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Old 07-27-2010, 03:56 AM   #1
panther
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Default E85 fuel

Anyone have a car that can run on the E85 gas that some places offer? I know it's like 75% ethanol and only flex fuel cars can use it.
When I was in Columbia, regular gas was $2.59, but I saw one station that sold E85 for $1.99/gal. We have one local station that sells it, but it's only about 15 cents cheaper then regular.
Now, I've heard that cars don't get good mileage numbers with this gas. But that is a savings at the pump.
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with it.
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Old 07-27-2010, 05:58 PM   #2
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I don't know too much about E85, but I know a guy at work that ran it in his regular fuel Chevy Blazer & burnt a hole in a piston. I'm guessing that if your not set up for the stuff, DON'T USE IT!
Now, on the other hand, if you are running a carbureted engine, you can have your carb rebuilt to allow for the use of E85. I don't know for sure but I suppose a person could modify a injected motor to do the same thing.
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Old 07-18-2011, 01:09 PM   #3
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My Impala can run it, but it's not readily available around here. I've heard that flex fuel cars get poorer mileage with it, and the cost about balances out. I can't say that from experience though.
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Old 10-20-2011, 05:09 PM   #4
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To make it easier to understand...Methanol needs twice as much fuel to do a job as gasoline. E85 is 85% alky, and uses gasoline to lube the cylinder, as alky is quite corrosive.
When I'm racing, I use alky, but I have to introduce a lube to the fuel so as to not burn the engine up.
I use it to make more horsepower and make the car more consistant.
Alky can cost 1/2 as much, but you still have to burn TWICE as much.
The idea of using alky is that you are not burning fossil fuels(cleaner) nor using fuels that are finite.
Alky COSTS more to produce than it saves. Your choice.
Carberators are easy enough to modify for E85, and FI is easier.
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Old 10-20-2011, 05:21 PM   #5
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When my son was racing go-karts, I used to modify his little Briggs & Stratton rototiller engines to run on methanol. There really wasn't much to it - drill out the main jet in the carb and advance the timing. We didn't mix any lube to the fuel, but then I rebuilt the engines after every night of racing. They ran significantly faster and the engines supposedly ran cooler. I can't verify that because I didn't have a temp gage on the cylinder head. Those that did, said the head ran cooler on methanol. And yes... they burned alot more alky than they did gasoline. The exhaust fumes had a pungent eye-burning aroma also.
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Old 10-21-2011, 09:22 PM   #6
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When I run my car, I have a switch to retard the timing when I want (an adjustment does it during the run) and a valve to lean the mixture when THAT is the requirement; ie when idling to bring the engine the needed temperature.
When you are using an injected engine, the adjustments can be made in the "brain." Sometimes, its the ignition, sometimes the computor.
It's easy enough, just ya need to know what you're doing.
Have fun,
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