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Technical => Spud Miller's Cave => Topic started by: hemidakota on October 04, 2015, 05:44:11 PM

Title: top end lube
Post by: hemidakota on October 04, 2015, 05:44:11 PM
So does everyone run top lube? We went testing this weekend and slowed down .45 on et and 11 mph. The problem I think could be in the top lube. We have been running M5(with no top lube, is premixed) for a while and really like it except for cost. So to make a long story short engine is also fresh, only changed compression to a little higher and now have a mag. Other than that all is the same except for the fuel. We had a friend recommend blendzall gold for a top lube so we tried it. Called blendzall and their tech dept. said to add 1 pint to every 3 gallons. So it seems odd to add so much? So 1 1/2 pints into a 5 gallon jug of M1. We only made 3 passes one of which did not get a time slip. so only two time slips. Down low fed is pretty good. by 1/8 mile it starts to slow just a tad. on the big end it lays over. My thought is the top lube just makes the fuel too thick and being n/a our nozzles are pretty small. Or the mag has a problem. I just don't see tune up changing that much due to fresh motor. And tune up did not respond to changes like it always has. So before I ramble for hours Ill stop here and see what kind of input or questions. And yes everything has been double and triple checked. and no we do not have any data system...A lot of people have told me not to run a top lube also?
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: digster on October 04, 2015, 07:23:28 PM
Seems like a lot of top lube. I use Klotz top lube 1 qt. to 55 gallons Methanol
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: Totally T on October 04, 2015, 08:07:22 PM
Im on Klotz and its two cap fulls to 5 gallon.
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: ricardo1967 on October 04, 2015, 08:45:21 PM
Can you guys tell any difference of using Klotz lube at 1:220 ratio? Is it really needed? There are millions of passengers car in Brazil fueled by 100% ethanol, lube-free.

Has anybody ever thought of using 2-stroke oil for methanol?
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: George on October 05, 2015, 03:34:45 AM
I run no lube in my fuel. I do lube the blower strips before every race.
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: dreracecar on October 05, 2015, 08:11:44 AM
In my forty years of racing, I have never found the need to put oil/lube in my fuel, only in the gas for the Jet-Ski.
 So no help here
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: H.G. Wells on October 05, 2015, 10:03:21 AM
I asked Frank Parks that question many years ago. His response was, why would you add anything to your fuel that did not add horsepower. Made sense to me at the time. Now, with that you have to make sure you have good valve clearance and not hanging valves and you must service the fuel system after the race.

When I started with alky injection I was selling race gas for a living so I made a show of no filter and no additive just as a marketing gesture to show how good my product was. I can see how a little lube would make maintenance a little easier, but that ratio seems kinda thick.
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: masracingtd1167 on October 05, 2015, 01:06:51 PM
I have run the m5 and it dose not have any lube in it m3 dose . The m5 will make more power than the m1 . My car is about .06 better with the m5 . The only drawback to the m5 is it stinks really really bad and it is very corrosive so you should drain it out after a weekend . As far as using a top lube I really see no reason for using it . I fog mine down after every weekend with a little Mystery oil or even Wd 40 works well .
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: hemidakota on October 07, 2015, 12:42:36 PM
Thanks for all the input. We do clean the fuel system after every time running the fed. So with that said we are going out again sat to do a few hits and see if that was the problem.  masracingtd1167 I agree m5 stinks but was much more fun/easy to tune and run. Would have to look thru time slips but I think it picked up .1 or better when we changed over before. Too bad it is so expensive. If money was not an object I think we would all run nitro...
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: masracingtd1167 on October 07, 2015, 01:58:03 PM
It is more expensive but when you compare it to race gas at 15 to 25 a gallon it is still a bargain ! 
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: Spud Miller on October 10, 2015, 08:48:29 AM

 I didn't use top lube my first year of racing. I put a lot of laps on the car and when I tore it down after the first season, I'd already put .003 wear on the cylinder bores. At that rate, I figured the pistons would be out flopping in the breeze within a couple of years :) The next season, I used the tiny cap from the pint-size top lube container and put 3 level cap fulls in every 5 gallons of methanol. Almost no wear at all after that. I don't use top lube anymore, but I put so few laps on the car now, I'm not too worried about it.

 The fuel pump could be another benefactor of top lube, but if you're running a pump with coated internals (just about every brand is now), then that probably isn't anything to worry about.

 It doesn't take much to work...1 pint to 3 gallons is WAY too much and could definitely cause performance issues. 1 pint is generally used to treat a 55 gallon drum. "Power Plus" is what I'm familiar with.

 Spud


Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: Paul New on October 10, 2015, 09:35:56 AM
I run the power plus stuff Spud is talking about 1 pint to a 55-gallon drum. Occasionally I run straight alcohol and see zero improvements. The reason I run the lube is sometimes I am a little lazy after an event and I don't clean the fuel out quickly
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: ricardo1967 on October 10, 2015, 11:27:47 AM
Hey guys, here's an old question I have...

Nitro motors typically have that hazy/cloudy exhaust fumes... almost like a two-stroke engine.

Is that caused by overly rich air/fuel? Or top lube? Or a combination of both? Or what?
Title: Re: top end lube
Post by: hemidakota on October 10, 2015, 02:02:32 PM
Top lube was the problem...testing today and mph is back.