After being involved in specialty fuels since 1996 and reading some of the posts on methanol. We wanted to share some detailed facts about methanol. First, we will never point the finger or degrade someone else’s product as we feel that makes us look weak and inferior. We don’t have to bad mouth someone else’s product in order to get business, but we will present facts in an honorable way. You hear that methanol comes from the same place and that it’s all the same. Not necessarily true. There are several different manufacturing points and processes when it comes to methanol. Also, when the product is manufactured, that no-way means that it’s the same product from a quality standpoint that gets to you the racer when you purchase. “You hear the term; our methanol is 99% pure or 99.5% a lot.” “Or I can show you a CofA that proves the purity.” I will tell you that the majority of time, CofA’s (certificate of analysis) are not what we call “real time” CofA’s.
First let’s understand the different processes-When the product is manufactured-It gets loaded on a barge, then sent to rail cars, then either loaded into trucks, then pumped in tanks, to be re-packaged into drums or loaded again on what we call a small tank truck and then delivered. See in most cases, the CofA that is generated from the manufacturing plant is the same CofA that is passed to the end use customer, even though the methanol has been transferred and handled four to five times. This is not a “Real Time” CofA. A lot of times these trucks and tanks have had other chemicals and the pumps are not dedicated and they have pumped other products as well. Folks will tell you that’s not the case, but I’m real close with someone that worked with a company before, and they shared that it’s done more times than what you think. There are also quality improvements you can make on the barge and rail car loading side as well. Ever smell methanol that "stinks” or smells weak? "BEWARE!”
Now we at Monster and Renegade consider methanol in the following categories-Off Spec, Industrial, Racing.
Industrial Methanol-Is the methanol we discussed above-Yes it leaves the manufacturing facility at 99-99.7% pure but the time it gets to your drum or in your fuel jug, I guarantee a “REAL TIME” CofA will be different than what was printed at the manufacturing point. Also with industrial methanol’s, you will get an inconsistent burn at times, valve guide wear increases, wear out your oil a lot quicker, and notice the “white worm” effect that will dirty up your fuel system. I’ve raced fuel injection all my life and I remember those days of cleaning out fuel lines and my nozzles. - “No fun and can cost you a race!”
*Racing Methanol-Is what we have trademarked our pride and reputation on. It’s kind of like tap water vs. real bottled water (water that is purified correctly). We run methanol through what would be comparable to an osmosis filtration process. The goal of this process is to pull all the remaining moisture out. This is why our labels say 100% pure. (Yes, below the 100% pure it says 99.99% and that is because we always want to cover a bare minimum for quality control purposes to the racer. Yes, methanol burns cooler, but it has a very sporadic burn, which causes the methanol to get by the rings and into your oil. We have numerous testimonials of racers that talk about not so much of huge power advantages but better throttle response, valve guide wear improvements, non- “white worm” affects, and better oil life. Better oil life means one simple thing- “Better Engine Life!” We spent seven years developing racing oils for methanol as we recognized a methanol compatible oil is key to extended engine life, and we’ve been blessed to have our racing oils make huge strides with methanol users in 2010.
We have had numerous big money bracket racers that swear they went from dialing by the hundredth on our fuels to being able to dial by the thousandth. We have racers that won’t even tell folks that they are using our products. Being a racer myself, I know that the savings you gain in quality is a lot greater than the cost you save up front. A little FYI-If products don’t come in a metal drum sealed and labeled with our unique distributor label and code-please beware. We strictly advise against using plastic drums for hazardous materials like methanol and racing fuel. The risk of using plastic drums range from improper grounding to severe accidents, including fatal burns. Your safety is paramount, and no $35.00 savings is worth jeopardizing a life.
Please understand that there is a difference between Costs and Savings-Yes something might cost less upfront, but what kind of savings are you throwing out the window? To all our customers and distributors, thanks for your business! To those that might potentially use our products in the future, thanks for the opportunity!-Toby Baptiste-President