Isopropyl Alcohol

[CZ_Dave]

I was speaking to a gentlemen up
in northern California about smog certificates.
(He is just a little north of San Francisco)

Florida, Mississippi, Nebraska, Iowa and Kentucky have been exempted from the requirements of this program.

But most states require a smog cert. of somesort, California being the worst.

He told me that he drains his gas tank, and runs 5 gal of
Isopropyl Alcohol in his 1978 MGB to the smog test and it
always test cleaner than the new cars and passes. Then returns, drains what is left and replace's it with gas.

I have a 1978 that won't pass, I have changed out carbs, and dropped it from 13.8% to 3%, but the smog cert test facility
says I have to be down to 1.2% for it to pass.

Thinking of giving this a try.

Any ideas or comments are helpful.

 

[Stewart]

I doubt the car would run on pure iso.

You could add 1 gal of e85 to a full tank of premium and see if that will get you past the test. Just be advised that e10 isn't exactly friendly to our cars and bumping the percentage may quicken the demise of the rubber parts of the fuel system.

 

[JPSmit]

somewhere, I read that for an emissions test you are supposed to run Shell V power - put it in, take it for a 1/2 hour drive and then take it straight to the emission test.

 

[JodyFKerr]

I can neither confirm or deny that this is also a common practice in Phoenix where our emissions are very similar to CA.

(*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*)

 

[PAUL161]

Are you sure it's isopropyl and not pure alcohol? I think isopropyl has water in it with some other chemicals? Pure alcohol burns much cleaner than gas. Could be wrong on the iso though. PJ

 

[rick_ingram]

Are you sure it's isopropyl and not pure alcohol? I think isopropyl has water in it with some other chemicals? Pure alcohol burns much cleaner than gas. Could be wrong on the iso though. PJ

You can buy varying percentages of Isopropyl Alcohol....from 70% to 99%.

I've used 99% to flush hydraulic systems in my Z-car and my MGs.

 

[Billm]

Where do you buy the iso alcohol that will burn in a car? Drugstore? On-line?
BillM

 

[Aeroweld3033]

regular rubbing alcohol from a drug store is usually 99% iso. . and ive heard a few stories of this working out there by you guys. im in new york though so ive never needed to try it out

 

[rick_ingram]

regular rubbing alcohol from a drug store is usually 99% iso. . and ive heard a few stories of this working out there by you guys. im in new york though so ive never needed to try it out

You have to read the label. Most rubbing alcohol is 91%.

 

[Guest]

Don't you have to jet to 7 to 1 to burn alky?