VP M5 Methanol?
 

Anybody using VP's new M5 Methanol?

Good? Bad? Ugly?

VP
 

A couple years ago, used it on a 421 SBC 1050 dominator in 2600# S-10.

On regular alky ran 6.10-6.20 range in 1/8 mile at 120MPH.

Changed nothing but M5. Ran 5.80-5.90 at 125 MPH.

EGT went up 50 degrees.

Recently on a 532 BBC pulling tractor switching to M5 netted 5 out of 8 wins, until getting repeatedly protested.

Just make sure an enclosed vehicle is really sealed up good or the fumes will be very bad.

Also need to drain and run regular alky thru system after each use, sepecially on a carb.

I was a VP fuel dealer several years back. Just want many to know that VP is not a raw fuel refinery...They are a chemical Mixing company..they get the raw fuel and add their chemical...NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS SOUND AS BAD THING...but I personally would NOT try and breath anything they mix directly..there is NO telling what they are adding or how much of it..they are in buiness to make power using chemicals to raw fuel..Think about it.

If your class racing where fuel is checked please make sure the VP fuel your using will pass....many have failed using VP products due to chemical additives.

I use to sell to round track guys that would cheat up when they knew fuel wasn't being checked..The deep pocket sponsors would purchase a 54 gallon drum of C-44 for $2,500( 10 years ago)...the fuel would put 2/10ths on the field per lap on a well set up healthy car with experienced driver..this meant lapped cars in a matter of laps..the smart drivers would pedal it and let it breath on the back and front straights in efforts not to be so obvious.

I agree with Mark...wash out your fuel system after using ANY methanol product..run some racing gas thru the fuel system to keep down corrosion and wash away the grainy stuff methanol leaves around

Doesn't M5 have nitromethane in it?

VP
 

No, it is not nitromethane.

It is another chemical that has nitro as part of its name. That chemical does have extra oxygen in it too like nitromethane.

I believe I read Nitroparafin.

Nitromethane (both types) are classed as one of the four Nitroparaffins. It's also the one with the free oxygen molecule. But VP neither discloses whether it's a particular Nitroparaffin or what percentage it puts in either M3 or M5.

I'm going to suppose that it's first of all, VP's proprietary information and second, that it is Nitromethane, because Nitromethane mixes so easily with alcohol, without the need for a third stabilizer or catalyzing agent or chemical. And with less than 20% nitromethane, jetting doesn't change much, so with a 5% plus compound, you'd be stabilizing the octane of the methanol, adding energy because of the additional heat and thus adding HP and torque to the total output.

According to Dow Chemical's Tech Sheets, the Nitromethane addition also inhibits metal and Neoprene corrosion caused by Raw Petrochemical based Methanol, which we see when we use raw, pure Methanol. Currently we mix a small amount of "upper Lube" with our methanol to assist in inhibiting that particular problem(s).

I was curious as to how many of you guys had used it and what you thought of the bottom line. Was the cost and the time involved with using it worth the results? As well as any mechanical malfunctions caused by it's usage . . ?

Ive used it, seen no difference on dyno or track on a few engines.

My engine builder tells all their customers not to use it, its hard on stuff to say the least !

VP M5 has 5% Nitro, you will see 20-30 HP gains

Not surprising..the M5 came out after I gave up the VP dealership and picked up Sunoco....I sold 5 gallon pails of MR-9 and MR-4 both were for bikes.one was for 2 stroke and the other 4 stroke...anyhow this stuff would pick up a stock street bike anywhere from 15 to 20 HP just by adding the fuel most ran it 50/50...

Well, we'll go get at least 10 gallons, perhaps 15 and see how it works at the last race on the mountain. It's a two day race so we'll probably "base line" it on Saturday with regular alky and then use the M5 on Sunday.

Oughta be interesting.

I'll let you know whatever I find out . . And try to keep it objective!

Hey RK, are you going to be running the M5 in an injected engine or a blown engine? I'm curious the know the difference with an injected engine.

Zip.

Normally aspirated 582 BBC, Pro Systems SV-1 Carb on top.

The Carb was converted by Pro systems to alky and doesn't seem to have any problems once we got the fine tuning dialed in . . Had to fatten up the Air Bleed Jets and go up about 10 steps on the mains but so far, so good . .

Love that frickin' Carburetor and before we got it, I never thought a carb was much good for much of anything.

But we were told by an associate who runs an Enderle Injected 468 in a 2200# door car in the high 8's that it's the "Hot Tip" . .

We thought we ought to try it and was just asking about other racer's general experience with it . . .

And Thanx for all the input . . . If we get our ducks inna row, I'll let you know how it worked for us by the middle of next month . .