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[jefrs]

Methanol, ethanol, propanol, they're all alcohols. Methyl means one carbon, ethyl two, propyl three, it's all greek. Industrial alcohols never separate one from the other completely, you get a mix of them. They all dissolve in water and water dissolves in alcohol, hence putting water in your whisky. Ford used a water injector on their lean-burn engine - pre unleaded and catalysts, and water/methanol was used in WW2 aero engines. Oil floats on water, petrol is an oil.



They add ethanol to petrol. Ethanol is hygroscopic (so is brake fluid) it attracts water. Ethanol is miscible in petrol, not actually dissolved but forms a suspension, which is where "shake the tank" works, and once the engine is started that shakes the tank. Water needs access to air to corrode metals, if there is a layer of oil blocking the air out it won't corrode. Water can form a 'mayonnaise' emulsion with oils, which will block a filter. Float bowls are relatively easy to empty muck out of, the one that is problematical is the filter in the tank (it is possible to blow air up the fuel line to clear the filter, yuk!).

[Bullet Whisperer]

I add water to the methanol for the Enfield racers, however I do NOT add water to the petrol in my road going bikes, because it will stop them from working. Regards, Paul.

[jefrs]

The action of injecting water into an engine is complicated because it doesn't actually burn, except it does. The water droplets are injected in liquid phase which is going to cool the combustion chamber pre-ignition, explode into superheated steam which is going to expand a lot and drive the piston, and the heat of the fuel combustion can convert water into free hydrogen and oxygen which are going to re-combine adding their own heat of combustion to further expand the gasses driving the piston. Which is why having a little water in the fuel is not something to get excited about but why I did say having water in the tank "is not a good thing".