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Alky Controls - Part 1


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So I bought the Alky Control Methanol Injection kit from Rick at Livernois!!! I can see why Livernois recommends this kit! Great quality. Also I had a few questions and e-mailed Alky Control directly and got very QUICK replies from Juilo! Great customer service there also!

 

The kit:

 

kit.jpg

 

 

First thing we did was mount the large tank and pump. We removed the front fascia and mounted them on the drivers side. Relocated the horns out of the way:

 

pump1.jpg

 

 

Next we mounted the small filler tank up top on the passenger side:

 

small_tank.jpg

 

 

We then installed the nozzle into the intake tube:

 

nozzle.jpg

 

Then we began the wiring... Wiring was very straight forward. I opted to just splice into the STOCK 2-BAR MAP sensor:

 

map.jpg

 

The Alky Control system comes with 2 parts to the controller. One large box that basically is set it and forget it and a smaller controller that has the on/off/gain dial and TEST button. We mounted the larger box behind the glove box. The glove box actually drops out easily so we can get to the controller if need. We mounted the smaller controller in the glove box:

 

PAC.jpg

 

The Alky Control has a LED that comes on RED when it hits a set PSI and then the LED switches to GREEN when the system is actually spraying.... Ok, so I'm probably not explaining it 100% accurately! Rick can probably explain things better! In the mean time here is a little video showing the LED placement and it WORKING!

 

[video=youtube;419kuyAnPgc]

 

 

Next step is to make an appointment with Rick and crew at Livernois and get The Red Brick of Vengeance tuned!!! hehehehe...

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Awesome post!

 

I'm hoping my installer can fetch me a loaner vehicle as he is desiring to get my car into the shop sometime next week, not only to install this exact same Meth Kit, but also to wire up the 3 Ford Racing Series Gauges I just recently obtained for the gauge pod that crash712us made up for me.

 

Any idea time wise, what it took ya from beginning to end?

 

Just was curious how long I can expect my SHO to be down and out???

 

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Awesome post!

 

I'm hoping my installer can fetch me a loaner vehicle as he is desiring to get my car into the shop sometime next week, not only to install this exact same Meth Kit, but also to wire up the 3 Ford Racing Series Gauges I just recently obtained for the gauge pod that crash712us made up for me.

 

Any idea time wise, what it took ya from beginning to end?

 

Just was curious how long I can expect my SHO to be down and out???

 

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Thanks!

 

Don't have an exact time... but I can tell you we completed it over 2 Saturdays. Lot of time spent finding the best way to do things... took a while to find a hole in the firewall... I was busy with something else, but apparently mounting the nozzle in the intake was a bit of a challenge.. I believe they ended up cutting the hard end off the tube.. not 100% sure... Running the wires inside from the passenger side to the drives side was a pain... Rick has posted in Darrell's thread that this kit was labor intensive and he wasn't kidding!

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Interesting. It looked to me like maybe on Darrell's intake, they may have just drilled a hole in the hard plastic to install the nozzle accordingly.

 

Either way, very informative post. I'm sure between Darrell's Meth Kit install post, and yours, that this will inevitably lead to more sales of this particular kit for LMS.

 

Maybe i'll take some pics of my install and then combine the 3 of ours into one thread (and sticky it) so that it's easiest for any future end users / purchasers to keep track of.....

 

 

 

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Interesting. It looked to me like maybe on Darrell's intake, they may have just drilled a hole in the hard plastic to install the nozzle accordingly.

 

Either way, very informative post. I'm sure between Darrell's Meth Kit install post, and yours, that this will inevitably lead to more sales of this particular kit for LMS.

 

Maybe i'll take some pics of my install and then combine the 3 of ours into one thread (and sticky it) so that it's easiest for any future end users / purchasers to keep track of.....

 

 

 

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I will try to get a better picture of the nozzle tomorrow... Also I think Scott (at MRT) felt that putting the nozzle in the hard plastic had the nozzle to close to the sensor so he moved it out in the soft part... again, I was busy with something else...

 

Also, if you are going to splice into the stock MAP sensor/wiring harness, you need to tap into PIN #1:

 

sensor_diag.jpg

 

Good idea on the sticky!

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Nice write-up... This system is considerably more complex than mine. Also, I noticed you mounted your spray nozzle in the rubber hose that connects the hard plastic connector pipe from the inter-cooler to the TB. I have mine mounted into the plastic piping about 1"-2" away from TB. Is that rubber hose section strong enough to securely hold the nozzle? We are dealing with up to 200 psi pump that goes on and off quickly and a very flammable 100% methanol spray. What size nozzle are you using?

 

 

FOR COMPARISON.....

