Advice About Ethanol in an RC Nitro Engine
#16
Tech Rookie
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 8
Ethanol is not methanol. You would have to mix the ethanol with methanol. Because you need Methanol to ignite. Methanol burns faster and ethonal burns slower. I have heard of people mixing small amounts of ethanol with glo fuel but no big gain if any.
we have gasoline 2 stroke engines that will run better on ethonal/biofuel but you will need a magneto and a miniature spark plug.
Ethonal with a GLO plug IDK GOOD LUCK. The plug, make sure you use GLO plugs with idle bars to protect the element.
You could retap the head of a .67 and use a magneto and miniature spark plug and perhaps add about 40,000th squish band height. It might run.
we have gasoline 2 stroke engines that will run better on ethonal/biofuel but you will need a magneto and a miniature spark plug.
Ethonal with a GLO plug IDK GOOD LUCK. The plug, make sure you use GLO plugs with idle bars to protect the element.
You could retap the head of a .67 and use a magneto and miniature spark plug and perhaps add about 40,000th squish band height. It might run.
#17
Tech Rookie
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 3
I know it's a bit of an old thread, but it's worth mentioning - there's ethanol-specific glow plugs out there. Look up the OS BE-3, they also made an engine intended to run on ethanol, but the plugs are standard size Edit: I think they may use a unique thread, unfortunately.
Last edited by cobradane; 02-24-2023 at 05:09 PM. Reason: correcting info
#18
Tech Rookie
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 2
Using ethanol extraction in a nitro RC engine is a bit tricky, especially for a beginner. Ethanol can make the glow plug cooler, which might cause problems. Since you're not running the engine at full throttle for long and it's not for long-term use, you might be okay. But keep an eye on the glow plug temperature and be ready to adjust if needed. Also, make sure to monitor how the engine runs during your tests and be cautious of any unusual behavior. Good luck with your project!



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