Sloppy Mechanics

Just Say No kiddies! - The 240 has developed a Meth addiction

Just Say No kiddies! - The 240 has developed a Meth addiction

In a joint combination of being lazy, being lazy, and being lazy (ha), I finally go around to getting the water injection/meth kit installed on the car early this summer. I've had the ECU tuned for it for 3 years, and had nothing but issues with the Aquamist kit. Don't get me wrong, the Aquamist (www.aquamist.co.uk) kit is nice...but as a standalone, it leaves a lot to be desired. Metric hose sizes, oddball fitings, and BSP pitch thread. Cool if I was in Europe, but I'm in USA (Team America), so it's a headache to say the least when you need to modify stuff to make it all work.

If I was going to run a complete standalone Aquamist kit, that's one thing...as hands down their systems are the best, and most integrated you can buy...but if you're using a standalone setup with your own ECU control, The Snow Performance (www.snowperformance.com) (or Labonte, or Devils own...they all use the same shurflo pump) kit is half the cost, and has *almost* everything needed for install -- by almost I mean, if you mount the pump in the engine bay you'll be fine...but if you mount it in the trunk (which 90% of users do), you'll need to order the additional solenoid to prevent siphoning/keep pump prime.

I purchased the kit from Summit Racing (PN: SNO-20001 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SNO-20001/?image=large) and also need to purchase the Snow Performance Electronic Solenoid (PN: SNO-40060  http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SNO-40060/) as well. As before, Snow recommends the Solenoid to prevent vacuum siphoning from the rear of the car (as the nozzle is mounted lower than the tank/pump) and also keeps good prime. The Solenoid is super easy to install, just use the same power wire as you have going to the pump (as you want both on at the same time) and ground it wherever is clever. To easy! It is controlled through my Jim Wolf Technology ECU (www.jimwolftechnology.com). All you need to do is install it according to their directions, put in a switch (to turn it on /off) and you're set. Parameters are WOT, and 4000 RPM threshold. Nice and easy. Clark's a guru, so it works perfect obviously.

 

Being that I decided on mounting it in the trunk, I contemplated how to package it as nicely as possible. There's about as much room for half a dead body in the trunk, so with my Nissan repair toolkit, and detail bag, space was at a premimum. I decided to mount it on the passenger side behind the tailamp, as this gave me the most room, and I was out of the way of the lame trunk hinges that you smash your vacation bags with. I made a handly little bracket and install box to hold it all togther. The welding was shitty because I forgot to turn the gas on for the spool gun, but I had it hot as fuck, and used decent aluminum stock, so it worked nice. Being that the tank would be full of fluid, I decided to also bracket the back to the car itself...help keep some of the stress on the crappy welds down. I'm sure some smart ass ME guy would tear up my design, but it's solid and works; Sloppy Mechanics.

As far as mixture is concerned, I use genuine high grade awesome rare BUG JUICE. Haha yes, good ole 1.50 for a gallon of the blue goo. Don't get anything with rain x in it, or de icer... just get the regular blue stuff. Be sure you read the bottle...all you want is water, and alcohol/methanol. If it's got anything else in there, like corn syrup or anything else unpronouncable or unspellable, leave it be. Simply put, the cheaper shit is the better stuff! Now before anyone looses their mind, IT WORKS JUST FUCKIN FINE. Could more power be seen with a pure meth/distilled water mix? Possibly - but the entire point of this kit is to be cheaper than race gas, and more available. When you're out playing fast and the furious at 3 AM, and need to refill, you can bet your ass that the Quicky Mart won't have a tank of Meth out back ya know?!?! If you're building a street car, then keep street parts in it! Even pure distilled water will work fine in this instance as well (or tap water, whatever), but the blue goo has that hint of alcy in it, which is nice.

Lastly, for the FFF's who think water injection is a bandaid = sit on it! My car is tuned on 93. I run in the limites of 93. The meth is just a proactive method to prevent detonation in the car at track. Can racegas work too? Yea...but remember when the car is idleing, or you go fill up at lunch, or you're waiting on grid....you're wasting that 8 dollar a gallon. I'm not saying 'oh man, go run 28 psi on a t2 flanged turbo with meth, who needs race gas' - that's stupid to me (although many do that with great success). I say, tune it for 93, and then add the meth for safety. It's certainly not hurting power ya know? Maybe run a psi or more, but that's it.

Here is the kit installed. Pump directly underneath. I ran the water line out through a plug in the trunk, and then along the passenger frame rail where the gas/brake lines are. It then goes up into the fenderwell to the Solenoid, then into the intercooler pipe. Sneaky? To a sense...I just like to keep it clean.

Here are two views from the top:

 

And here is where the solenoid is mounted (the other 3 bolts are fo rmy oil filter relocation bracket, don't mind them). I used one existing 'threaded' hole, but felt it needed too. Self tapper did the trick.

 

 

It works great, and has no issues. Big thanks to Clark @ Jim Wolf Technology for making a kickass ECU that controls this feature without hiccup or issue. I'm glad I don't listen to the FFF's who dog on Wolf ECU's for being rich and shitty and uber rich, and whatnot...if I did, I'd be putzing around with some Apexi Nonsense on a street car. Call me lame, but I prefer turn key kick ass.