Can I run my A on White Lightning Moonshine?

[M2M]

[M2M]

[Bill G]

You can try, but short answer is no.

[M2M]

Originally Posted by Magicbox51

You can try, but short answer is no.

Why? It's 200 proof.

[Sunnybrook Farm]

I think one problem would be getting it started on alcohol but if you had a small tank of gasoline then ones running, switch over to the main alcohol tank it would work. The other problem would be that like ethanol, you are burning something that costs too much to make, you would have to find some one dumb enough to let you have alcohol cheaply or do like the government, and pay for it with someone else's money. Moonshine was usually cut with water or what ever to make more money, the good stuff was made with good ingredients but the sugar shine was higher alcohol and sent to the cities where they didn't care and probably cut it several more times. You better just get some cheap gasoline.

[McMimmcs]

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Do you have a supply of cheap alcohol because generally speaking it will be much more, costly than cheap gasoline. What are you hoping to accomplish? What is your purpose? There was talk during the compression of starting the vehicle with gasoline and quickly changing to gasoline. Economically it makes ( no cents $ ) sense whatsoever.

[alexiskai]

Isn't this one of those questions that gets asked when people are speculating about societal collapse? The underlying assumption seems to be that gas isn't available.

[rotorwrench]

A low compression engine will run on about anything that has some volatility to it but that doesn't mean it will run well. My question is why would a person want to torture there engine like that when there are much better alternatives?

[Purdy Swoft]

Probably just wants to know if it would run at all … If the engine was warmed up enough it might run . I wouldn't try it . For one thing it wouldn't be practical , even if it did run . Lots of sugar is used in the making of white lightening whiskey that could be bad for the engine . . I only run mine on the best gasoline available at the time . I never try to use a substitute for gasoline in our model A's .

[burner31]

Grandpa did, he even put some in the gas tank every now and then.

[juanvaldez]

You need more alcohol per volume of air to get the proper air/fuel ratio. Generally the jets in a carburetor designed for gasoline will be much too small. You can try to drill the jets out. Another problem might be cold weather starting.

[juanvaldez]

You need more alcohol per volume of air to get the proper air/fuel ratio. Generally the jets in a carburetor designed for gasoline will be much too small. You can try to drill the jets out. Another problem might be cold weather starting. Running straight alcohol with a stock jetted carburetor will give you a very lean mixture.

[M2M]

Well, I guess maybe you boys are right. Cheaper if I stay with the Saudi made stuff.

[Kevin in NJ]

As I recall alcohol carbs do not have a choke and they have larger jets.

[McMimmcs]

Not a real accurate statement about oil from Saudi Arabia. United States is close to 90% self sufficient with most of import oil coming from Canada !

[M2M]

Originally Posted by McMimmcs

Not a real accurate statement about oil from Saudi Arabia. United States is close to 90% self sufficient with most of import oil coming from Canada !

Saudis Set to Sell 600,000 Barrels a Day of Oil to U.S. in April

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...o-u-s-in-april

[McMimmcs]

Correct but that number is a small part of the 10 %.United States has come a long way to self sufficiency and depends far more on our northern neighbor than we do Saudi Arabia.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by M2M

As you see, opinions vary. But I'm sure they're just that, opinions. Probably no one here has done an actual documented test with verifiable results! Get yourself some certified 200 proof and go for it. Anything under 200 proof has water in it, and water does not burn! Yeah, it may still sorta run with a little bit of water but why ruin your experiment? Also get a spare carb so you can experiment with jet sizes. Or get a Marvel Schebler updraft tractor carb with an externally adjustable main jet. Pure ethanol (200 proof) has less than 2/3 the energy of gasoline so the mixture has to be richened accordingly. Ethanol doesn't vaporize easily when cold so you need a block heater on the engine or start it on gasoline. A word of caution: Alcohol burns with an invisible flame so be extra careful using it! These last 2 items are why the government requires at least15% gasoline in what's sold at the pump-thus"E85".

[marty in Ohio]

I think this goes back to that urban myth that if said grandpa ran out of gas on Saturday night he just poured in whiskey and got home. Just don't tell grandma.
Marty

[davehc]

Well hey , they did it in the movie " Lawless " , so it must work , right ?


https://youtu.be/OS8NUnMpllc