Just tried some E-85 and wow!
- Thread starter Amelio
- Start date
I dont know how long you consider to be long term but we have been running it for 6-7 years now with nothing but excellent results. I remember back when I first started using it, I made a post about the potential and everyone and their brother shut me down and said the only way to go is an alky kit.
I, too, wondered what E85 could mess up. But after thinking about it, E85 is basically alky injection without the alky pump. It's just going through the stock tank, pump, fuel lines, filter, injectors, and regulator. Otherwise it's the same product doing all the same things as alky injection.
Sure, there's a possibility that I can screw up any of the above parts. But lines and filters are relatively inexpensive if I have to change them out. I'd find it hard to believe that the fuel tank and injectors would be harmed by E85, but I suppose it's possible. I have no idea about the AFPR, but there's many, many folks running it. I'm willing to risk it for now.
E85 sounds promising as an octane booster. It is far cheaper than toluene or xylene, which is around $18-$20 a gallon. I have alchy and will shut it off as I can get 18psi w/o knock with a stock set-up. My limiting higher boost factor is my 66mm turbo. I think if I had a TE44, I may be able to run more boost on an E85 mix. I will add some E85 and see it I could get a boost increase beyond 18psi.
meanchicken
gallo vicioso
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2007
This is way to tempting to try....it must be sinful....
Yeah, my luck is that the E85 will induce some weird ass chemical reaction with the fuel lines, run a bunch of crap through the motor killing my injectors, heads, pistons, crank and block, exhaust wheel on the turbo, and foul out my exhaust pipes. I'll end up having to put a 2.5L 4-tech (remember those!) 4-banger in it and end up selling the only NA 4-banger Buick GN in history for 50 bucks!! HAAAaaa!!!
I think as long as we keep an eye on fuel pressue and change fuel filters more often, things should be o.k. I am going to look into flex fuel cars and see what they have that's different. I will look for a flex fuel stock fuel filter and use that. I figure if they can use it, we can use it! I am going to convert my supercharged GSE as well. For the GSE, I will mirror a flex fuel similar model.
Well I guess that's where I'm a little leary. I'm not necessarily worried about it harming "the motor" like someone mentioned, but I don't want to constantly have to fix problems with my just-upgraded fuel system components.
A friend of mine did a lot of research on this to convert a 3rd-gen F-car to E85, and he said that there's a STABIL additive that helps to prevent moisture buidup and corrosion in ethanol-fueled vehicles. Might be a little extra "insurance" for our cars?
meanchicken
gallo vicioso
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2007
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/ethanol-vs-methanol-2476.html
I know you didn't mean it the way it sounds, but just to be clear to the general audience, methanol and ethanol are 2 different things altogether.
The benefits in our engines may be similar in terms of allowing us to make more power...but othern than both being "anols"
they are different fuels and require different tuning and delivery considerations.your pump gas has 10% ethanol in it already? forget about the stabil additive grab yourself some bigger injectors a better fuel pump order a chip from TT and you will never look back i have never seen one person here or anywhere else say dam i hate e85 im going back to pump gas..1/2 of them dont even get back on the bored they're having so much fun burning rubber.. you can finally run some boost in your engine and not worry about looking at the scanmaster for knock.. oh btw its cheaper than pump 87 octane..
Yu guys really need to spend some time reading the E85 section. A lot of the things you are worried about have already been discussed in detail. Your stock filter is fine, no need to change it. Corrosive properties are not an issue, things stay clean, not detiorated. When gas is introduced after or with E85, corrosiveness rises. Basically the E85 loosens all the crap up and the gas clears it out s if you have dirty systems, you'll find out if you use gas with E85. Straight E85 wont cause any problems. Straight gas wont cause any problems.
So 93 octane gasoline mixed with E85 will cause problems? Especially since these cars are 25+ years old now, and there's bound to be a lot of crap hanging around.
So would installing a new tank alleviate that concern?
I'm sure it wouldn't hurt, although if anything got loosened up in the tank it would probably get caught up by either the sock or fuel filter. Might cause either to get blocked?
Rafs-T-Type
Not so Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2009
Run E85 for a week, check your filter. Then a month and check again. Then again at the beginning of each season.
Also remember that E85 is already at least 15% gas and as much as 30%.
Also remember that E85 is already at least 15% gas and as much as 30%.
You might look for one of the 3.0L mercruiser engines. They've got a chevy bell housing and so do the ones in the old postal vans.
Basically a SD poncho 4 banger.That's what I'm curious about.
Casey Jensen
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2006
Amelio said:so the air temps dropped a bunch last night down to around 70 so the wife and I decided to prowl the streets a lil with the tops off.
I have one station by me that sells the stuff and I have been readin up on converting and mixing with 93. I pulled in and put in about 5gal of E85 and topped off with 93 and drove around a bit. after about 20-30 minutes i could smell it so it was in the system. I imediately noticed a snappier throttle responce and a much faster spool up. I really could not believe it, it was awesome.....half throttle the car pulled like a dame freight train!
I have been running lower boost levels due to some spuratic kr and I have broken 2 rocker shafts(next purchase is a set of HD shafts) prior to this tank up I would get anywhere from .5 to 2.5 degrees of kr and not even at WOT.....well putting around and a few WOT blasts I had zero knock!
I dont go WOT to often around my area cuase the car just gets going too fast too quick and the fuzz in my area don't play! so mostly half throtle blasts but at just half the car spools so much better and really gets going quick so WOT is not always needed to put a big grin on my face
Almost home I stopped on a side street about midnight so no one around....just spooled barely a pound or 2 and let the brake go....total boost is low enough so its not ripping the tires off but it just went.....it felt like I got rearended.....itactually felt harder than the 1.7 60 foot it did at the track....I stretched first and then let off......best thing was ZERO kr!
This Sh8t is Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been running a 50/50 mix of 92 octane and e-85 a little over a year on my 84 GN with 60# injectors and Turbo tweak chip with a 87 ecm. Love it with no problems.
