Vapor carburator

[SOUL-DRIFTER]

Well, I first heard about the Acetone thing on line at a couple of sites and thought I would give it an honest try following their instructions. 2 ounces per 10 gallons of fuel.
I got no results from my chrysler van and no results from my chevy truck, but it did increase my mpg in my 1994 Ford Aspire an average of almost 4mpg. I tested and restested and got similar results. To date I have been using for almost 5 years now with no ill effects.I have noticed the gains from it have slid back to only a couple of mpg gain. I check by running without it for a while.
If something works and doesn't seem to be harmful I go with it. A gain is a gain. Even if it is half a mile per gallon.
Little gains do add up.

[oil pan 4]

I use acetone occasionally as a fuel addtive, and I use a lot more than 2 or 4 ounces per gallon.
Its never caused any problems with my edelbrock carb, which has been rebuilt, just because I felt like it.

[bazman]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

If you run an engine lean under load you will burn valves.
Even the lean burn civic only ran lean at light load.
Replacing exhaust valves every 10k miles isn't very economical.

That does not mean lean is bad, it just means lean is for light load.

[smokey442]

OK I have to chime in here. Smokey Yunick hot vapor engine did not roll out of spark. ( (yes I borrowed my screen name from him) There was an article about a year ago in Hot Rod magazine. They interviewed a man named Ralph Johnson who worked alongside Smokey on that project. I speak with Ralph on a regular basis. He is a goldmine of information. The method almost made prime time in the 80's when the intellectual property was sold to Delorean. (by the way if you buy the audio version of Smokey's autobiography John Delorean is the narrator) Delorean only made partial payment and company went into recievership shortly thereafter. Smokey was able to recover the legal rights. Next there was a deal made with Crane Cams to offer it in kit form for user installetion. Big legal suit followed and it never made it to market. I met Smokey in 1988 when he had a week long auction at The Best Damned Garage in Town. Each day he would arrive in his hot vapor powered Ford Fiesta and at night he would hop in and drive home. No warm up no audiable hiccups or farts.

[user removed]

"Intellectual property" implies a patent, which is how innovation is protected and "sold" to other entities interested in production. Maybe I am making a few too many assumptions but if the sold intellectual property was in fact patented, then those rights expired a while ago and became public property, which can be produced by anyone without legal issues. My design patent expires in 17.5 years, from its issue date in March 2010, and I believe Smokey's carburetor design is no longer property that can be licensed as its protection period has expired. Of course my point of view may be flawed, in which case clarification would be appreciated.

regards
Mech

[pjbgravely]

As far as I can figure Smokey's engine worked but produced way too much NOx at the time it was starting to be regulated.

I am not sure if anyone tried it for racing, possibly too many parts.

[smokey442]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

"Intellectual property" implies a patent, which is how innovation is protected and "sold" to other entities interested in production. Maybe I am making a few too many assumptions but if the sold intellectual property was in fact patented, then those rights expired a while ago and became public property, which can be produced by anyone without legal issues. My design patent expires in 17.5 years, from its issue date in March 2010, and I believe Smokey's carburetor design is no longer property that can be licensed as its protection period has expired. Of course my point of view may be flawed, in which case clarification would be appreciated.

regards
Mech

Patent #4,862,859 along with three or four others related to that. They have expired.

[Greenlord]

Originally Posted by SOUL-DRIFTER

Years ago Popular Science magazine had ads in the back by a company called H A industries.
They carried how to manuals to all kinds of energy saving devices and a couple were two vapor carburators. One used the vehicles hot water to preheat the gas. The other used hot exhaust. A manual fuel injector was to be used until the vehicle reached normal running temperature.
I had one built but the v8 Chevy truck took a **** before I could try it out.
They were intended for carburated vehicles.
It was claimed that any vehicle could double fuel mileage with them.
Has anyone else here heard of them or are otherwise familiar with them?

I am thinking on trying it out on my 1989 Ford Festiva.

I watched the documentarty GASHOLE and then read the book Fuel Economy of the Gasoline Engine by Blackmore it's the Holy Grail of Ecomodding...talks a lot about running on vapors and the scientists that have built Vapor Cars for hypermiling...I've got some plans of my own, but I'm yet to do anything. I'd love to hear more about how things work out for you.

[Frank Lee]

Good luck with all of that.

[Greenlord]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Good luck with all of that.

Thanks Frank. When I get my custom vapor system installed, I'll fill you guys in on all the details and results...carefully though, because I don't want to wake up with a horses head in my bed from the Evil Overlords at Big Oil inc. If you haven't seen Gashole...You really should. I loved it!