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Ever heard of this?

notsobigjoe
Nomad III
Nomad III
I've never heard of this type of conversion. When I lived in upstate NY a friend of mine ran something on his snow plow truck that injected water into the fuel, I don't know anything about what happened but I remember him showing me. I find this stuff interesting not as the effect that the user intends "whatever that may be" but just the scientific inventing end of it. I thought it was interesting and am passing it along for comments.

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/misadventures-in-grease-camping/
17 REPLIES 17

polarbare21
Explorer
Explorer
I thought Iโ€™d add this little bit of family history-

My grandfather was a WW1 aircraft mechanic, he told me that he made up a water vapor injection system so water vapor could be drawn into the air intake of the engine.

I donโ€™t remember if he even detailed what he used or how he kept the intake from getting a gulp of water.

But I do remember he said that the water vapor helped with fuel economy, engine performance, engines ran cooler, and were cleaner because of a more complete combustion.
He said think about it, doesnโ€™t your car run better in fog or a heavy rain?

Years later during some โ€œlean timesโ€ I took a mason jar, and punched 2 holes in the lid.

In one hole I put a piece of copper pipe long enough to almost reach the bottom of the jar, the other end was open to atmosphere.
I put a valve in the other hole and ran a line from the valve to a vacuum line from the carburetor of my Ford van.

With water in the mason jar the carburetor drew air from atmosphere through the water
making bubbles (the amount was controlled by the valve) then drawn into the carburetor and mixed with more oxygen and fuel vapors.

Now from what I remember my little science project did result in a bit more fuel economy, but most notable was the van ran better, better throttle response.

I was pretty pleased with what looked like a miniature moonshine still, and in the winter I would add an ounce or two of gas line anti freeze.

Blazing_Zippers
Explorer II
Explorer II
I used to drive a tricked out '67 Ford 4X4 with a built 390 engine. At 6000 feet elevation, there wasn't much piston knock, but near sea level in the heat---Zowwiee! The water injection quieted the knock almost completely. The system was a pain to maintain and regulate. I took it off one day and threw it far away.

Groover
Explorer II
Explorer II
Water in the oil is always a problem if you don't make enough heat to drive the water out. Even if you don't add water the combustion process creates it. Adding water does not create a problem, just makes it more pronounced.

Every successful application that I have heard of was on engines that are already very hot from being worked to the max. Mostly racing and WWII fighters. On the fighters it was only used when gasoline alone wasn't providing enough power and then only for short periods.

larry_cad
Explorer
Explorer
Me Again wrote:
larry cad wrote:


I was "next door", a few years later (from the date on your photo.)

Fun times, huh?


When I arrived around the 2nd or 3rd of July 1966 there were:

200 AF Redhorse Construction guys building the runway
50 US Army
4 Marines
12 USCG Electric Techs, a W4 XO and LT CO as a construction detachment.

I rotated out on June 2nd 1967 and there were:

7,000 USAF
5,000 US Army
28 USCG
and the same 4 Marines and are probably still there!!!! They had huts down on the beach in Sattahip, with Thai ladies to clean, cook and provide for their needs.


Never made it that far west. I did get to Pleiku over on the western boarder. ๐Ÿ˜„
Today is my personal best for most consecutive days alive.

Our Travel Blog

Me_Again
Explorer II
Explorer II
larry cad wrote:


I was "next door", a few years later (from the date on your photo.)

Fun times, huh?


When I arrived around the 2nd or 3rd of July 1966 there were:

200 AF Redhorse Construction guys building the runway
50 US Army
4 Marines
12 USCG Electric Techs, a W4 XO and LT CO as a construction detachment.

I rotated out on June 2nd 1967 and there were:

7,000 USAF
5,000 US Army
28 USCG
and the same 4 Marines and are probably still there!!!! They had huts down on the beach in Sattahip, with Thai ladies to clean, cook and provide for their needs.
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

larry_cad
Explorer
Explorer
Me Again wrote:
larry cad wrote:


Sometime later!

Description
English: A KC-135A taking off with water injection to its J-57 engines
Date 30 September 2013, 15:35:08
Source USAF photo
Author USAF Photographer


This picture is from the top of our 625' tower looking over at U-Tapao. Between the B-52s and KC-135, and a war, we thought at times our buildings would fall down.



I was "next door", a few years later (from the date on your photo.)

Fun times, huh?
Today is my personal best for most consecutive days alive.

Our Travel Blog

Me_Again
Explorer II
Explorer II
larry cad wrote:


Sometime later!

Description
English: A KC-135A taking off with water injection to its J-57 engines
Date 30 September 2013, 15:35:08
Source USAF photo
Author USAF Photographer


This picture is from the top of our 625' tower looking over at U-Tapao. Between the B-52s and KC-135, and a war, we thought at times our buildings would fall down.

