Destroying Glow Plugs

[Terry Keeley]

Terry, I remember Andy Brown talking about trying 90% nitro and 10% oil once. He mentioned having to use a squirt of lighter fluid to get it to fire up initially.

Remember that now too, guess nitro's enough on it's own once it's "lit up".

 

[DickJones]

What about running fuel like we do at the Record Trials with no methanol?

I have never been to the record trials. Do you run straight, 100%, nitromethane? Hmm I have to think a bit on that one and get back to you.

I guess I should have kept my 2 cents in my pocket.

Kevin, fact or theory

Could you run a glow engine on a mixture of 90 percent nitro and 10 percent oil?

Would a glow engine run on a mixture of WD-40?

 

[dwilfong]

No methanol at all.
A popular C/L speed mix back in the day was (apparently) 80-10-10, that's 10% prope & 10% oil. I've personally run that mix (in boats) but haven't found it any better than 70% with a little alcohol.

Guess the prope helps keep the fire lit. :lol:

Anyone try just nitro and oil?

OK now I am really confused even more than usual. On one hand platinum causes catalytic reaction with methanol on the other some plugs don't use platinum at all and some fuel mix has no methanol at all!!

what gives??????

 

[kcvnd]

No methanol at all.
A popular C/L speed mix back in the day was (apparently) 80-10-10, that's 10% prope & 10% oil. I've personally run that mix (in boats) but haven't found it any better than 70% with a little alcohol.

Guess the prope helps keep the fire lit. :lol:

Anyone try just nitro and oil?

OK now I am really confused even more than usual. On one hand platinum causes catalytic reaction with methanol on the other some plugs don't use platinum at all and some fuel mix has no methanol at all!!

what gives??????

Well, nitromethane does burn about twice as hot as methanol. Also the addition of nitromethane and castor oil actually lowers the ignition temperature required for combustion. I guess the combustion alone in that case must be sufficient to keep the plug hot as Mr. O'Donnell was alluding to. Just to be clear, I was not trying to dispute what Mr. O'Donnell said with my previous post, I just was trying to elaborate on the platinum in the glow plug issue. How rich do you run the "100%" and really no oil? Must be pretty rich to help cool the motor down?

I sure wish I didn't jump into this fire, but I guess I am in it now.

 

[dwilfong]

No methanol at all.
A popular C/L speed mix back in the day was (apparently) 80-10-10, that's 10% prope & 10% oil. I've personally run that mix (in boats) but haven't found it any better than 70% with a little alcohol.

Guess the prope helps keep the fire lit. :lol:

Anyone try just nitro and oil?

OK now I am really confused even more than usual. On one hand platinum causes catalytic reaction with methanol on the other some plugs don't use platinum at all and some fuel mix has no methanol at all!!

what gives??????

Well, nitromethane does burn about twice as hot as methanol. Also the addition of nitromethane and castor oil actually lowers the ignition temperature required for combustion. I guess this the combustion alone in that case must be sufficient to keep it hot as Mr. O'Donnell stated. Just to be clear, I was not trying to dispute what Mr. O'Donnell said with my previous post, I just was trying to elaborate on the platinum in the glow plug issue. How rich do you run the 100%? Must be pretty rich to help cool the motor down?

I sure wish I didn't jump into this fire, but I guess I am in it now.

It's all good that 's what a forum is for to swap information.

So nitro can stay lit with out the catalytic reaction of platinum and methanol you just have to light the fire?

.

 

[jetpack]

Yes it must be true I guess, but it takes platinum's bigger brother to do it, the most precious of the precious metals, Rhodium. It is an extractment from platinum and its own element on the periodic chart. Very hard, very high heat, and very corrosion resistant to all but the strongest nitridic acids. It is what I suspect takes over high abuse past platinum but has the same unique quality.

Thanks to a wikipedia search on three stage catalytic converters to crack that one for me, but for right now it is just an educated guess.

Maybe someone else can step up now and explain further than what my nugget contains.

This is as far as my "Rhode" goes. I quit. :blink:

 

[Preston_Hall]

You guys should really get back to basics. Seriously.

Rick,

Most likely you prop is a little big. Try another or cut 1mm diameter off each blade. Try what you want but reduce diameter or relieve the back side with what I think is called a "Texas" cut. Maybe somebody has a useful picture of this. Pipe is PLENTY long. Setup sounds good. Don't have more than .012" head clearance. Don't worry about the nitro % that much. It doesn't matter in most boats. It is mostly a head game. Use whatever plug you want until you get this issue solved. Your cooling fins are fine. Good Luck.

 

[jetpack]

Do you mean me?

 

[Preston_Hall]

What about running fuel like we do at the Record Trials with no methanol?

Certainly you joke? <_<

 

[jetpack]

Sorry for my previous post, there was a lapse in editing the thread.