My pump is mounted where your small filler tank is placed, by using a piece of strap aluminum that slides into the grooves on the back side of the radiator overflow tank. Reason for mounting it there was to protect it from the elements. Alky Control prefers a low mounting point so that there is gravity flow to the pump from the higher windshield washer reservoir that becomes the Methanol tank. This eliminates any possibility of air in the system and loss of spray that would result. Makes for a better, but much harder and more timely install.

 

My pump as installed.

 

IMG_2284.jpg

 

The location of my spray nozzle. This was a #7 nozzle (7 gal per hour) I later updated to a #10 nozzle.

 

IMG_2610.jpg

 

My system activates and turns off based on boost pressure. This is where I hooked into the vac/pressure line.

 

IMG_3258.jpg

 

This is the light I installed to show when my system is spraying. It is in my line of sight, just to the left of the center of my view just outside of the windshield.

 

IMG_3256.jpg

 

A full view of my engine bay, with all my w/m mods as well as my custom air intake system made with a RotoFab J-pipe and an AEM non-oil round filter w/k&n cover.

 

IMG_3262.jpg

 

My system, available from Torrie @ Unleashed Tuning (board sponsor) is much simpler, somewhat less expensive, but is not recommended for 100% methanol. 50% is recommended as it is not flammable. I have been mixing about 75% for my runs this winter at Bradenton, where I turned 2 - 12 second times when it was over 70 degrees and quite humid. Adjusted altitude was around 600 as I recall, which was higher than when I set my 12.9 in Iowa in late Sept. I am also running a 3-bar MAPv sensor, which is the same part number as the stock 3-bar sensor mounted in the black pipe from intercooler to TB. Torrie tunes these systems by reviewing test logs and modifying the tune based on logging data from the vehicle under wot in a couple gears. This is more time consuming but also provides real world results. Dyno tuning is preferable due to the ability to test and tune under fixed conditions, but if you don't have a dyno tuner like Dan at Livernois available close by, it seems to be a very effective way to get close to the most out of your EB vehicle.

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Nice write-up... This system is considerably more complex than mine. Also, I noticed you mounted your spray nozzle in the rubber hose that connects the hard plastic connector pipe from the inter-cooler to the TB. I have mine mounted into the plastic piping about 1"-2" away from TB. Is that rubber hose section strong enough to securely hold the nozzle? We are dealing with up to 200 psi pump that goes on and off quickly and a very flammable 100% methanol spray. What size nozzle are you using?

 

 

Thanks! There is no issue mounting the nozzle in the rubber coupler.... the nozzle isn't going anywhere... As for the pump is is very well protected! Look at how clean the frame rail and the other red painted frame parts are. This is how we found them when we pulled off the fascia, very clean!

 

pump1.jpg

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Is that a dent in the boxed section below the braided line????? :RpS_w00t::RpS_w00t:

 

As for pump location... I asked Darrell the same question... just to confuse.... If I put a pump in this area in my G8 it would be wet the first time in the rain.

I have also installed a higher volume pump, though have no idea if it makes any difference. My pump is either on... or off, though it comes on almost immediately when I leave the box after power braking, and remains on throughout the run. My MCT drops considerably up to about 80 mph, and then slowly increases till I shut down after lights. Often is near or below 100 deg F at it's lowest point. PDG considering I am boosting in 3 bar range! Your system should be good for around 1/2 second better time from my experience. If you had a white top... it would be even faster......:RpS_w00t:

 

:blabla::blabla::blabla::blabla::blabla::blabla:

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Is that a dent in the boxed section below the braided line????? :RpS_w00t::RpS_w00t:

 

As for pump location... I asked Darrell the same question... just to confuse.... If I put a pump in this area in my G8 it would be wet the first time in the rain.

I have also installed a higher volume pump, though have no idea if it makes any difference. My pump is either on... or off, though it comes on almost immediately when I leave the box after power braking, and remains on throughout the run. My MCT drops considerably up to about 80 mph, and then slowly increases till I shut down after lights. Often is near or below 100 deg F at it's lowest point. PDG considering I am boosting in 3 bar range! Your system should be good for around 1/2 second better time from my experience. If you had a white top... it would be even faster......:RpS_w00t:

 

:blabla::blabla::blabla::blabla::blabla::blabla:

 

No dent... it's actually formed that way. (I looked at the original pic)

 

The Alky Control is a progressive controller with setting for initial turn-on and slope... looking forward to getting it dialed in!

 

Roof color will probably be changing but will not be doing white.... LOL

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Kickass write up scrming' date=' this has got my wheels turn now.:car:[/quote']

 

I'm presuming as is in......

 

Chris wants to buy him a meth kit now yea?

