What happened to injecting water into a running engine?

Question

My father told me of water injection on farm tractors when he was a boy. He said it was not as powerful but it is better than $3+ dollars gas.

Answer 1

I have heard about this. I have some old magazines from the 70s and I seen a few ads on this idea. I have also talk to some other people about this and they have heard of it too. One guy told me that the big oil cpmpanys got wind that this may catch on because of the huge gas savings you can get from it, so they bought these companys out and shut them down.

Answer 2

I've still got a big glass sealed jar in the cellar with the brass needle valve and hoses ready to go. I tried for a while on a 72 Chevelle whit a two barrel 350. I had a tough time with the needle valve on the top. The motor was either getting too much water beneath the brace of the Rochester Carb. or it got none at all.

Diesel multi-turbocharged pulling tracters have used this practice for 30+ years. As the the huge displacement diesel engines rev. to 5- 6,000 rpm's the fuel injecter pump sprays a large volume fuel into the combustion chambers. As soon as the driver drops the clutch a car wash type pump sprays water into the intake manifolds. The reason for this is to simply cool the pistons enough to prevent melting them. The multi (3-4) turbo chargers provide more boost than a supercharged dragster. It's not unusual for them to use 5-6 gallons of fuel in one 100 yard pass, If they make a full pull.

Answer 3

I looked into this a few years ago, I believe there is suficient heat in an engine to separate the molocules in H2O and therefore allowing the water to burn. Putting this into practise though is difficult, you have to inject a small amount of water mist into the cylinder a split second after the fuel ignites. This is also when the cylinder is at it's highest pressure so a high pressure pump is needed. A soluble oil is mixed with the water to protect against corrosion after the engine is turned off. You will get better results using vegitable oil in a deisel engine. In a warm climate there is no modification needed just put clean oil in and go.

Answer 4

Water injection was used on World Rally Cars as it helped cool the intake air after it had been through the turbo, which increased the power a little.
It didn't do away with the need for fuel.

Answer 5

Water injection is an anti-detonant. It's used alongside gasoline to keep the engine from knocking or pinging, letting you run a lower octane or make mods your octane normally wouldn't let you get away with. Usually you'll see it on turbo cars, which can run more boost and make more power with it.

Answer 6

Many years ago I saw article in a car magazine about a company that made a simple system that sprayed a mist out of a nozzle that you install in the air cleaner lid. Don't know what company name or what ever became of them, guess the craze died out. But you could probably build your own system with parts available on the net....you'd have to buy a misting nozzle, 12 volt pump, hoses and container and wire it up to the ignition circuit.

Answer 7

Water injection changed the compression slightly and mainly just used up space. The more water vapor, the less room for fuel/air mixture. Where you gain in fuel useage, you loose in power.

Answer 8

H20.this was bought out out years ago and it does work. but the amount of water needed today is still not financialy viable. its the same old argument ..power to weight ratio. to inject water into a normaly aspirated engine,without pumps, pipes, turbos,etc,etc, requires weight. and today the weight overweighs the power.

Answer 9

Never heard of such a thing; but for God's sake don't try this at home.