Despite the hope and optimism for our nation to make a strong economic recovery at some point in the near future, the truth of the matter is that many of us still have penny-pinching lives right now. There's absolutely nothing wrong with plugging a tighter notch on our fiscal belts for the sake of the economy. However, for those who live and die by going out and buying the latest, greatest whiz-bang gear for their 'Stangs, the no-spending handcuffs sometimes feel like they're taking our wrists completely off!
Ben Fox of Precision Dyno...
Ben Fox of Precision Dyno works the keyboard and SCT's XCalibrator 3 flash tuner (PN 3015; $479) to set up an 87-octane fuel performance tune for our '07 Shelby GT test vehicle. Since total timing (under load) is 28 degrees in Shelby GTs, power gains for the project's baseline test (stock PCM calibration with 91-octane gas) were obtained by leaning the air/fuel ratio (from 11.8 to 12.4), and adding only 1 degree of timing. It's important to note that on a standard '07 Mustang GT (21 degrees total timing from the factory) power increases will be higher, as timing can be bumped to as much as 28 degrees. In the second phase of the test, Snow Performance's MPG-MAX G water-methanol system allows Ben to run aggressive timing on regular-unleaded (87 octane), which results in increased power and a considerable saving in fuel expenses.
Now, on the other side of the want-versus-need spectrum, an automotive product we really can't do without is fuel-more specifically, pump gasoline comes to the forefront as the single most important commodity that 'Stangbangers have to spend their dough on (no matter how high the price). Car owners have been seeking plausible methods for saving money at the pump. However, the catch-22 is that stepping down to 87-octane means performance generally suffers. This is especially true of the Three-Valve, 4.6-liter V-8s that are found under the hood of '05-present Mustang GTs, as they are tuned to take advantage of octane.
What if you could burn your 87-octane fuel and have your performance too?
Derek Linscott of Snow Performance...
Derek Linscott of Snow Performance begins installing the MPG-MAX G Boost Cooler by removing and outfitting the Shelby's stock 3 1/2-quart windshield washer tank with a fluid-level sensor, fitting, and feed line for the water-methanol. A mixture of 66 percent water and 34 percent methanol (to keep things cheap, Matt Snow recommends using winter-blend washer fluid, which is available almost everywhere for about a buck a gallon) is added in the container for injection into the engine. The addition doesn't affect the windshield washer's normal function in any way.
When it comes to late-model Mustangs (and even pre-'05 ponies, for that matter), Matt Snow definitely knows a thing or two about gaining performance, not losing it. Matt's company, Snow Performance, makes the popular and effective Boost Cooler water-methanol-injection systems that (when combined with California's 91-octane pump gas) help create more horsepower and torque by increasing the weak fuel's octane, thus allowing for more timing advance, as well as by cooling the charge of turbo- or blower-boosted air. Lowering the temperature of the air charge slows the burn rate of an engine's air/fuel mixture, and ultimately makes using higher boost on pump gas possible without fear of experiencing engine-damaging detonation.
With all that said, you're probably wondering what role, if any, water-meth can play in the fuel-economy equation. Matt wondered the same thing and conducted a study to determine just that, using a naturally aspirated '07 Mustang Shelby GT. His primary mission for the test was to create a way to achieve maximum power through aggressive timing, with 87-octane, regular-unleaded pump gas and see if it's possible to save at least $0.20 per gallon. He conducted his research using 91-octane premium for baseline, and also the less-expensive, regular-unleaded petro. It included capturing not only performance data, but fuel-mileage details delivered by Snow's all-new MPG-MAX G Boost Cooler (PN 20150; $699) on both the dyno's rollers and in real-world road testing.
Matt and engineers at Snow Performance developed a water-meth kit for naturally aspirated and boosted gas engines that relies on an all-new fuel-injector-referenced injection-management controller, which activates a small, steady spray of water-methanol that covers the entire power curve. The controlled water-meth shot increases the efficiency of the combustion process, and therefore promotes more power without requiring additional fuel that normally would act as a cooling agent. The increased efficiency yields improved fuel economy. However, on the power side of the equation, the MPG-MAX G system also includes an independently mapped, fully adjustable second stage of water-meth injection. The second hit uses a larger (orifice size) nozzle to inject more fluid and make more power.
Snow includes a tube of Household...
Snow includes a tube of Household Goop sealant with each Boost Cooler system. Derek uses a liberal dose for the pump's fittings to ensure that every drop of water-meth is delivered to the nozzles.
With the pump and OEM washer-fluid...
With the pump and OEM washer-fluid reservoir secured in the engine bay, Derek moves on to outfitting the air-inlet tube with spray nozzles.
The MPG-MAX G water-meth system...
The MPG-MAX G water-meth system features two injection stages-one for fuel economy and one for power. After drilling two holes in the air-inlet tube and installing the supplied nozzle holders, Derek places the filtered ends of the 60-ml/min (MPG) and 100-ml/min (Power) nozzles in each holder.
Running the pump-to-nozzle...
Running the pump-to-nozzle tubing is next, and straightforward as is plumbing the activation solenoid into the feed line. Derek places the solenoid under the coolant reservoir on our test Mustang.
Running the pump-to-nozzle...
Running the pump-to-nozzle tubing is next, and straightforward as is plumbing the activation solenoid into the feed line. Derek places the solenoid under the coolant reservoir on our test Mustang.
Similar to Snow's Stage 3...
Similar to Snow's Stage 3 G water-meth kit, the Shelby's fuel injectors basically activate the system. After tapping into the injectors, Derek runs wires through the firewall by a rubber grommet below the dash, and connects them to the MPG-MAX G's controller, which is powered b a 12V "hot-with-the-key" power source that is taken from one of the Mustang's fuses.