 

If so, I kind of hinted to Rick over @ LMS that not everyone would be able to go to his facility for install and that it may benefit his company to make this kit a complete "plug n play" type of kit (as much as possible I mean) and by doing so, that it would most likely result in boosted sales across the country.

 

I hope that that's the case, because the guys over there deserve it IMHO as they've been a great supporter of the EcoBoost platform from the very beginning.

 

Individual owners who perhaps aren't looking to go to the extremes of 100% meth may even benefit from a 50/50 kit like the one EBB has that was developed by Unleashed Tuning.

 

Either way, it's VERY important to support these vendors in every way that we as individual owners can by buying product and passing along our great experiences to others.

 

It's a win win for all involved :thumb:

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Kickass write up scrming' date=' this has got my wheels turn now.:car:[/quote']

 

Thanks!

 

Oh, one other wiring item. There is a relay for the main power that mounted by the under hood fuse box. The relay needs to have a "switched" power supply. Well, looking at the main fuse box all the fuses were for the really important stuff, like PCM, fuel pump, etc. Nothing I would want to risk blowing the fuse on... So then we were looking at having to run the wire in to the cabin and wire up to the in-cabin fuse box, which is an absolute PITA to get to!!! Well, in the end, the methanol will be a TRACK ONLY thing, so we ended up tying into the Rear Defroster/Heated Mirrors which is located in the under-hood fuse box, which only has power when you hit the Rear Defroster button when the Flex is actually running. Now of course the Rear Defroster is on a 10 minute timer, which of course would be a huge issue if the methanol was used full time... However since this is TRACK ONLY, hitting the Rear Defroster button will just be part of my staging routine! Also since this is a TRACK ONLY setup we opted not to put the low fluid LED in... Part of my pre-run ritual will be to verify the tank is FULL!

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Ok... couple more pictures.

 

Here is a small picture of the stock intake tube. Notice the molded plastic clamp that hold the rubber hose coupler to the hard intake tube:

 

stock_tube.jpg

 

Scott removed the plastic clamp and used a regular hose clamp. This allowed him to reposition the rubber hose coupler on the intake tube, giving him a bit more room to mount the nozzle in the rubber hose and farther away from the sensor in the tube. I've been driving the Flex with the hose mounted this way for 2 weeks now with no issues. The hose is clamped down very solidly.

 

clamp.jpg

 

 

The supplied rubber hose was a tad short. So to run the hose from the small fill bottle to the larger remote bottle the hose runs over top of the engine. The hose has been sitting here for 2 weeks with no issues:

 

hose.jpg

 

 

Mounted the main power fuse and relay next to the fuse box on the fender wall:

 

fuse.jpg

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Mike,

 

The system Torrie sells is definitely easier to install. If I can do it... anyone can.

 

As for on-off switch, mine is under the dash. I routed the hot wire along the fender well inside fender and then around the door jam. While you can see it when door is open, there is plenty of room so no issues with rubbing. This way it can quickly be removed. Since my switch only operates a relay, there is little power draw, so finding a keyed power source was easy.....

 

I leave my W/M system on all the time, simply because it only activates based on boost, so is rarely on in normal driving. But... if I get on it on the street for some reason... the safety factor of the water... W/M... or mostly Methanol (depending on my mix) is there immediately under boost.

 

While Livernois system (Alky Control) is the premium system, with braided lines, option to adjust boost & run 100% Methanol, you can get most of that power out of Torrie's system, and do the tuning on line. Liv & Torrie are definitely the best two for tuning our EB engines to the max (as safely as is possible).

 

I would suggest that anyone who wants to run W/M, to read as many possible articles on this subject, so you know what a boost controller is and does, pump & nozzle choices, as well as the differences in methanol, ethanol, alcohol, plain water and other chemicals that can be sprayed to increase power, etc. Lots of information... and some of it is conflicting.

 

Another factor everyone needs to consider is what you expect from your vehicle. Since we use our Flex as a long distance hauler, as well as a people hauler, I had to somewhat compromise. While I would love to modify the engine, turbos and headers, at this point, I will have to pass, because I don't wish to change the versatility of my vehicle. If it were a SHO.... RIDE ON!!!! (like my G8's are....)

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Just a thought... I 'm not sure why you couldn't mount the Alky Control pump like I mounted mine, directly behind the Radiator overflow tank, with a piece of strap.... It would seem to me that the most important braided line is the pressure line from the pump to the spray nozzle. I realize that the pump inlet would sit above the outlet from the Methanol Tank (Windshield Washer Tank), but these pumps are designed to pull fluids up 8 feet, without much pressure drop. Here you would be talking around one foot at the most, depending on how full the tank is. I don't have a second tank, but I would guess there are other places for a small W/W tank. I just wash my windshield with whatever is in the tank... Methanol is a great bug solvent, and doesn't freeze. You would have to run it by Livernois to make sure...

