E-85 gains?

bigblockfox said:
doesnt running e85 in a carbureated car require a e85 "ready" carb? i am getting ready to plumb my fuel system and if it was as simple as tuning for it i would make the change! its a bbf 13:8 to 1
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Yes. If you know your way around a Holley you can do it yourself. I did my own. Need to change metering plates, jets will be 30% larger, Accelerator pumps, discharge nozzles, and cams will change, etc. I use a wideband and it really helps with tuning.
 
KENNEBELL2.6 said:
Thank you for everyones input. I have 3 meijers gas stations with in about 10 miles of me so I think I'll be ok finding it. As for switching things around on the car. I was advised I will need injectors, fuel line, fuel pump, fuel rails and a tune. What happens when you test your fuel before filling up and its less the 85? Look for a new station or just dont beat on the car?
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There are a couple schools of thought on fuel less than E85. When the % of ethanol goes down the AFR goes down as well which means the tune get richer. I used to be more concerned about the %, but after testing I have never came across anything less than 78%. Running that the car behaved the same.

I took a Alcohol approach when I switched to E85. I run my tune overly rich to benefit from the cooling properties of the E85.....10:1 A/F. My set up is a non-intercooled turbo setup that makes 900ish RWHP.....which is also 10:1 compression. So if I can run this setup without an intercooler and 10:1 compression then it shows you how well this fuel works.

As for you carb guys, I would get with Mark Sullens. He is the expert when it comes to carb conversions.
 
I was thinking about making the switch, but I think my 60# injectors would be on the edge, and Im cashed out as far as a new tune would go.
 
derbydad276 said:
lol I saw this and thought about what I said months ago
and you guys thought I was drinking stale beer

http://www.motownmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?155929-Cost-of-Racing-Gas&highlight=switch+fuel
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I don't think you are drinking stale beer.....lol

Even if E85 was the same price as 110, I would still use E85. On a boosted application it is superior.

I know of a guy on the west side with a BBC using twins in a drag boat. The engine on a dyno make 1700hp using E85 with no issues. He has recently deleted the intercooler and made more power.
 
You need to be aware of the fluctuation in E85 fuel concentration. Out of the pump it's all over the map, a tester is good insurance.

If buying a barrel, realize that the ethanol absorbs water over time, so yoj need to be aware of that as well. Not sure what the shelf life of a barrel of fuel is.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
beertestr said:
You need to be aware of the fluctuation in E85 fuel concentration. Out of the pump it's all over the map, a tester is good insurance.

If buying a barrel, realize that the ethanol absorbs water over time, so yoj need to be aware of that as well. Not sure what the shelf life of a barrel of fuel is.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
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i went 3 years DDing my car converted to E85 with no issues of 'bad E85' same tune winter and summer. yes it does fluctuate but i don't think your any more likely to get bad e85 than you are to get bad gas.

very good point on the shelf life, i let my car sit with about 3/4 tank of e85 for about 3 months one winter and when i went to drive it it was not happy about WOT pulls. was spitting and sputtering, i just babied it for the day and filled it up fresh and it was fine.
 
98 Camaro said:
There are a couple schools of thought on fuel less than E85. When the % of ethanol goes down the AFR goes down as well which means the tune get richer. I used to be more concerned about the %, but after testing I have never came across anything less than 78%. Running that the car behaved the same.

I took a Alcohol approach when I switched to E85. I run my tune overly rich to benefit from the cooling properties of the E85.....10:1 A/F. My set up is a non-intercooled turbo setup that makes 900ish RWHP.....which is also 10:1 compression. So if I can run this setup without an intercooler and 10:1 compression then it shows you how well this fuel works.

As for you carb guys, I would get with Mark Sullens. He is the expert when it comes to carb conversions.
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I have been running E85 in both my Evo and in my TTA for several years now. I completely agree that my personal experience with this stuff both on the street and on the dyno show that the % differences between the winter blend and the summer blend produces little performance change in the car. I usually richen the car up a bit when the summer blend comes into full swing, but even then the cars run pretty much the same.

beertestr said:
You need to be aware of the fluctuation in E85 fuel concentration. Out of the pump it's all over the map, a tester is good insurance.

If buying a barrel, realize that the ethanol absorbs water over time, so yoj need to be aware of that as well. Not sure what the shelf life of a barrel of fuel is.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
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I also have a fuel tester that I use when filling up. But see the comment above regarding how the different blends affect overall performance.

98 Camaro said:
I just start with the coldest plug you can find. NGK 9 or 10. I gap around .030.

Make sure you get the recessed tip as well.
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I run a 9 in both cars. The other issue that needs to be mentioned, especially if you are going to run high boost pressures, is the matter of the car's ignition system. E85 is MUCH harder to light off and this shows once you start making really high cylinder pressures. This became an issue for me in my Evo once I was running 35psi of boost and in my TTA when I hit around 24lbs. In the Evo I had to upgrade the ignition all together. In the TTA I have simply closed the plug gap for now, but really need to upgrade the ignition if I want to push it harder in the future.
 
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