Anyone using E-85 instead of Meth
Anyone using E-85 instead of Meth I posted this last night on PTN but I thought i might get some more answers over here.
Unlike most of the country, we just had a gas station open about 10 minutes away with E85 Ethanol. I know the tune would have to be adjusted for it but is their any benifit/detriment to running e85 in place of Methanol for suplemental Fuel and/or Chemical Intercooling? With only one E-85 station in my neck of the woods, I wouldn't want to run it instead of gasoline because of the MPG penality. From what I have gathered online, they line up as follows:
Fuel BTU Octane
E85 87k 100
Methanol 63k 99
Gas 116k 91/93
Every site I researched had different numbers but they were all similiar to the ratios listed above. I buy Methanol at cost from work (Cycle Gear for all you Motorcycle Riders) but it still runs about $5 a gallon. I think the E85 is a couple bucks a gallon and at that price, I could install a 5 gallon fuel cell in my bed with a remote pump. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Rick
Unlike most of the country, we just had a gas station open about 10 minutes away with E85 Ethanol. I know the tune would have to be adjusted for it but is their any benifit/detriment to running e85 in place of Methanol for suplemental Fuel and/or Chemical Intercooling? With only one E-85 station in my neck of the woods, I wouldn't want to run it instead of gasoline because of the MPG penality. From what I have gathered online, they line up as follows:
Fuel BTU Octane
E85 87k 100
Methanol 63k 99
Gas 116k 91/93
Every site I researched had different numbers but they were all similiar to the ratios listed above. I buy Methanol at cost from work (Cycle Gear for all you Motorcycle Riders) but it still runs about $5 a gallon. I think the E85 is a couple bucks a gallon and at that price, I could install a 5 gallon fuel cell in my bed with a remote pump. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Rick
It does work, ive done it and always recommend it to my freinds when they start pushing their fuel systems, end up with another 50-75hp on the injectors that way. I also highly recommend getting a barrel of E98 and use that. I sprayed straight ethanol for a long time and it worked awesome. Not as good as meth, but i was getting it for about 1.15/gal.
Launching!
Joined: Sep 2008
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I would call the people who make your alky kit pump. Some of the seals and O-rings may not be compatible with gasoline or other petroleum products.
Just do what I did: Run 100% e85, the conversion is nothing more than making sure you have enough injectors/fuel pump and then a good tune. I went from 16lbs with 0kr to 25lbs 0kr on my grand national. 60lb injectors on E85 is supposed to be good for 11.30s in our GN's assuming that you are hooking and using the power efficiently.
Just do what I did: Run 100% e85, the conversion is nothing more than making sure you have enough injectors/fuel pump and then a good tune. I went from 16lbs with 0kr to 25lbs 0kr on my grand national. 60lb injectors on E85 is supposed to be good for 11.30s in our GN's assuming that you are hooking and using the power efficiently.
It does work, ive done it and always recommend it to my freinds when they start pushing their fuel systems, end up with another 50-75hp on the injectors that way. I also highly recommend getting a barrel of E98 and use that. I sprayed straight ethanol for a long time and it worked awesome. Not as good as meth, but i was getting it for about 1.15/gal.
Good point. I'll give Snow a call and find out if thier pumps are comaptible with E-85
Just got off the phone with Snow Performance. The pump they include in their systems won't support any lind of gasoline being ran through it, not even the 15% in E-85. That bites. I'll have to look around and see if I can find a pump that is compatible with gasoline.
I run straight E85 in the Skittle. You need 25-30% more fuel capacity in your lines, pumps and injectors and a way to tune it. It works great on a turbo car and is 105 Octane for 1.80/gal.
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A member over of ptn recommended a Walbro but even their high pressure version is only a 100psi (deadheaded) so I think there might be an issue with not having enough pressure to atomize the E-85. I tech at Snow Performance said their controller was good for 20 amps.
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What kind of pressures do the methanol pumps run at?
If we had the infrastructure of E-85 stations in the Bay Area, I would try it in a heartbeat.
A member over of ptn recommended a Walbro but even their high pressure version is only a 100psi (deadheaded) so I think there might be an issue with not having enough pressure to atomize the E-85. I tech at Snow Performance said their controller was good for 20 amps.
A member over of ptn recommended a Walbro but even their high pressure version is only a 100psi (deadheaded) so I think there might be an issue with not having enough pressure to atomize the E-85. I tech at Snow Performance said their controller was good for 20 amps.
I don't know really how it would do in older cars. In newer cars, it seems to be just fine. They all have plastic fuel tanks, stainless or teflon lines and have to be able to handle at least 10% ethanol every winter. I have heard that if you let the car sit a long time it can get acidic, but since I drive it all the time, that is not a worry.
Launching!
Joined: Sep 2008
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My stock 1987 GN fuel system was perfectly happy with E85. My crappy walbro pump didnt last too long, but apparently there is an issue with them anways, so I doubt the E85 was the issue. We have had ZERO problems with e85 in the turbo regals as long as you had a healthy fuel system to start with.
After reading about Snow's answer on the E85 question above (NO!), I called FJO Racing to ask about the kit I bought. They also said no. Their quote "Ethanol is quite different chemically from methanol. The pump seals and nozzles will not stand up to ethanol and will void the warranty).
I might still use it with my nitrous as I have a seperate fuel cell and Bosch pump which will work fine with E85. The beauty of E85 over methanol is that having it sit in your fuel system is not anywhere near as corrosive as meth, which really needs to be flushed with gasoline after every race (except in a special meth-designed setup).
Jim
I might still use it with my nitrous as I have a seperate fuel cell and Bosch pump which will work fine with E85. The beauty of E85 over methanol is that having it sit in your fuel system is not anywhere near as corrosive as meth, which really needs to be flushed with gasoline after every race (except in a special meth-designed setup).
Jim
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2007
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Not trying to steal the thread, but what about the possibility of being able to automatically switch from e85 to gas on a turbo app.? I know manufacturers can do it on naturally aspirated, but I don't know about a turbo app.
Joe
Joe