 

And I've found that if there is a high enough concentration of methanol, I can stick a match out the window and burn the bugs off!!!!!:hail::hail::RpS_crying::painkiller:

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Just a thought... I 'm not sure why you couldn't mount the Alky Control pump like I mounted mine, directly behind the Radiator overflow tank, with a piece of strap.... It would seem to me that the most important braided line is the pressure line from the pump to the spray nozzle. I realize that the pump inlet would sit above the outlet from the Methanol Tank (Windshield Washer Tank), but these pumps are designed to pull fluids up 8 feet, without much pressure drop. Here you would be talking around one foot at the most, depending on how full the tank is. I don't have a second tank, but I would guess there are other places for a small W/W tank. I just wash my windshield with whatever is in the tank... Methanol is a great bug solvent, and doesn't freeze. You would have to run it by Livernois to make sure...

 

And I've found that if there is a high enough concentration of methanol, I can stick a match out the window and burn the bugs off!!!!!:hail::hail::RpS_crying::painkiller:

 

I do believe that most systems highly recommend that the Nozzle is the HIGHEST POINT of your system...

 

Also, there is a hole in the firewall. It's on the passenger side. Just have to remove a panel in the cabin and the wheel well liner.... you can pass the wire into the cabin with no drilling...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bwahahahaha...... i'm giggling like a lil girl right now as we finished up my meth injection and gauge pod install today.

 

For lack of better terms..... HOLY SHIT!

 

I can tell all of you that I literally just fell in love all over again with my SHO!

 

I'd provide more details, but quite honestly, I am having way too much fun motoring around right now..... :thumb:

 

Oh my oh my oh my...... thank the good lord for such talented people from both Livernois Motorsports, as well as Alky Controls :thumb:

 

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Bwahahahaha...... i'm giggling like a lil girl right now as we finished up my meth injection and gauge pod install today.

 

For lack of better terms..... HOLY SHIT!

 

I can tell all of you that I literally just fell in love all over again with my SHO!

 

I'd provide more details, but quite honestly, I am having way too much fun motoring around right now..... :thumb:

 

Oh my oh my oh my...... thank the good lord for such talented people from both Livernois Motorsports, as well as Alky Controls :thumb:

 

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

 

COOL!

 

Just got home from Livernois!!! I know have a Stage 4+ PLUS Methanol tune!!! Will post dyno sheets shortly!

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Bwahahahaha...... i'm giggling like a lil girl right now as we finished up my meth injection and gauge pod install today.

 

For lack of better terms..... HOLY SHIT!

 

I can tell all of you that I literally just fell in love all over again with my SHO!

 

I'd provide more details, but quite honestly, I am having way too much fun motoring around right now..... :thumb:

 

Oh my oh my oh my...... thank the good lord for such talented people from both Livernois Motorsports, as well as Alky Controls :thumb:

 

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

 

Is it safe to say you're pretty happy with the SHO, Livernois Motorsports, and Alky Controls, Mike?

Wow that sounds like something ----- 'grats,

Hope the euphoria helps with the sore shoulder too. I can't imagine the quick corners and blinding acceleration is doing it any good tho.

 

C.

 

 

COOL!

 

Just got home from Livernois!!! I now have a Stage 4+ PLUS Methanol tune!!! Will post dyno sheets shortly!

 

THOSE I'd love to see! Oh baby -- Hope you get time to post 'em soon.

 

Have a great weekend guys.

C.

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Is it safe to say you're pretty happy with the SHO, Livernois Motorsports, and Alky Controls, Mike?

Wow that sounds like something ----- 'grats,

Hope the euphoria helps with the sore shoulder too. I can't imagine the quick corners and blinding acceleration is doing it any good tho.

 

C.

 

 

 

THOSE I'd love to see! Oh baby -- Hope you get time to post 'em soon.

 

Have a great weekend guys.

C.

 

Well, I created a new thread for my results... was supposed to be PART 2... but accidentally created another PART 1 thread! D'oah! Perhaps you could change the title on that thread?

 

It's here: http://www.ecoboostownerforums.com/showthread.php?320-Alky-Controls-Part-1

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Bwahahahaha...... i'm giggling like a lil girl right now as we finished up my meth injection and gauge pod install today.

 

For lack of better terms..... HOLY SHIT!

 

I can tell all of you that I literally just fell in love all over again with my SHO!

 

I'd provide more details, but quite honestly, I am having way too much fun motoring around right now..... :thumb:

 

Oh my oh my oh my...... thank the good lord for such talented people from both Livernois Motorsports, as well as Alky Controls :thumb:

 

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

 

Ok having tried out the new tune this morning... I AGREE! This setup is insane!

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