E85

[Ned S]

We have all spent a fortune on gas last boating season. I know if you want to go fast or even go a all we will pay. But I wonder?
Last summer I had to gas up my work van in a small town in southern IL and there was an E85 pump there. It was at least 30% less than regular unleaded.
After a bit of research it seems to me that one would have to increase the amount of fuel going thru the carb or EFI by about the same percentage so at that time there would be no savings.
Last week I was at the same station. Recently gas in our area jumped .50 a gallon but the E85 only went up .15 and that is over several months. I would not doubt that my fuel bill may double for the boat next year. Heck who knows. I think GOV will keep E85 low for some time.
Then I see where it might be possible to run more compression and possibly make more power with E85 than reg gas.
Of course a dual fuel application on current engine would not work for a performance application. But what if one redesigned a old chevy V8 engine to run on E85 only as part of a rebuild?
This of course brings a lot of potential problems to mind so please feel free to add to the list.
Lack of lubrication to pistons valve guides.
Im thinking a 100/1 or so high quality 2 Cyl mix like I do now in my turbocharged Mazda rotary. Or?
$800 carb from Quick Fuel or Edelebrock. Can an existing carb be converted?
Frequent oil changes?
Doing that anyway.
Different bearings?
Changing them anyway. What brand?
Myth or fact? Does ethanol eat aluminum?
Finding a proper camshaft?
Am I crazy or?
Or could I at current fuel market trends create a powerful
corn burner?

[H20MOFO]

For what it's worth the blower guys threw this one back an forth for a while a month or 2 ago.

[IMPATIENT 1]

it shows alot of promise for boosted motors. i'll tell ya next spring how well it works on a high compression na motor. we've got a distributing plant getting built within 15miles from me and they're also gonna sell to public. i met the guys setting the place up at lunch a wk back, they were excited to hear that alot of peeps think its gonna be a good race fuel alternative. i'm gonna try it, my carb is methanol capatible along with the rest of the system. i've read alot on the subject on other sites and guys aren't really changing up much other than getting up, most still run regular ole rubber fuel lines without incident for yrs.

[SmokinLowriderSS]

100% alchohol takes roughly 2x as much fuel for the same HP.
85% alchohol will take as much extra as that aprox 30% pump savings is, so $$$ will be a wash.
On that, I don't think there is enough being used out there just yet to get any REAL figures on usage difference, just mfr claims, which are notoriously low, like vehicle mileage estimates are high.
Also, against the cost standpoint, better add in the cost of any upper end lube additives you have to add.
Starting to look MORE expensive than gasoline now to me.
I have HEARD that it is far LESS tollerant of any moisture in it than e-10 is when it comes to separating the alky from the gasoline component. Facts here would be of prime interest.
If going carbed (or injected I guess), I would go from an alky-based starting point (but leaner) and work down from there. That should be closer.
Personally, I think it's fraught with difficulties, and MAYBE crazy (or at least not worthwhile), but, a lot of people thought a couple of bicycle mechanics were crazy too since they wanted to FLY, but hadn't been given wings at birth. :idea:
If you try it, best of luck to you. Someone has to be different.

[Blown 472]

Build a motor with more compression, buy and methanol carb on ebag and rejet it down for e85 as it already has the big passages inside. And no it will not eat alum at all. Ran a ton of it thru my boat last summer and not one problem at all, it did clean all the varnish and crap out of the carb and it runs a bunch better now. I ran 5 gallons thru my 61 this weekend to clean out the carb too. If you run it 100% make sure you get the motor warm enough as it will be a bit hard driving when cold.

[delemorte]

I dont know jack about blowers or such but i had a V6 flex fuel ranger.
it was thirty % cheaper but i got 30% less milage per gallon. didnt pay off for me.
Also E85 is, as was explained to me by my OEM, bad for your motor unless it was built for it. something about it dries out your seals and the such.
My OEM explained to me the decrease in gas milage was due to that Ethanol has more octane but less BTU's than pump gas. Resulting in less efficient burning. However it did burn very clean and kept your fuel system clean and was better for the enviorment. So if you are trying to go green then go for it. If you trying to save a buck dont because you will just fill up more.
just my 2 cents.

[GofastRacer]

Ever try running race gas with 8 to 1 comp it don't work, bad mileage and no power all these fuels are high octane and require high comp to work properly!..

[River Rat 005]

Then e85 would work in an engine with lets say 11.5 or so compresson? Seems to me it might be cheaper than av gas. Why would it need a lubricant? As for as I know, the flex fuel cars don't.

[Moneypitt]

I put a tank (both tanks full) of that stuff through my old Ford last year. Got off the highway in Illinois to get gas and unknowingly filled up with the E85. I thought I found some kinda deal on unleaded regular. Truck ran OK, no powerhouse, and it did ping now and then. No illeffects that I know of............MP

[delemorte]

I put a tank (both tanks full) of that stuff through my old Ford last year. Got off the highway in Illinois to get gas and unknowingly filled up with the E85. I thought I found some kinda deal on unleaded regular. Truck ran OK, no powerhouse, and it did ping now and then. No illeffects that I know of............MP
I know of people who run that stuff thru their regular engine on a regular basis with no ill effects. I was just warned about long term expossure to a engine not specifcily designed to run ethenol. However it should work just fine but with decreased milage.
I stopped using it because it was not any cheaper do to milage and was not available everwhere.
Here is a site i got a bunch of my info before i bought my ranger.
http://www.e85fuel.com/