floor without worrying about pinging or detonation. I can tell you that when I pulled the heads to change the valve seals, the upper cylinders were so clean that they looked like they had been steam cleaned.
    On the 747-200s I was flying back then, we used water injection for our max gross weight takeoffs for the trans Pacific flights. We loaded 700 gallons of distilled water, which was used to cool the engines and allow the addition of more fuel. I can't remember exactly how much additional thrust it gave us, but it was significant. After takeoff, we dumped the remaining water. The use of water to augment thrust, goes all the way back to the early fifties and the Allison powered T-33. The reason was, that the metallurgy technology wasn't good enough to design turbines that could withstand the higher temperatures.
    My point here, is that sometimes crazy works.
    Bob
     
    Jet96 and Deuces like this.
  2. Jon,
    I worked part time molding fishing lures for a guy in the early 70s, whose dad was a wild ass inventor. I guess he inherited some of his dads ideas, because he had a beautiful Chevy powered 47 Ford coupe and under the hood, he had two humongous magnets attached to the fuel line. His belief was, that the magnets aligned the molecules of the fuel, so that it burned more efficiently.
    The car was so pretty that I didn't want to laugh out loud, but I never forgot his modification.
    Bob
     
    Jet96 likes this.
  3. I wonder how Garlits got that. The last I heard "Big Oil" bought it up and killed it.[/QUOTE]

    "Big Oil" is no match for "Big Daddy"! :rolleyes:
     
  4. Curious about the molds. Do you still have them?
     
  5. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    In the sixties some good salesman sold our police department on those boxes. I had to take them out and reinstall them into new models several times, until someone high up said “don’t put that junk in the cars”. I finally hauled them to the junk yard and bought some ingredients for salty dogs for our Christmas party with the proceeds. They finally did serve a purpose!





    Bones
     
    Jet96 and loudbang like this.
  6. Rocket fluid Oldsmobile
     
    kadillackid and loudbang like this.
  7. KenC
    Joined: Sep 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,045

    KenC
    Member

    Add to the working water injection: Factory equipment on Olds F85 with turbocharged 215cuin aluminum v8, '62/63.
    They put a turbo on a 10.25:1 comp ratio engine. Had to have the water to live.
     
    loudbang likes this.
  8. The lure I was making was called a Buzz Bomb, and the molds, as well as all the other equipment, belonged to Rex Field, the inventor. I have made my own and they aren't that difficult to make if you have a milling machine, or are handy with a Dremel.
    The lure was a killer for salmon and all manner of salt water fish. Boat limit almost every time out. My record was 62 lb Spring salmon on 14 lb test. Damn near lost it to a seal.
    PM me if you want a picture of the lure
    Bob
     
    loudbang and wraymen like this.
  9. Once in a blue moon, one of those gadgets or liquid horsepower in a bottle does have some benefits. I remember waiting in line for my turn on the dyno at Mr. Norms and watching them put in an advance "kit" plus a carb jet "kit". I found out it was money well spent and was happy about the experience. Those guys at the Sunoco station also charged me extra for that 260 blue gas once the tunning deal clicked in my pea brain. In the late 60s, I was seeing these ads about "synthetic oil". I asked my local speed shop/engine builder his opinion and he said: "Oh, that's regular oil with some extra additives to make it last a little longer and not wear out so soon". I kept reading the ads carefully and it sure seemed like it was more than "additives" so I tried it out. Much later on, when I was pulling the valve covers to adjust the lash, I was shocked to see how squeaky clean the valve covers and valve train was. I was expecting the usual gunk and crud.

    But I agree with the consensus that normally you can't bolt on or pour in some sort of magic that must be an oversight that Detroit left off due to the engineers being clueless.
    .
     
    loudbang likes this.
  10. Every jet in the air flys on synthetic oil. The problem in automotive use, was that the cost of the oil is approximately 4x the cost of petroleum oil, and to take advantage of the stability and longer life of the synthetic, you needed better filtration. Good synthetics can cut internal friction by up to 15%, yielding between 4-10% more power, with the advantage of less wear on critical components.
    I have been flying on synthetic oil since the early 60s, and putting it in all my engines, transmissions, and rear ends, since the late 70s. Synthetic oil for automotive use, required reformulation to work with automotive seals, and that was a real problem for some manufacturers.
    Bob
     
    loudbang likes this.
  11. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,778

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Oh man, I have one of those. yeah it looks like part of it is a calibrated vacuum leak, maybe they were counting on the fact that a lot of cars ran too rich back then? I don't know, but this one was made by Sparkomatic I believe it is the same company that made shitty stereos back in the 70's super1.JPG super2.JPG super3.JPG super4.JPG super5.JPG super6.JPG super7.JPG
     
  12. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,503

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    It's all bullshit in a box.
     
