running our cars on E85
 

hi
Just had an idea
what would need to be done to run our cars on E85 gas(ethanol)
since it got more octanes then 93 and its cheaper/eco friendly :dance:

anybody have any experience with this kind of mod??

85% ethanol might be cheaper to purchase, but your gas miles will suck!

about a dozen car manufacturers have already said that running E85 would void their warranty. all sorts of problems.

I don't care about MPGs.
But performance should be better with supporting mods
It's got more "umph" then premium 93 gas
Bunch of 997 turbo owners would swere 4 it

I don't think you will gain much power with E85 unless you increase the compression ration, or boost pressure, which is why forced induction guys like it. You also need ~ 30% more fuel flow, so you'd be talking injectors, and probably upgrading the fuel pump.

Um, I beleive you've missed the most important aspect of NOT runnig E85 gas on any vehicle not designed for it ... meaning gasket issues. E85 support requires gaskets that will not interact with the high ethonal content.

You do realize the gaskets are stainless steel edged in Viton.

By using the term gaskets, I used it rather losely and should have also included O-Rings and other components. Bottom line is it is NOT recommended to use E85 in any vehicle not expressly certified for E85 use.

BTW: I've loked at some pictures of the engine gasket kists. Out of curiousity mostly. Are you saying all the gaskets show are steel lived with Viton? Or should be to meet OE specifications? If so, I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever buy a rebuild kit.

The head gasket is 3ply stainless with Viton around each seal edge. The water pump and thermostat which do not contact any fuel but still are stainless with Viton on the edges. The exhaust gasket stamped stainless. Most other metal surfaces are sealed with a carbonized silicon sealant which also would not react to the E85. Almost every o-rings used in the engine is Viton. They have to be so the synthetic oils do not affect them.
I don't recommend using E85 but it because the octane rating can be 100 to 105. Higher octane means a hotter faster burn. This change ignitions time in relation to engine timing that the engine is not tune for. That increase the possibility of burning a valve or seat.

Thanks. That's interesting information. Think I will stick to chevron premium though. :)

I thought higher octane burns slower to prevent detonation.

I was at the ALMS race last year at Road America (awesome event!!!) working as a PCA volunteer.

I spent some time in the different race teams paddock areas. One of those was the Corvette team. They were having an excellent Tech Session with their lead race engineering team. They run E85 or a version there of, I don't remember.

Of all the things noted above, about having the proper set-up to run this fuel. About the only REAL ADVANTAGE that came out of the tech session is that the added fuel flow rate allowed for extra cooling.

But they have to carry extra fuel and adjust their fuel window.

Your confusing flash point with burn speed. It increases the flash point. The temperature and pressure that an ignition will start on it own. That prevents detonation.

Think I read somewhere that the fuel cell is plastic so ethanol will eat that too.