2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

propchef
Explorer
Explorer
Just keep in mind that water does not compress and injecting too much water into the intake will cause a change in the compression ratio of the cylinder. Water will also lower the combustion temperature.

larry_cad
Explorer
Explorer
Me Again wrote:
larry cad wrote:
notsobigjoe wrote:
I've never heard of this type of conversion. When I lived in upstate NY a friend of mine ran something on his snow plow truck that injected water into the fuel, I don't know anything about what happened but I remember him showing me. I find this stuff interesting not as the effect that the user intends "whatever that may be" but just the scientific inventing end of it. I thought it was interesting and am passing it along for comments.

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/misadventures-in-grease-camping/


B-52s and other military aircraft have been using water injection into their "diesel" engines for years. Here is a KC-135 with "wet" takeoff



Was that at U-Tapao in Thailand? I was 4 miles off the end of the runway and 3 miles to the side. I was part of the construction crew that build and man'd the Loran C Station the USCG built there in the summer of 1966.


Sometime later!

Description
English: A KC-135A taking off with water injection to its J-57 engines
Date 30 September 2013, 15:35:08
Source USAF photo
Author USAF Photographer
Today is my personal best for most consecutive days alive.

Our Travel Blog

NJRVer
Explorer
Explorer
Thankfully the KC-135's in use near me changed engines long ago. When the base first got them, they had those original engines and they are the noisiest. They use to trim the engines right on the flight line and you couldn't hear somebody standing right next to you inside the building.

Me_Again
Explorer II
Explorer II
larry cad wrote:
notsobigjoe wrote:
I've never heard of this type of conversion. When I lived in upstate NY a friend of mine ran something on his snow plow truck that injected water into the fuel, I don't know anything about what happened but I remember him showing me. I find this stuff interesting not as the effect that the user intends "whatever that may be" but just the scientific inventing end of it. I thought it was interesting and am passing it along for comments.

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/misadventures-in-grease-camping/


B-52s and other military aircraft have been using water injection into their "diesel" engines for years. Here is a KC-135 with "wet" takeoff



Was that at U-Tapao in Thailand? I was 4 miles off the end of the runway and 3 miles to the side. I was part of the construction crew that build and man'd the Loran C Station the USCG built there in the summer of 1966.
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

larry_cad
Explorer
Explorer
notsobigjoe wrote:
I've never heard of this type of conversion. When I lived in upstate NY a friend of mine ran something on his snow plow truck that injected water into the fuel, I don't know anything about what happened but I remember him showing me. I find this stuff interesting not as the effect that the user intends "whatever that may be" but just the scientific inventing end of it. I thought it was interesting and am passing it along for comments.

https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-tech/misadventures-in-grease-camping/


B-52s and other military aircraft have been using water injection into their "diesel" engines for years. Here is a KC-135 with "wet" takeoff

Today is my personal best for most consecutive days alive.

Our Travel Blog

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
Propane injection would wake up a Cat 3406 mechanical hauling 140,000lbs 63,500kg on thin winter diesel at 20 below in a head wind in the dark.

notsobigjoe
Nomad III
Nomad III
ajriding wrote:
Injecting water vapor or even water mist into the air (the main fuel for combustion engines) will help give the cylinder a more even burn. The water (mist or vapor) turns to steam and helps spread the gasoline molecules more evenly inside the cylinder, so when the combustion happens the fuel is ignited all inside the space instead of just concentrated in one area. This gives a more complete burn and does provide a little extra power.
It uses a lot of water and is a big hassle, so most found it was not worth the time.
The downside is that water could find its way into the crank case and that is a bad thing.
The upside is that it steam cleans the pistons and cylinder head pretty good.

I had a throttle body injector on my first truck and before an oil change I would use a spray bottle to spray a water mist into the air intake (looked like a carb pretty much) until the engine loped. It took a lot of spraying to make the engine care. I did this for the steam cleaning effect. Old mechanics used to do this. I changed the oil right after so was not too worried about water, and if any small amount did get in the crank case it would evaporate pretty quick on the next drive.

With my fuel injected truck now I do not do this as there is no way to easily spray water in without going past sensors and the intake tube is long. Not that it is a big deal as you suck moist air in the rain anyway. Just too much trouble to get the spray very close to the cylinder for me to bother with.

I did not do this on the diesel, but it would have the same effect.


He did use it for the extra torque now I remember. He would plow huge lots and needed the power. I also remember he was pretty religious about the oil change as he put hundreds of miles on the truck in any given snow storm. He did not do it in the summer months.