WATER INJECTION??

[5030]

J:

My wifes brother, the one that is the engineer at Ford has a Saleen Mustang. I ran the Mustang with the Ranger (at his suggestion), to about 85 mph. The Saleen never gained on the Ranger. In fact, the ranger was just gaining a little on the Saleen. I quit at 85. That's on a rolling start at about 20 miles per.

Neither the Saleen or the Ranger will come off the line worth a crap. The only thing that happens is inceneration of the tires. The Ranger has a 4:10 track loc rear. I don't know what the Saleen has other than it's a 6 speed.

My brother-in-law built the engine and transmission himself at SVO. I am sure it has the best of everything except fuel mileage. I have specific instructions as to what type and weight of oil to use, oil filter and change interval. Same goes for the trans.

As far as top end, I don't know what the Ranger will do. Normally, the rev limiter is set for a consumer rate of about 90 mph. I have wacked it to 120 which is the end of the speedo on an on ramp of a freeway. It's not mine and I am not going to break the clock.

My wife really likes the power. Here in Michigan everyone drives like a maniac anyway. Average speed on the e-way approaches 85 and no one lets you merge. My wife has no problem. Like she says, I just touch the pedal and I have 90 in a flash. Too bad it won't pass a gas station.

 

[5030]

Jerry:

I have been perusing the net as well as looking in my Summit racing catalog with no results.

I had heard that somewhere there was a kit that would "push" a constantly metered amount of water any time the engine was running. I just can't find it. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Knowing technology, it's probably 20 times more expensive than my simple setup, but it would be worth a look. Gasoline isn't going to get any cheaper. Neither are cars or trucks and the automakers seem to have put mileage on the back burner again.

 

[TresCrows]

"My brother-in-law built the engine and transmission himself at SVO. I am sure it has the best of everything except fuel mileage. I have specific instructions as to what type and weight of oil to use, oil filter and change interval. Same goes for the trans"

That must have been something other than the SVO MUstang--was it a V8?. I used Mobil 15W-50. It was recommended as I recall from the factory--memory kinda fading. I loved that SVO Mustang and still miss it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. It was a poor mans Ferrari. This sport kept passing me on the Gulf Freeway and getting off on the side street and pass me again after getting back on again--you know how freeways are in Houston with side streets. Anyway, he was in a Ferrari, about the third time he passed me I said try it again to myself sucker. I saw him get off and gun through a red light to get back on the freeway. I was ready /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I shifted down into third from fith so the engine could build some boost and when I saw him coming by me I nailed it. We were doing about 50 when it began and the red SVO quickly made the Ferrari fall behind, at 120ish he quit and I was still ahead about 5 car lengths. I let him catch back up but he got off the freeway but this time he did not get back on /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. Fortuantely, there was not much traffic to endanger and no cops. The speedlimit was still 55--remember that--I hated that. Well, I am older now and would now probably ignore him but it was fun teaching him a lesson but if I had gotten a ticket I would not have felt so smart /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Maybe it is best I don't buy any more Mustangs. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Oh, my car got excellent mileage unless I had a lead foot getting upwards of 25MPG highway and about 21 around town. Of course, a heavy foot would seriously dent the fuel consumption but most of the time I babied the car, like always. J

 

[JerryG]

The Saleens were v-8, except for a very few sold as v-6. I never could understand why anyone would want a v-6 Saleen. There wasn't much difference in price between the two. The SVO's were great cars, even stock. Their handling is fantastic. We have a silver late 1984.

 

[TresCrows]

"The SVO's were great cars, even stock. Their handling is fantastic."

Loved that SVO, it cornered so flat with such neutral steering it would peel the skin of your face with the G force and those leather seats were to die for. One heck of a car for the money /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif.
Oh, humid air was mentioned. Engines make less power in humid air. The water vapor displaces the O2. The reason water injection works is complicated but the water injections that I have seen are POST induction. The water is injected and vaporized post carburator or throttle bottle or air valve (fuel injection) thus cooling the air and reducing it's volume allowing more to crammed in. Sucking water vapor in to the intake already in a vapor state is not going to do anything and will reduce power. Stick a water hose in there and watch your engine expolde /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. The amount of water injected in water injection is very small. Again, the injected water also increases octane reducing detonation and cools the incoming charge as it undergoes vaporization. In engines that I have seen with water injection it is only used at max rated power--not all the time. I was a t the Reno air races and noticed misters on the cylinders on some of the radials. They were putting water on to the cylinder fins for extra cooling.
I ain't no expert on water injection but any pilot/A&P mechanic knows engines produce less power in hot/humid conditions and wings produce less lift as well which often combines with things like being overloaded to result in fatal crashes /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. Jet engines, unlike piston engies make so much power it is increadible but still the wings don't fly on water vapor so hot humid conditions effect their flight as well. J

 

[5030]

J:

Times have changed and so has oil.

I was told to use 5w30 Synthetic Motorcraft oil. Dexron III mercon with B&M trick shift additive in the trans. and Motorcraft filters too. That cam from my brother-in-law. Could be be some corporate baloney, but I am doing it.

 

[bgott]

Since you have it baselined pre and post water injection I would take it off and see how it does. If you wanted to cobble together a system that added water under low vacuum conditions, Chrysler used to run a vacuum amplifier on their EGR systems in the '70's and early '80's that might be modified to make your system work. It was a thick, black hockey puck looking thing mounted on the valve cover. It was used, if I remember correctly, to strengthen the vacuum signal to the EGR valve. I haven't jacked with one of these for years, you need to look it up in a repair manual to see exactly how it worked. If I remember and get a chance tomorrow I'll dig out a book and refresh my memory. If it works like I think I remember it working the first thing you will need to do is see if you can suck water through it.

 

[TresCrows]

"I was told to use 5w30 Synthetic Motorcraft oil."

During that time Ford did not have a full synthetic product. I think there was a Mobil 1 sticker on the cover of my SVO. It was a long time ago but I am sure I was told to use Mobil 1 which I was already using for years anyway /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. The full synthetic oil was needed by the turbo to prevent coking of the bearings. There was also an admonition to allow the engine to idle a bit before shut down in the manual to allow the turbo to cool. My SVO had a watercooled turbo as I remember and there was a small oil line that got awfully hot leading to the turbo center bearing. After failure of the turbo at about 25,000 miles mine was replaced under warranty with a newer version that was all oil cooled apparently but it did not seem to pack quiet the punch of the original. The failure was not oil related I was told but due to bad seals therefore the warranty replacement. J