  13. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,757

    Deuces

    ....... And shitty shifters..:confused::rolleyes:
     
    Jet96 likes this.
  14. [​IMG]
    Here's one from Australia-and endorsed by a racing driver who should have known better. It was actually an in-fuel-line fool-money separator.
    I worked for a research facility where we were asked by an importer to test a "magic box" which was just stuck to the side of the fuel tank, and was supposed to "align the chakras of the fuel" or some similar baloney. He wanted us to do an on-road mileage test with & without his "bullshit box". I tried explaining to him that unless the conditions are exactly the same- temperature, humidity, traffic, driver, - the test was meaningless. This guy still wanted to test it.
    So my boss said "We will do the best we can, and he will pay up, we will do it". We did, and there was minor decrease (<1%) in fuel consumption. The customer didn't like that (but he paid up), had it tested by someone else (worse result), and that's the last I heard of it. Months later, I found one of these "magic boxes" which was left behind in the workshop, so I had at it, opened it up and there was a whole lot of nothing in there - (empty plastic box).
     
  15. patsurf
    Joined: Jan 18, 2018
    Posts: 1,025

    patsurf

    good thing they gave instructions...
     
  16. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,459

    noboD
    Member

    Don't forget to watch the Turbo Encabulator video on utube.
     
    Jet96 likes this.
  17. Here's a lifetime supply for an average person. ^ Couldn't help laughing when I saw them at the swap meet this morning. The dude selling them didn't share the humor, however.:rolleyes:
     
    loudbang likes this.
  18. dwollam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2012
    Posts: 2,322

    dwollam
    Member

    When I bought my '51 Ford Coupe back several years ago it had wooden clothes pins on the fuel line. Don't seem to work as it will still vapor lock after setting for 20-30 minutes. I left them on just for the sake of history on the car. I now have a phenolic block to put under the carb before summer sets in.

    My brother used to run a water injection and it did help with performance and also in keeping combustion chambers clean. That's been 40 years ago. Man I'm getting old!

    Dave
     
    loudbang and Deuces like this.
  19. Slopok
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 2,919

    Slopok
    Member

    It was already black right from the can.
     
    Deuces likes this.
  20. Slopok
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 2,919

    Slopok
    Member

    Does anyone else remember seeing those black rubber straps with the lightning bolt on them that used to drag the pavement to create a ground or something to prevent a shock?
    I think they may have been referred to as static straps.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2019
    Danny Brown, loudbang and Deuces like this.
  21. bchctybob
    Joined: Sep 18, 2011
    Posts: 5,190

    bchctybob
    Member

    My Dad was fascinated by the idea of the little propeller under the carb to mix the air/fuel better. He was also way too cheap to buy one. He hand-made some little propeller blades and the base plates and tried them. Not sure how it worked. He also made some plates with stationary "blades" designed to spin the mixture as it passed through, not sure how that worked either. Thinking about it now, he must have put a lot of time in on those with a hacksaw, drill and files. I remember seeing all that stuff in a drawer in his old roll-away, it may still be there in his old workshop.
    Thanks Jon for starting this snake-oil celebration, cool thread.
     
    loudbang, Deuces and Moriarity like this.
  22. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,778

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Deuces and chevy57dude like this.
  23. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    The Original.... Remote Start! KIMG4340.JPG KIMG4342.JPG KIMG4341.JPG
     
  24. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    An after using your Remot-Start, You may need to tidy-up... KIMG4343.JPG
     
    Jet96, kadillackid, loudbang and 3 others like this.
  25. Dwardo
    Joined: Aug 1, 2017
    Posts: 71

    Dwardo

    During WW2, German aircraft engines were often fitted with methanol/water injection to allow more boost. It apparently worked well. I think they called it MW50.

    When I was a little boy I bought a "real submarine" that was advertised on the back of a comic book. Even then I was puzzled about how anybody could build a submarine at such low cost. When it came, it turned out to be a big box I could sit in. With a picture of a submarine on the side. I bet my parents got some amusement out of that.
     
    Jet96, Danny Brown, loudbang and 2 others like this.
  26. weeniewawa
    Joined: Mar 18, 2014
    Posts: 54

    weeniewawa
    Member

    loudbang and Deuces like this.
  27. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,713

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    Hey they still sell a version of this! It's called "Detailer" now!:D:D:D
     
    Moriarity, loudbang and Deuces like this.
  28. loudbang likes this.
  29. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    All this talk about water injection reminds me of some of the things I did back in the day. If I was going to rebuild/overhaul an engine, before I tore it down , I would get it up to operating temperature and pour about a quart of water slowly down the carburetor while keeping the engine running. Then let it clear up. When I tore it down the combustion chambers would be spotless, no carbon. The exhaust valves and ports would be relatively clean.
    I would also use this procedure on old junk engines in an attempt to squeeze a few more miles out of them. I was always worried about carbon getting crunched in between the exhaust valve and the seat doing this, but it never seem to happen. These old engines would always seem to run a little better after doing this.



    Bones
     
    loudbang and Deuces like this.

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.