AEM Water/Methanol Injection Kit - Proving Grounds

Results
As it turns out, fuel isn't the only piss swill California has to offer. We got hosed when it comes to methanol, too. AEM recommended using low-temperature windshield-wiper fluid, which is a mix of water and methanol. Unfortunately, the rarely snowy state of California has just recently decided to outlaw the stuff and only offer wiper fluid that works in above-freezing temperatures. This means the methanol content in these mixes is very low, making our injection system more water than meth. With the help of Koji, head tuner at Driftspeed in Lomita, California, we tried to retune the car's A'PEXi Power FC ECU regardless to see if we could make any power gains. Even with a much leaner A/F ratio and more ignition advance, the car made the same power. But it did allow us to find a little more power by increasing the peak boost from 1.4 to 1.6 bar (20 to 23 psi.)

The next day we tried again, but this time with a true 50/50 mix of VP Racing 99 percent pure M1 Methanol with distilled water. After retuning the WOT A/F ratio, we found that the higher methanol content allowed us to advance the ignition timing a significant bit more than before. At the same boost, we were able to lean out the A/F ratio at full boost by one point as well as adding a couple of degrees of timing on average. Since the Power FC did not have switchable tuning maps, Koji had to tune the car and the water/methanol injection rate so that injection only occurred at high boost and smoothly transitioned with the base map where methanol was not used.

With the proper mixture and an experienced tuner, we were able to pull out quite a bit more power. Most of our gains were before peak power, where the turbo hits its flow limits. The water/methanol injection also allowed us to turn up the boost and make power at 1.6 bar, whereas 1.4 bar was the original limit of our pump gas, the turbo and the engine. If you're just looking for a little more power without more lag or a complete hardware teardown, water/methanol injection is an affordable option. A 50/50 mixture in the 1-gallon tank will easily last a tank of gas even for the most lead-footed of drivers, and is a lot cheaper than buying a tank of the equivalent 100-octane race gas.

Specifications & Details
'97 nissan 240SX

Engine: 2.0-liter SR20DET (red top)

Relevant modifications: Blitz K3 turbo kit, Tomei ProCAM w/ solid lifters, Supertech internals, GReddy intake manifold, A'PEXi Power FC and GP Sports exhaust

Key Features
-Fully integrated universal kit for all forced-induction vehicles
-Includes three different injection nozzles for different power applications
-Integrated pump controller with boost sensitive tunable injection rate
-Effectively raises fuel octane by several points