Water Injection, Sweeeeet!

[Jim Green]

Well, I'm a firm believer now.  I have the car running
at 20 psi, oh man is it awesome.  Here's my system and
how it works.

-100 psi Surflo pump
-Surflo Accumulator
-2 Mcmaster-Carr Solenoids
-1 Hobbs adjustable pressure switch
-2 Washing machine level sensors!
-2 .7mm Aquamist nozzles

All tucked away so you never know it's there:)

First I am using regular old washer fluid, 50%
Methanol, 50% distilled water, plus the special secret
blue stuff.  So the pump is always enabled with
ignition, pressurizing the accumulator, then to the
two solenoids that are triggered by adjustable
pressure switches or the washing machine level sensor
that I got for free from a used appliance shop (I can
thank Mike Gough for that tip).  The first nozzle is
turned on at 14 psi.  Then I have an additional
pressure switch between the solenoid and nozzle that
closes the trim knob circuit on the Haltech to add an
additional 4 degrees of advance only when water is
being injected.  Sorry, no diagram yet.  The nozzles
are about 8" from the TB in the intake pipe.

The reason I have gone with the water injection is
mainly because of my crappy EM.  My EGT's were just
getting a little to high above 15 psi for my comfort.
One way to lower them is lower the intake charge temp
(allot), and advance timing, both of which water
injection seems to help with.  They are still a little
high, but I can probably advance even a little more,
plus I still think I need to move my probe to a single
runner to get a better reading.

As of now I am only running one nozzle, the goal is to
have the second nozzle turn on at around 20 or 21 psi.
Tonight was the first time I really cranked up the
boost, and it's crazy, it gets smoother and smoother
the higher the boost gets, and I have yet to hear or
see the slightest hint of knock!  Future additions
will replace the washing machine switches with
something more compact and adjustable.  I also will
build in more fail safe systems such as totally
disabling boost above 15 psi when the low washer fluid
light is triggered.  All this is probably over kill,
but I like all my engine pieces inside the car right
where they are.

Now you may be thinking, I can't do all that fancy
stuff because I don't have a Haltech.  Well the water
lowers the intake temp, which will automatically add
advance on any system with and air temp sensor, plus
if you have knock sensing, the ECU should be able to
sense that it can add a few degrees.  Most people will
be able to advance base timing a few degrees also.
Using the trim function to add advance is only used
because I don't have built in knock sensing, so the
ECU will not automatically advance.

With all this, a good EM or header, and nice cam in
the future, I may just let those thoughts of 20 valves
out of my head, because I am really enjoying my
current setup!  Now that I am running out of things to
tinker with on the car, I should probably update that
thing I call a web site...

Later!

=====
Jim Green
'89 90tq 034EFI, Haltech IG5
http://www.geocities.com/jeg1976/car_home.html

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