E85: why aren't more folks running it?

[Tommy V]

E85 with long term use and not having the proper fuel system upgrades,causes alot of problems.Hard deposits build up in the injectors and fuel pump/filter.To run it right its just not worth it to me imo,and gas mileage goes bye/bye.If its just for track i would run a tune for 105 race fuel.

Sponsored

 

[FATHERFORD]

All I run for the most part is e85 in my 14, and will on my 15... going from 600rwhp to 1200+ on 1.50 pump e85 is pretty amazing...

 

[MikeyPee]

wifeys parents live close by stevenson and paseo... must be that chevron in the corner =)

You got it. It's the pump closest to Stevenson

 

[Walt1120]

Lack of availability for me

E85 was bigger years ago when the price of gas was $4/gal and in my opinion is only worth the hassle if your running boost

Even if e85 is cheaper, it has about 25% less energy density per unit volume when compared to gasoline. Meaning that in order for A/F ratio to balance out, you need to inject about 25% more fuel into the equation lol. Nothing wrong with that but realize that you'll be eating through fuel quicker on e85. This wasn't an issue a few years ago when gas was high but with the new U.S. Oil boom, I don't expect e85 to be competitive with gasoline in terms of energy per dollar again for quite some time

 

[FATHERFORD]

I think what a lot of folks don't understand is how awesome e85 is.... we get more safe power out of e85 then c16(117 octane) race gas... that is where the advantage is. So when you compare it to race fuel, it's a complete bargain, and at the local pump.

 

[Barrel]

I think what a lot of folks don't understand is how awesome e85 is.... we get more safe power out of e85 then c16(117 octane) race gas... that is where the advantage is. So when you compare it to race fuel, it's a complete bargain, and at the local pump.

No question I'd go for e85 if there were a station closer to me. I'm not sure I want the hassle of filling a drum of fuel and trucking it back to my garage.

 

[Tommy V]

I think what a lot of folks don't understand is how awesome e85 is.... we get more safe power out of e85 then c16(117 octane) race gas... that is where the advantage is. So when you compare it to race fuel, it's a complete bargain, and at the local pump.

Yes u are correct their but if u are going to run it everyday then fuel system changes have to be made,which also cost $$$$$$$.

 

[Khyber]

i just have no interest in running something that isn't available at every gas station

 

[FATHERFORD]

No question I'd go for e85 if there were a station closer to me. I'm not sure I want the hassle of filling a drum of fuel and trucking it back to my garage.

Depends on power level and mods... with 93 I'm limited just over 700rwhp, e85 I'm getting over 1200...

If you are on a Stock motor and producing 700ish already, then it might not be worth it. On N/a motors I would just stay 93.

I personally know several guys that will fill a few 55 gallon drums worth to keep at their house.

 

[kris5597]

I'd say the biggest issue with E85, and most pump gas, is consistency. Unless you are a tuner yourself or your vehicle has flex fuel, you will never maximize engine potential unless you get a consistent batch of fuel each time. If you have to tune the car to run on E50 because of fuel quality issues, you won't get the benefit of running full e85. All the extra ethanol will do is provide a safety barrier a little larger than before and increase fuel consumption. Even running 93 octane isn't consistent and most tuners will tune for the inconsistency by dumbing down the tunes a little.

E85 is good stuff, I have tuned many vehicles on it with great results. The mustang with its high compression v8, will do very well on it. But, running it is definitely a chore. Testing it before every fill up is recommended, especially if F/I. When I tune my personal cars, I tune them to be most efficient. That requires me to be specific on the fuel quality I am using. That extra bump in octane that I have tuned for could be what makes my car have more power and be faster than the other guys.

Kris

 

[Terminated]

I would love to run E85 in my car, especially since I don't drive it on a daily basis (I've owned it since October and have a whole 1,800 miles on it). The problem for me is, there is literally zero E85 stations around me.

 

[MikeyPee]

E85 with long term use and not having the proper fuel system upgrades,causes alot of problems.Hard deposits build up in the injectors and fuel pump/filter.To run it right its just not worth it to me imo,and gas mileage goes bye/bye.If its just for track i would run a tune for 105 race fuel.

Rails, filters, valves, gas tank etc Huh? Wouldn't an occasional tank of 91 octane and fuel cleaner clean things up?

 

[Reds197]

E-85 is very easy to run. All you need on a N/A car is 47lbs injectors and a tune. There is no need to measure quality on these cars. We have built in widebands that adjust for fuel quality. Any decent tuner will know this and send a tune that works. I know a dozen local cars that have ran it for 3+ years with ZERO issues.

It is very beneficial on FI cars. I picked up close to 70 HP with the switch to E-85. It also is near impossible to get detonation with E-85 which is almost always the killer of FI cars.

 

[kris5597]

E-85 is very easy to run. All you need on a N/A car is 47lbs injectors and a tune. There is no need to measure quality on these cars. We have built in widebands that adjust for fuel quality. Any decent tuner will know this and send a tune that works. I know a dozen local cars that have ran it for 3+ years with ZERO issues.

It is very beneficial on FI cars. I picked up close to 70 HP with the switch to E-85. It also is near impossible to get detonation with E-85 which is almost always the killer of FI cars.

No offense but you seem to not know exactly how closed loop operation works and the need for quality E85. Yes, the engine will adjust, however, it will only adjust so much. Running full E85 in a car that is tuned for E50 will run dangerously lean at WOT. A good tuner will tell you, if your going to run E85, you need to know the quality of it. Because different percentages of E85 completely changes how the car provides fuel to the engine.

Those are dangerous words telling people that you don't need to know the quality that the engine will adjust for you. Very wrong.

Kris

 

[RSKTAKR]

I have it available close, I just don't have my cats off yet. I ran it on my 2011 GT with ZERO problems for 10k miles and loved it. I plan on running on the S550 as well after the exhaust is changed. I don't care about the gas mileage change because I don't DD the car.

Sponsored