Author Topic: 50/50 and Aluminum  (Read 65139 times)

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Offline ETM

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50/50 and Aluminum
« on: January 07, 2016, 12:50:36 AM »
Knowing that methanol and aluminum don’t get along I am wondering about when it is a 50/50 mix.  Is the aluminum still at risk?

I have a need for an odd shaped tank.  Will hold the 50/50 mix full time.  Could try and get the inside anodized or coated with a tank sealer product but want to know if it is absolutely necessary.  What are your experiences?



Offline tauruck

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2016, 03:47:59 AM »
I ran Suzuki RM motocross bikes on Methanol  for years in the 70s.
Those tanks were Aluminum and I never had a problem.
50/50 shouldn't give you trouble IMO. :cheers:

Offline hotrod

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2016, 10:46:43 AM »
My experience with water/methanol injection is that the biggest issue is using dissimilar metals in the injection system.
The methanol makes the mixture highly corrosive to certain metals. For example brass nozzles and steel tubing will lead to aggressive corrosion.
The aluminum especially if protected with anodizing should not be a problem. Active metals like magnesium, zinc and copper and conventional steel do not mix well.
I switched to anodized aluminum and stainless steel parts and did not have any problems with them.

Just keep an eye on your parts for a while after you do the assembly to look out for incompatible items, and stay with low activity materials like anodized aluminum, and stainless steel or nickle plated brass as much as you can would be my suggestion.

Offline Rex Schimmer

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2016, 02:52:28 PM »
Do not use a tank sealer on aluminum. My experience is that it will not adhere to the metal. I tried it on my lakes roadster that had an aluminum tank, etched the inside etc. and about two years later I was cutting the top of the top of the tank and pressure washing large sheets of the sealer out of the tank! What a mess,  I had a very large screen filter in front of the fuel pump but it was clogged too!! Hotrod is right, anodize it.

Rex
Rex

Not much matters and the rest doesn't matter at all.

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2016, 12:23:20 AM »
Why not use stainless steel or titanium for the tank?

Offline grumm441

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2016, 06:16:30 PM »
Do not use a tank sealer on aluminum. My experience is that it will not adhere to the metal. I tried it on my lakes roadster that had an aluminum tank, etched the inside etc. and about two years later I was cutting the top of the top of the tank and pressure washing large sheets of the sealer out of the tank! What a mess,  I had a very large screen filter in front of the fuel pump but it was clogged too!! Hotrod is right, anodize it.

Rex

It very much depends on the sealer
there was some stuff available from 3M called EC776
they used to use inside the wing tanks on F111 in Australia. The downside being the maintenance guys had to climb
inside the tanks and paint it on. Didn't do much for their health.
you can buy it one quart tins but you need to wear a mask and gloves as it's pretty toxic.
I used to use it on alloy tanks in bikes and had no problems with it coming off


G
Chief Motorcycle Steward Dry Lakes Racers Australia Inc
Spirit of Sunshine Bellytank Lakester
https://www.dlra.org.au/rulebook.htm

Offline Speed Limit 1000

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2016, 06:44:21 PM »
From 3M "Resists oil, gasoline, and aromatic fuels (non-resistant to fuels containing alcohol) "
John Gowetski, red hat @ 221.183 MPH MSA Lakester, Bockscar #1000 60 ci normally aspirated w/N20

Offline ETM

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Re: 50/50 and Aluminum
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2016, 04:24:30 PM »
Why not use stainless steel or titanium for the tank?


Because I already had it built.  Dropped it off to hard anodize.  If I realized how much it would have cost to anodize a tank that size I would have built it in SS from the start.  Would have been about the same cost overall.  Oh well, live and learn.