If you have in the past or are currently using a water/methanol injection kit on your Subaru, please chime in and share your experience because there are companies out there making serious claims and I would like to know if this method actually works very easily with our cars. I have heard some crazy claims that we can essentially get higher octane, better mpg, cooler temps, and more power--the list goes on and on and sounds like a potential lie to me. If it is not bs, this might be a worthy upgrade, but I would prefer to hear from an expert. Your input is appreciated.
Injection kits can certainly make some high power cars, but they're fairly risky. Kits require full tanks of meth/water, good even spray patterns, and a fail-safe mechanisms to so don't eat your pistons. Personally, I wouldn't run one on my car. Fobia's right, E85 is much better.
I appreciate the prompt feedback. I will not be spending my money on a water/methanol kit as E85 is available at gas stations. Are there detrimental effects to our engine running E85? If so, what are they, even assuming you have a proper tune?
The big thing you need to do is figure out what you are TRYING to do. You can setup water/meth spray for on boost stuff. So you are not constantly spraying, only when you are running full boost. Yes e85 is poor mans race gas, but you are running it all the time. There is no off switch. That also means that you are going to lose about 30% of your gas mileage. So if you are at all concerned about keeping any decent mileage, e85 isn't the best option. But at the end of the day, you need to figure out what you want to do. Russ
Im looking at doing e85 also, just have to look at is e85 going to be avaible if you take a road trip travel to a neighboring town, the water meth would work good and you wouldnt have to worry about finding fuel for your car. Just have a spare tank mixed and ready..... Thats my dillema about the situation..... hope that helps
Eh, so you bump down to 93/92/whatever-is-available and carry a laptop/accessport with appropriate maps on scheduled road trips. How often is that going to be an issue for you?
E85 does loose some MPGs but it is also cheaper. I have done the math (and have run E85 and 93) and E85 is a bit more expensive in the long run... but you are talking very small dollar amounts / year. Trust me, E85 is worth the change / money. People drop way more money on an exhaust and intake that do far less performance wise. The TQ you pull from E85 makes the car a totally different machine. I had to swap back to 93/91 for a STL road trip this spring. Just like SurlyOldMan said, laptop and a cable is all that is needed to make the swap, just let your tuner know ahead of time and work out the details about getting a map to load. I wouldn't swap every week... but if you take 2 or 3 road trips in the summer out of state why not just switch it for those trips. The metro has a ton of E85... Minnesota in fact. Yes you make more trips to the gas station but how many people have you heard about switching back from E85 because they didn't like it? None! Plus it is safer to run in your car than 93! On the upside, when I have taken trips to Wisconsin, Up North, Iowa and need to throw a 5 Gal in the back of the car you don't have that horrible gas smell. I personally didn't even notice the E85 in the back of my hatch. There is no way I would have wanted to make that same trip with 93 back there.
The other thing to keep in mind is how much do you go on trips?? Personally, I tuned my fxt 0n 91 and just deal with the fact that I might have lost 10hp up top. But for as much as I travel outside of the cities, I know that I can get gas anywhere I go. It is always funny when you road trip with a bunch of people who tune to the edge on 93 and realize that once you get out of the cities you fuel choices get real slim and you have to carry around a 5 gallon can of race gas to make up for the fact that you are lucky if you can find 91. Russ
