Fuel Problem

[Garf]

I am having some problems with fuel. I have no local source of straight castor based glow fuel, so I decided to mix my own. At first, it worked well, but now I am getting some erratic runs. I have mixed a lot of various nitro and oil mixes, so I have stored some in plastic soda bottles. I figured they would do for glow fuel, but now I wonder. So far, the mixes stored in steel cans, or HD plastic bottles are fine. I need to do some more testing.

[Bill Gruby]

Phil;

   It would seem that you have answered your own question? Some plastics are not user friendly with Nitromethane, they will deteriorate when in contact over a period of time. Looks like this is the problem. Or it could be that no matter what you have done to clean them they still have enough residue left to make a differance. No matter what the problem you are right, you need to experiment more.

   Please let us know what you find, you may save someone else a big headache.

 "Billy G"   

[Garf]

It worked fine in the beginning, so it's not contamination.

[Peter Nevai]

Perhaps the alcohol in the fuel is sucking up moisture. Florida is hot and humid, Alchol has a affinity for water. The capping system on soda bottles are not the greatest. Could be the root cause. I have always found that 2 liter and such bottles did a lousy job of keeping the soda from going flat.

[Leo Mehl]

I agree, try a 1 gallongas can with a acrew cap.

[Garf]

I've found that the cap seals on soda bottles are far better than fuel bottles. That is one reason I use them. Soda goes flat from repeated opening of the bottle. I think I may have found the problem. The storage area I use for my mixed fuel gets about 1 hour of direct sun a day. The clear soda bottle offers no protection to the fuel. I usually cover the fuel to shield it from the sun, but occasionally I forget to cover them.

[phil c]

You are probably picking up moisture directly through the plastic soda bottle(polyester).  It is quite thin, and not much of a barrier.  A typical fuel bottle is about 10 times as thick, and polyethylene, making it a much better moisture barrier.  The cap seal probably hardly even matters, considering the area of the bottle is thousands of  times more than the seal area that can leak.

Store fuel in heavy polyethylene containers, glass, or metal to minimize changes.

[Garf]

The quart Sig castor oil bottles look good.

[Dick Fowler]

I am having some problems with fuel. I have no local source of straight castor based glow fuel, so I decided to mix my own. At first, it worked well, but now I am getting some erratic runs. I have mixed a lot of various nitro and oil mixes, so I have stored some in plastic soda bottles. I figured they would do for glow fuel, but now I wonder. So far, the mixes stored in steel cans, or HD plastic bottles are fine. I need to do some more testing.

Were the soda bottles Coke brand?

[Garf]

Syfo seltzer water, and Ritz (Publix) seltzer water.

[Dick Fowler]

Syfo seltzer water, and Ritz (Publix) seltzer water.

I think I've found your problem, you've used the wrong bottles. It's a well know fact that.....


THINGS GO BETTER WITH COKE

[Leo Mehl]

Maybe whiskey bottles will wor and also ad a little kick to the fuel. You just don't want to empty them before you fly.

[Garf]

I have some nice 2 liter Bacardi bottles that should do nicely.