Matt holds the Vortech discharge...
Matt holds the Vortech discharge tube while test-car owner Tim Stockwell drills the pipe and then taps it. Make sure you don't "deep tap" the tube, or you'll be doing this procedure twice.
Since Tim worked at an installation facility for the Snow Performance methanol-injection kit, we weren't surprised with the speed at which he had the kit on his car. What amazed us was just how clean the install looked--hats off to Tim for his meticulous work here. He has figured out how to mount the pump down low in the frame not only to protect it, but also to keep it from cluttering up the engine compartment. Even stumbling over the photographer, Tim had the kit on the car and the activation switch tuned in around two hours.
Before we get to the dyno testing, let's go over the specifics of this application. First off, Tim had tuned this car to the edge of detonation on 94-octane Sunoco pump gas, which is a common fuel for a street blower car in the Northeast and Midwest. That's why Tim and I couldn't understand Matt's continual comments about the "high-octane" fuel in the car. Once Matt explained that most of the West Coast is saddled with only 91 octane, it made even more sense why methanol injection is becoming the rage. Of course, as you read the results, please keep in mind that the higher-octane gasoline is "masking" some of the effects of this kit if we had tuned the car with 87 octane. Tim was not willing to test this on his stocker, and, frankly, we don't blame him.
The other thing to keep in mind when pouring over the data is that Tim's little white wonder is an AOD-equipped car with the stock, unbuilt transmission still in place. First, it is amazing to have a mid-11-second car with that transmission and so little else. Second, a slushbox will play games with dyno numbers. By design, the torque converter will slip, or stall, to a given rpm. And, even though this car had a nonlockup converter, there is some lost horsepower in just turning the fluid-filled connection between the flywheel and the transmission. As such, the horsepower numbers reported here are going to be dramatically lower than those produced by a manual-transmission car.
Once that little bit of work...
Once that little bit of work is done, install the injection nozzle in the discharge tube. Here's a final shot of what your installation should look like. Our nozzle is on the bottom side of the discharge tube just in front of the throttle body.
Our test facility was the brand-new Big Shot Dyno in Hudson, Ohio. Owner Keith Wenzel Jr. greeted us with open arms, and the technicians had Tim's car strapped down in no time. We have included a table of all relevant data, reporting the peak numbers in each case. It should be noted that as the timing was added in, Tim initially upped fuel pressure, as most good tuners would. Once we got used to the Snow Performance methanol injection kit, we started to trust its abilities to fight off detonation. Tim eventually backed the fuel pressure to his base 30 psi. Once the rollers stopped spinning at Big Shot Dyno, we had tuned the timing up to an astonishing 20 degrees initial!
In the end, the car went from 345.5 hp and 433 lb-ft of torque at the wheels to 373 hp and a whopping 510.9 lb-ft. Remember, this car basically has only a Vortech S-Trim supercharger and the Snow Performance methanol-injection kit. The one other thing this combination has for it is a tuner/owner who knows what he's doing. We strongly advise you don't slap on this kit with your blower car and crank your timing to 20 degrees initial. Rather, you should take the step-by-step approach with your given combination that we have outlined here. Also, please note that you aren't going to add 70 lb-ft of torque by just adding in the methanol--you need to tune the car for this new level of dense intake charge to take full advantage of it.
The Snow Performance methanol...
The Snow Performance methanol reservoir was mounted on the driver side of the engine compartment, where the battery was originally located. The line going out of the bottom of the reservoir leads to the pump located down below.
With one intense day of experience under our belt, we do have some additional notes on the Snow Performance kit. We believe the kit should come with a tap for the nozzle. As it is, you will need to head to the hardware store before you assemble the inlet tube as we have shown. Also, the methanol reservoir is made out of plastic and the holes are patched with a high-tech industrial sealant. It seemed up to the job during our test, but Tim reported some leaking the day after-something to think about when rolling down the road with a Class 3 flammable liquid under the hood. To be complete, we have to report that Tim was able to completely repair the leak with household Goop sealant.
We came away from our initial testing of this product both satisfied and curious. We are certain that the Snow Performance methanol injection kit delivers on its promise of liquid intercooling for boosted applications, which greatly decreases the chance of detonation. But we couldn't help but wonder what more boost would do to the tune and the added effects of the methanol injection. There will be a follow-up on Tim's car, so watch for that in an upcoming issue.
We've also enlisted the help of our old friends Vince Chiavetta and the gang at ASSC to test one of Matt's kits on a serious 5.0 Mustang race car with horsepower in the 1,000-plus range. Stay tuned for that coverage as well.
 The reverse-flow check valve...  The reverse-flow check valve is an optional part of this installation. Snow sells the valve for $29.95. It keeps the boost from pressurizing the methanol system itself, instead of just pressurizing the intake tract. On the check valve, the arrow points toward the flow of the methanol--into the pump in our application. |  To test the system, fill the...  To test the system, fill the reservoir with straight water. Activate the system, check for leaks, and make sure the system holds pressure. Notice the nice, even mist coming from the nozzle. At this point, we were almost ready to head to Big Shot Dyno! |  Here, Matt and Tim are mixing...  Here, Matt and Tim are mixing up their "brew." We're using a 50/50 blend of methanol and water (tap water is fine). Here's a tip: Add in a splash of windshield washer fluid for color and easy detection of fluid level. After the installation was complete, Tim set the activation switch at 4 psi using the transbrake right in the garage. You will notice a "unique" exhaust smell--it smells like horsepower! |