Update for Snow alcohol kit owners....

XR7 Dave

Registered User
I have come across some issues with these systems that current owners will need to address.

1) I highly recommend a purge system. This is a simple connection that puts a momentary button that jumpers between the main red power input to the controller and the green pump circuit. This will be highly useful in determining that the system is functional AND it will purge the lines of air. If the system hasn't been used in awhile and/or you have long lines you will find that the engine will have a tendency to slowly siphon off all the fluid from between the solenoid and the nozzles. It can take 3-5 seconds of spraying to purge the lines of air depending on how long they are. For this reason I also recommend placing the solenoid as close as possible to the nozzles.

2) The pumps are not waterproof. Snow does not make any specific recommendations about mounting the pump but it has come to my attention that they need to be protected from splash water and rainfall. If you can't find a suitable mounting location then I suggest covering the pump in a plastic shield or bag so that it does not receive direct spray or dripping from any water source. Behind the fenderliners is not sufficiently dry to prevent possible corrosion and failure.

3) Anyone who does not have dual nozzles on their system I highly recommend it.

4) Snow now has their flow monitoring device available so for ultimate safety that is something which should be looked into.

Any questions, please post.

David
 
Dave,

Please tell me more about the purge.....like where does the fluid go when you hit the purge button ? Does it spray out to atmoshere like a nitrous purge or into the intake ? If it's going into the intake how do you know if your spraying air or fluid ?

Maybe I'm just being parinoid, but the thought of a big puddle of washer fluid going into one of the intake ports at start up and hydrolocking a cylinder is a lot more scary than air in the lines.

David
 
My feeling is that you would put the purge close to the farthest nozzle and run it to the ground. You could wire that up on a switch that both opens the nozzle and puts power to the pump to drive it (like you do when you test the pump when first installed). That low pressure area of the purge will cause more fluid to go there than through any nozzles.

This would allow you to confirm the thing is working, plus let you get fluid into the lines damn near up to the nozzles.

One question on the siphoning. I've got my anti-siphon solenoid about 4" from the nozzle for after the inter cooler, and about 1.5 feet from the before blower nozzle. Is such a setup what you feel you should worry about siphoning? Are you talking about siphoning from the anti-siphon solenoid, or even siphoning occurring past the anti-siphon solenoid.. perhaps due to leakage past it?
 
You guys are way over thinking/complicating the situation. You are not going to spray enough water to lock up the motor. The motor will be running at the time you spray it (and assumedly at operating temperature as well) meaning that the spray will be 90% vaporized before it hits the cylinders. If the motor gets too much water it will start to hesitate at which point you'll know that you are purged. Like I said, 3-5 seconds if the system is dry.

Personally I'm much more concerned about not having it there when you need it than spraying a tad more than needed prior to a 1/4 mile pass. Most people will "purge" the system during a burnout so it may not even be an issue at the track at all. However, if you run on the street and lets say for example you use the nitrous along with it and your tune relies on the alcohol to hit with the nitrous but the alcohol hits 3 seconds later..... well....
 
You guys are way over thinking/complicating the situation. You are not going to spray enough water to lock up the motor. The motor will be running at the time you spray it (and assumedly at operating temperature as well) meaning that the spray will be 90% vaporized before it hits the cylinders. If the motor gets too much water it will start to hesitate at which point you'll know that you are purged. Like I said, 3-5 seconds if the system is dry.

I know mine is working when the engine tries to die at idle after the burnout.
 
3) Anyone who does not have dual nozzles on their system I highly recommend it.

4) Snow now has their flow monitoring device available so for ultimate safety that is something which should be looked into.

Any questions, please post.

Do you recommend dual nozzles for better distribution/atomization reasons, or more as a failsafe (if one nozzle clogs, you still have at least half of the alcohol volume rather than none at all)?

Do you have any info on Snow's flow monitoring device? I'd like to see if I'd be able to use that. From what I've heard, I apparently can't use Safejection, as it requires a bypass valve (my setup lacks a bypass valve).

And thanks for the info. I'm casually looking into what setup I'll need to go with this winter.

-Rod
 
Last time I looked they didnt have the flow monitor, guess ill check again. The dual jets wont work for me Dave. My IC tubes are mild steel chromed, not wanting a rust problem.

Ken
 
I think they have a flow monitor that can also trigger a device when it reads no flow...Had an article in the recent MM&FF.

There have been many a car that has fallen prey to malfunctioning Meth setups. When you tune for it you run that risk so any info Dave puts out there should not be taken with a grain of salt.
 
back from the deaaaaaaaaad

After I wired in my momentary purge switch between the red and the green, I knoticed in the directions to make sure those two wires never come in contack with each other because it could wreck the control box. Are they just being a sissy ?
 
Probably not then. I guess the controller doesn't like to be back fed power. You'll have to use a relay to do that. Red to 86 and 87, 87a toward controller, 30 toward the pump, and then connect 85 to your momentary switch to ground the relay. No power required at the momentary.
 
i run one 375 jet only. but i don't tune my car to rely soley on the meth being there. I have my anti siphon solednoid right after my pump with no problems. then i have my pump mounted high up indside the fender behind the wheel skirt.
 
So is that how everybodys been instaling the purge for the last 4 years since this was brought up? with a relay to purge it ?
 
I'm not aware of anyone installing a purge.

The pump needs to be mounted below the tank or you will not get consistent performance from the system.
 
Back
Top