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Thread: Has anyone looked into E85?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Colorado
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    Has anyone looked into E85?

    Has anyone tried running E85 in their MM's? If so, what did you do to get it to run optimally?

    E85 here is $1.99. Super runs from $3.30-$3.50. From what I've read, E85 is approx. 100-102 Octane. Super at altitude (5000 ft. + ASL) is 91. It stands to reason that there's a bit of a performance gain to be had by switching fuels, not to mention, a fill would be a bit cheaper.

    The rub is the difference in the AF ratio. Pump crud is between 11-12:1, whereas alky fuels are between 7-9:1.

    My car's not a daily driver, so the decline in fuel efficiency isn't a big deal. But with the difference in air-fuel ratio, just dumping a tank full into the car and romping on the pedal kinda concerns me. I'm hoping that the AF ratio can be changed by a simple change in programming and maybe optimized by larger injectors, and even further enhanced by installing colder plugs, but my knowledge base ends here and I'm a die hard member of the measure five times, cut once club.

    Aside from a JLT air intake and a chip tune from the Xcalibrator2 programmer I bought from Lidio, my car is stock. I don't have the dough right now to install 4.10's, buy a real torque converter, and put in a high-flow exhaust, like I plan to, so in the meantime, I figured E85 might be a cheap thing to screw around with. Plus, it's cold, there's a ton of mag-chloride and sand on my favorite roads, and I've plum run out of projects (aside from the honey-do list) to keep me busy.

    Any thoughts from the engine builder types?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    Layton, UT
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    E85 is great stuff. However you would need to most likely run a larger injector and fuel pump as you know. You'll definatly need custom tuning. I'm helping a friend build up his drag car to run on just E85 and instead of 60lb injectors for normal 100octane we'll be running 120lb injectors.

    Matt H.
    (sold)2004' SB, 268rwhp/295tq
    1990 Mustang GT, Dart 363, Si-trim, T56, Holley Terminator X. 622rwhp/527tq
    2003 SVT Cobra, Posi Port 497rwhp/481tq. SCT Pro Racer Pack.
    2017 F-150, 5.0
    2013 SHO DIB Performance Pack

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    plymouth, mn
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    PM Lidio at Alternative Auto. He is the tuning guru for MM. He has done some work with E85 in non-Marauder applications.

    jeremy

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Southwest MO
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    68
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    E85 is also corrosive. Newer flex-fuel cars have their fuel systems (fuel pump, lines, etc) upgraded to handle E85. E85 doesn't like rubber and other traditional fuel system soft components.

    I'm also very interested in doing this. Let's keep this thread alive!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    St. John, IN
    Age
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    14,251
    These people are the cats meow when it comes to E85:
    www.dynotuneusa.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
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    Rock N' Roll Hell
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    I read that you will need to replace your fuel lines, fuel pump and a few other things to name a few. The lines you will need are $45 a foot. Nothing else will last. Also it takes a forth more fuel to get the car moving so you will lose 1/4 gas mileage. Is it worth the trouble to do this and will it actually save you money? I haven't done the math, but if it isn't a daily driver I won't bother with this project.
    "Bye Bye, Johnny B. Goode."

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