MTFCA Forum

I have read a lot of the disinformation about Henry Ford building the T to run on multi fuels. Being able to run on different fuels is different than specifically building an engine to run on different fuels. I do know the ford tractor could be run on kerosene once the engine was started on gas and warmed up.
The real question is can a stock T engine run on alcohol consistently and if so has anyone here done that.
With fuel prices going up and a growing trend toward electric vehicles long term, gas prices may continue rising because of supply and demand. I may or may not have produced very high proof ethanol alcohol in college as a chemistry project. I know that large quantities can be made at a very low cost especially when using corn stalks & I may or may not know someone that could constantly hit 185-90 proof. I guess I’m to chicken to try it but I want to. What’s the experience and downside to running on straight alcohol.

I cannot answer your question from a technical perspective, however, it is possible to obtain a permit from the Department of the Treasury to produce alcohol through distillation to be used as a fuel. As I remember, It is actually a provision left over from the Carter administration as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo. In any case if you have a spare building, can be bonded, and want to form a partnership with the Department of Treasury while keep detailed records it can be done.

Check with your state laws first, states may still prohibit the practice.

I have not BUT Henry has https://www.fuelfreedom.org/tag/model-t/
Henry Ford brought us the original mass-market flex-fuel vehicle. That fact made him one of the biggest stars of the Fuel Freedom-produced documentary PUMP the Movie, which is available on Netflix and DVD.
Ford’s Model T, introduced in 1908, could run just as well on alcohol fuels as on traditional gasoline. The driver could easily switch from one fuel to the other simply by turning a brass knob to the right of the steering column. This turned a screw in the carburetor, allowing either more or less fuel to enter the engine and mix with air. Alcohol fuel doesn’t contain as much energy as gasoline, so more of it needs to be injected to run the engine as well.
As David Blume, another PUMP star, shows in this video, drivers needed to switch between fuels because they wouldn’t know which fuel source would be available when they were out on a drive.
Since it isn't as energy efficient the cost may be the same. A better choice would be methane gas and more clean burning than gasoline. https://clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/ho ... ce-methane
It is one of the biggest green house gases related to Global Warming. Bovines pass the gas & belch methane, we can have our beef and drive it too.
Just an aside: Have you ever wondered how Mrs. O'Leary's cow knocked over the lantern, maybe it was blown over
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Good documentation
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1449089178
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2017/0 ... el-vehicle
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Now $0.22 in 1920 is $3.03 in Today's dollars

The old T here ran just fine on alcohol (racing fuel left over from son) with an adjustment of the carb.

Any long term effects on the cylinder walls and piston rings burning alcohol?

I have run a John Deere stationary engine on 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol. It is NOT a satisfactory fuel, but a low compression engine with a low tension magneto ignition can run on it. A Model T can be made to run on ethanol, but I doubt if it can be done on a practical basis. Expect very high fuel consumption, very hard starting in cold weather, and very nasty, aldehyde-laden exhaust fumes. A '27 vaporizer carb system might be very helpful. Starting on gasoline, then switching to ethanol would be very helpful. Raising compression would be very helpful. Running a lot of spark advance would be helpful. As far as I know, cylinder/ring/piston wear would not be an issue, especially if the engine was started and warmed up on gasoline and run for ten miles or more whenever started. Moisture and corrosion in the fuel system would probably be an issue. While running a T on kerosene invites rapid cylinder/piston/ring wear, crankcase oil dilution, and heavy carbon deposition, I don't think running ethanol presents those problems, if the engine is in good condition and handled properly. I'm pretty sure that if you keep track of all costs, and if you pay regular road taxes, you will find that ethanol is an expensive fuel. I would also want to monitor crankcase oil condition, but I would not expect problems there. Running a modern distributor ignition with a hot coil and plug gaps set around .040 would probably facilitate running ethanol. Running the engine around 200F at the water outlet would be helpful.

If it will knock the hair of the dog here in dim dar hills, it’ll make that ole tin Lizzy feel new again with no pain. Oh you was talkin about yer car! Oh hell hey and that’s a big “dah hah”, ya know what I mean Vern!

Propane is a totally viable motor fuel that I have used in the past on vehicles including a forklift. I actually own a carb and regulator that would fit on my T!

Last time I checked NHRA didn't have a class for Model T's running on alcohol.

Apparently they an on Coal Gas too ( coal gas contains calorific gases like methane (35%), hydrogen (50%), and carbon-monoxide (10%), along with other volatile unsaturated hydrocarbons formed by the destructive distillation of coal.).
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/25 ... 1349027889

Don't think for a second that the spark ignition internal combustion engine was designed to only run on gasoline/petrol, it just happened to be the cheapest way to go as it was no more than a waste product from refining of Paraffin and Kerosene from crude to replace whale oil.
Several combustible gas types are just as good or better and cleaner. but when you got a bye product that's being dumped in the ocean that works, it's a winner.

Tim Johnson ran E85 in his all stock 14 touring from New York to Seattle in 2009. No issues whatsoever.

Alcohol has many disdvantages for use as a motor fuel compared with gasoline. If you are paying full price for ethanol, it's not cheap, either. In the US, assorted $ubsidies obscure and shift the true cost of ethanol as motor fuel. In Brazil, where sugar cane grows in abundance all year long, ethanol may have some practical advantages among its many disadvantages as a motor fuel for some vehicle types. In the US, that's not the case. In my opinion, burning food for fuel is absurd, especially when better alternatives are readily available.