Test Engine Buick 3.8T and E85

[BlackoutDrunk]

Hey guys/girls I was kicking around and idea tonight. I was wondering if we could get enough people to donate parts, time and money and build an E85 test engine for a long term test.

Suppose we build an engine and put in someones car who is going to put 10,000 miles or more on it during a years time. I was thinking that one of the big things that is an obstacle for E85 use is the lack of information. What if we build a 3.8t to stock specs and run as much E85 through it for as long as we can just to see what will happen. Use a stock turbo, stock intercooler, stock ECM, etc. etc.

It seems to me we all know that E85 is pretty good alternative when modifications are done to a car i.e. larger injectors, upgrade fuel delivery and so on. What if we find out it's just as safe in a completely stock vehicle. I got this idea from a video that someone posted awhile back about a team of people that ran E85 in a completely stock 2000 Suburan with the regular 5.7 engine. It was a NON-flexfuel vehicle and when they pulled it apart everything looked great the pistons, fuel pump an other parts were in excellent shape.

I would be willing to donate some spare parts, time and or money to the cause just because I believe in alternative fuels. Or if someone is already doing something like this let me know I would like to donate to the cause and be aware of the data returned when the experiment was over.

Has anyone done this yet? I think it would be a great opportunity to gather some data. Hell maybe we should even try to blow up the engine, see how lean it will run and for how long. The data we get might surprise us.

I'm just putting it out there to see if the idea is stupid or if it has a chance of happening. What does everyone think?

[ITSNOTAGN]

One thing you might want to look into. Its quite obvious that the motor will handle it just fine, so dont worry about that stuff. To build a motor that is stricktly for E85, you need to have compression. Alot of it. I would use regular N/A forged pistons, and bump it up to high 9s-10.0:1 compression. Using the stock turbo with that compression on 20lbs would be easy and make some serious power.
Gary

[johnnyttype]

Originally Posted by ITSNOTAGN

One thing you might want to look into. Its quite obvious that the motor will handle it just fine, so dont worry about that stuff. To build a motor that is stricktly for E85, you need to have compression. Alot of it. I would use regular N/A forged pistons, and bump it up to high 9s-10.0:1 compression. Using the stock turbo with that compression on 20lbs would be easy and make some serious power.
Gary

Yes! that would be sick. i posted before on cars needing to be dedicated engines to take advantage of e85, not a flex fuel vehicle built to run on 87 octane! The higher compression allows for be efficiency and fuel mileage!

i saw an article in a mag. that had a stroked 6.0 making 530hp N/A, 10.2:1 CR and with e85 they put 13 psi to it and got 850hp!

[mygn276]

Do a google searchon e85 and you will find great amount of infomation. The mustang guys are way ahead of us on the testing of e85. Check out theturboforums.com

[BlackoutDrunk]

My thinking was that some of the turbo buick guys might want to to do this so we could have data on the buick 3.8t. It's great that mustang guys know what's happening with their cars and I figured a group of us would want to know what happens with ours. It was just an idea I wanted to get out there.

[novaderrik]

i've been running E85 in various mixtures from pretty much straight E85 down to about 25% E85- but i try to keep it at around 50/50 for the best compromise between power and mileage-in my stock 84 since June of '04, and have yet to see any problems except for a blown trans at the dragstrip.

[bsdlinux]

Originally Posted by BlackoutDrunk

Use a stock turbo, stock intercooler, stock ECM, etc. etc.

8,000 miles on exactly what you talk about with my white car. Only Mods 83# injectors, exhaust and TT chip. Everything else is stock.
I've been running the E-85 in some form for over a year or so.

Having a 3.8 with much higher compression would be awesome for a MPG increase and cruising power.

[BlackoutDrunk]

have you run it at the track? do you have some times? dyno sheets maybe?

[GNVYUS 1]

There are plenty of cars already out there, I don't see this thread taking life.

Everyone is always quick to raise the static compression when it comes to E85, and in return making less power vs raising the boost. Bump up the timing instead .

[BlackoutDrunk]

Yeah I got the feeling it wasn't going to take life right away. There are plenty of people running E85. I just haven't seen anyone post any post tear down data after running E85 for say a year or two. That was my intention.

[bsdlinux]

Originally Posted by BlackoutDrunk

Yeah I got the feeling it wasn't going to take life right away. There are plenty of people running E85. I just haven't seen anyone post any post tear down data after running E85 for say a year or two. That was my intention.

What are you expecting to see other than a cleaner enigne in regards to the valve, pistons, etc, etc

Drunk you sit on the fence that long it might fall down I've got over 10,000 miles logged with E-85.