Is he running a mag? Ignition related problems are very common with alky engines. Mags usualy clear them right up. I don;t care how big of an ignition box you got. Consider, with a MSD type ignition, with a 6al or similiar, as RPM increases, spark energy goes down. As you fill the cylinder with more and more alky, it pust out the fire, and they will miss fire. A mag, as RPM goes up, spark energy goes up.
My advice would be get a mag, if you don;t have one. 10:1 on alky engines, actualy will pick big power. Typicaly in the range of 50+hp, compared to gas. When your at say 14:1, the engines don;t pick up that much power, more like 20, and they typicaly pick up tq.
Alky in equal parts, has less BTU energy that gas. But, where the gains come from, is because you run so much more volume of fuel, basicaly double the amount. So, I am not sure off the top of my head what the actual BTU energy amount for each type of fuel is, but, for the example, we will say gas has 12,000btu, and alky is 8,000 for the same amount of fuel. Where the gain comes from, is that you run twice as much fuel, so, that amount of alky, has 16,000btu, so, a net gain of 4000btu. If you can light it effectively, and not waste it, it will make more power. The mag will light it. I have seen gains of 100+hp from switching from conventional style ignitions, to mags. the more potential the engine has, the more potential the potential gain is. On one 565 big chief deal, the engine was making 1050 with a minor miss up top. The miss, was basicaly, the ignition giving up. It wouldn;t process the fuel. The engine was no way making max potential, as, the same combo on gas, was over 1100 before. We talked the guy into getting a mag, and, the engine came to life, making 1190hp. We made about 30 of that power, from adding even more fuel. Alky arries its own oxygen too, and, as long as you can burn it, and process the fuel, it can make more power. But, the mag change, with the same fuel tune up, it picked up 110hp.
Frank
Advanced Performance
www.get-ap.com