My alcohol/water injection setup.

[Paul@dbtuned]

Here are the long promised pictures of the various parts I used to inject water/alcohol.
Total install time is 8hrs.
Materials run about $1000.00
Feel free to ask questions.

The arming switch. When in the "ON" position, the pressure switch is energized.


The Spec C tank with the pump attached to it.


Adjustable pressure switch.


And the injector nozzles. THis was my initial set up, but I switched to one nozzle that screws into the bottom-side of the I/C.

[sperry]

Paul... we'll be talking come spring.

[doubleurx]

Nice setup Paul. Maybe we can get a group buy!

[LetItRev]

For those that don't know what the heck this does, would someone please explain? Thanks.

[cody]

Water/methanol injection raises the effective octane of the mixture. It cools EGT's and allows you to run more boost and timing I believe. I think it can raise your HP like ~20%.

[MikeK]

The short answer is that it makes the car behave as though you were using higher octane fuel by injecting water or a water and alcohol (or methanol) mix into the cylinders along with the fuel.

Compare the last two graphs on this page:
http://www.pdxtuning.com/sti_dyno.htm

This site is a good place to start for more info:
http://www.waterinjection.info/

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by LetItRev

For those that don't know what the heck this does, would someone please explain? Thanks.

The main thing it does is keep the cylinder walls cooler, to prevent detonation. It allows you to run more boost and more timing, without running the normal risks associated with it.

[kidatari]

Very nice paul, I'm a fan of Aquamist kits

[Paul@dbtuned]

Josh...I'm sorry I missed you.
You back in ROK yet?


A group buy could be done as long as I can get cooperation from a few wholesalers. I'd imagine that the price/unit would drop a bit, as well as my labor rate.
Also, as this would be special order item, I'd like an XX% deposit, depending on the total number of kits requested.
In addition to the basic kit, about 20' extra feet of 4mm tubing, 40' feet of light gage wiring, an inline check valve, and some heatwrap are required.
The nice thing about this set up is that it's stealthy, all switches look OE, and is unintrusive; when you pop the hood, you can't see it.
The most obvious short coming of this kit is that it's flow rate is linear; too much on the low end, just right where you want it, too little on the top end.

There are various ways of controlling the spray delivery better, but obviously they increase the price.

Yes, ther are cheaper ways of spraying alcohol/water into your engine, but they're cheap.

I've attached an pdf of an old water injection report. While it's printed in engineerese, there's still good information for us less technical types.

[sperry]

So, what keeps the motor from blowing up when you run out of water, or turn the switch off? This setup doesn't interface w/ the ECU does it?

[tysonK]

Originally Posted by sperry

So, what keeps the motor from blowing up when you run out of water, or turn the switch off? This setup doesn't interface w/ the ECU does it?

That's easy you look over at your lap top and see:

"Water pressure LOW!"

In big bold blinking letters.




My lack of photoshop has stunted this joke.

[sonicsuby]

Originally Posted by tysonK

That's easy you look over at your lap top and see:

"Water pressure LOW!"

In big bold blinking letters.




My lack of photoshop has stunted this joke.

yes it has

[Paul@dbtuned]

Originally Posted by sperry

So, what keeps the motor from blowing up when you run out of water, or turn the switch off? This setup doesn't interface w/ the ECU does it?

Well, if you had bought an STi, you'd have the cool level indicator light on the gage cluster.
Since the Spec C tank was it's own level indicator float, I've tied in to the stock I/C spray tank circuit.

And since I'm using Cobb's AP, if I happen to run out of water/alcohol, I dump the realtime map and all is good.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Paul@dbtuned

Well, if you had bought an STi, you'd have the cool level indicator light on the gage cluster.
Since the Spec C tank was it's own level indicator float, I've tied in to the stock I/C spray tank circuit.

And since I'm using Cobb's AP, if I happen to run out of water/alcohol, I dump the realtime map and all is good.

Sounds like only something along the lines of a UTEC or standalone will be able to switch maps based on the state of the sprayer switch though, eh? No way to get the AP to toggle boost/advance or anything in response to turning off the H20?

[Kevin M]

Also, isn't the Spc C water tank big enough that you'll run out of gas before you run out of mix? As long as you keep the water tank topped off anyway.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

Also, isn't the Spc C water tank big enough that you'll run out of gas before you run out of mix? As long as you keep the water tank topped off anyway.

Spec-C is 12L IIRC. That should be plenty big to last a tank of gas. The only problem is that not very many gas stations sell deionized water, so you can't just top off the tank when you're getting gas.

[MattR]

Yeah, I'd definately want to have a map switching ability to run this. Perhaps only using it when at the track or autocross, but man would it be sweet to have. Looks great Paul

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MattR

Yeah, I'd definately want to have a map switching ability to run this. Perhaps only using it when at the track or autocross, but man would it be sweet to have. Looks great Paul

With the AP, I'd guess you could probably work out something where youve got a 91 oct map, and a 100 oct/H2O injection map. You could switch maps fairly easily, but not as easy as just hitting a switch while you're driving.

[Paul@dbtuned]

While the "running empty" senario is possible, it's not very likely to happen.
I have yet to run the tank dry.
I buy a 5 gallon can of methanol, pour half into the old/empty can, and then fill both cans up with distilled water.
10 gallons last me about 4 months.
And that's with me driving HWY 49 2X a day.

Even during a track day, I only used ~1/2 tank.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Paul@dbtuned

While the "running empty" senario is possible, it's not very likely to happen.
I have yet to run the tank dry.
I buy a 5 gallon can of methanol, pour half into the old/empty can, and then fill both cans up with distilled water.
10 gallons last me about 4 months.
And that's with me driving HWY 49 2X a day.

Even during a track day, I only used ~1/2 tank.

I wasn't really too concerned with running out of water. I was more just curious as to why there's an easily accessable switch if turning the system off w/o remapping the ECU would be dangerous. Unless the switch was also toggling the ECU parameters to step down the power of the motor, it seems like it should be located in the trunk, or somewhere else that it's unlikely to be accidentally turned off.

[doubleurx]

Originally Posted by sperry

I wasn't really too concerned with running out of water. I was more just curious as to why there's an easily accessable switch if turning the system off w/o remapping the ECU would be dangerous. Unless the switch was also toggling the ECU parameters to step down the power of the motor, it seems like it should be located in the trunk, or somewhere else that it's unlikely to be accidentally turned off.

This is my concern as well.

Hopefully ECUtek comes out with switchable maps. Either that or must think of some way to store more alcohol in the car!

[cody]

The switch could be equipped with an alarm that indicates the broken circuit (off position). I'm sure a trip to Radioschack would fix that. Other than that, it's just like your oil level. Check it every time you fill up. I like that tank and especially how it has a low indicater.

[GST Mike]

You can put a pressure switch into the nozzle line that detects pressure to the nozzle and if below spec switches a relay that disables the boost control solinoid thus you only run wastegate boost.

Paul are you running the 1s kit or the 2d?

From what I can tell anyone running a larger than stock turbo would really want to run the 2d for the progressive rate.

Mike