E-85 Update
#23711
04/13/06 09:32 PM
04/13/06 09:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,408 nielsville, minn.
quickd100
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,408
nielsville, minn.
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Well I've heard the naysayers and the doom and gloomers talk about all the bad aspects of running E-85. I've had people tell me it will corrode aluminum, ruin rubber fuel lines, eat plastic, eat carburetors alive. After hearing all these predictions I decided to put it to the test. Last Sept. I drove my truck down to Interstate Dragways to see Don1 and JericoGTX. After I got home that night I parked the truck in the garage. That was the last time it was started or run until tonite. It had a 3/4 full tank of E-85 in it. I shut the electric fuel pump off and let the engine run until it died. The rear float bowl was almost full, I didn't touch anything, I didn't even open the hood until tonite. I went out to the garage tonite, opened the hood, pulled the aircleaner. As I always do after sitting all winter, I started the fuel pump and let the carb fill and made sure the floats weren't stuck before hitting the key. I checked the accelerator pumps and found the rear one wasn't pushing fuel out the squirters. I pulled the rear bowl and metering block off along with the rear squirter. Everything looked as good as the day I screwed it together last summer. The needle under the squirter was stuck and a shot of carb cleaner in a can fixed that. I put everything back together let the carb fill and hit the key. The engine started instantly and ran as sharp as it did the last time I drove it in Sept. The plastic fuel cell, 3/8" aluminum fuel line, no name electric fuel pump, rubber fuel line, inline fuel filter, and carb look and work as good as they did in Sept. So much for the naysayers and the rest that said it wouldn't work. The only down side I can see is that the 105-110 octane E-85 is now only $.30 under 89.5 octane regular at my local station.Dave
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: quickd100]
#23713
04/14/06 05:48 AM
04/14/06 05:48 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,081 Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,081
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
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Dave, nice to hear it is working for you. It is great to read storys about others that think outside the box a bit, and can engineer something to success. Good job! What power differance have you seen and how much compression do you run? I would think a motor built with optimum compression for E85 would reduce the loss of mileage some?
Last edited by gregsdart; 04/14/06 05:50 AM.
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: gregsdart]
#23714
04/14/06 06:18 AM
04/14/06 06:18 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,408 nielsville, minn.
quickd100
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,408
nielsville, minn.
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Greg; I'm running 11.2-1, I'd like to have had 12.5-13-1. The motor was junk off the garage floor and I didn't want to spend any money on it. 11.2-1 was as much as I safey dared squeeze it without having valves poking holes in the pistons. As far as mileage goes, the last time I drove it going to the strip I was bucking a 25 mph headwind on the way down there. My mileage was 9.5 mpg, 1 mpg less than the last time I checked it on gasoline. I think it is probably as good or better than when the motor was on gasoline. I do believe most of the mileage issue can be made up by bumping the compression up as high as possible. Another point, I'm running it quite a bit on the rich side, for max power, I could lean the mixture down about 7%. I haven't run it at the strip on E-85 but it feels as strong, or stronger on E-85 than it did on gasoline. Here's an example; Last fall my brother and a buddy of his stopped by one Sunday. I was tuning on the carb. They decided I should take them for a ride. So the 3 of us piled into the truck, (650lbs.) I had the street tires and full exhaust on and the caltracks. We went east on a good hooking new asphalt road. I stood on it at 40-45mph. The rearend started to come around on me, we were at a 45 degree angle before it finally hooked up again. On gasoline it never did that before at least not at 80 degree temps.Dave
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: gregsdart]
#23716
04/14/06 08:10 AM
04/14/06 08:10 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 684 St. Charles, MO.
Slingshot383
mopar
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mopar
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 684
St. Charles, MO.
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That 15% gasoline is enough to prevent the white chalk and the drying out of rubber and plastics that 100% alcohol does. You also have to remember our cousins in south central and south america have been running straight alcohol for years.
1994 Undercover Chassis 125" altered
stack injected big block, soon blown and injected
Member of The Torque and Recoil Club
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: quickd100]
#23720
04/14/06 09:37 PM
04/14/06 09:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,936 NC
440Jim
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,936
NC
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Quote:
You have to richen EVERY curcuit by 27-35%.
I don't know much about methanol either, but it sounds like methanol needs richer than ethanol. It might make sense to start with an alcohol (methanol) carb, and lean it out? Or is methanol more like 100% richer?
I have never seen E85 in Maryland, never mind in my remote section of the state.
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: 440Jim]
#23721
04/14/06 09:52 PM
04/14/06 09:52 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 681 Illinois
493_Scamp
super gas
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super gas
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 681
Illinois
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I plan on running E85 in my nearly done 493. I am going to buy a Proform 950 to modify because it is the cheapest carb of that size and some mods would be nonreversable. I should have the motor running in a couple weeks.E85 is $2.29 here.
Last edited by 440_Scamp; 04/14/06 09:53 PM.
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Post deleted by Defbob
[Re: 493_Scamp]
#23723
04/14/06 10:00 PM
04/14/06 10:00 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: quickd100]
#23725
04/15/06 07:00 AM
04/15/06 07:00 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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One thing to remember, all the bad juju is taken from those running methanol. It is NOT the same as ethanol which is far less corrosive.
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: Lou_Steger]
#23727
04/15/06 09:43 AM
04/15/06 09:43 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,025 S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,025
S.E. Michigan
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I'm interested in the stuff, but so far around here the prices are higher than premium gas. here's a site that has a station-finder: www.e85fuel.com
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Re: E-85 Update
[Re: quickd100]
#23729
04/15/06 01:56 PM
04/15/06 01:56 PM
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,732 Watertown, WI
MikeyT
master
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master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,732
Watertown, WI
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Humm this is interesting. My question is this, what kind of changes should I do to run it in my Coronet? 440 engine 750 edelbrock carb, headers stock everything else engine wise.
Mike
1969 Dodge Dart Swinger
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