E85 users - temperature question

Do you have any trouble getting your engine up to operating temp? I suspect my tune is way too rich, as I cannot get the engine to build any heat. In 80 degree weather I can cycle the water pump on and off and still barely get the temp gauge to move. And, Yes, I have verified the gauge operation. Thoughts?

Can you retard the spark?

never thought of that. I'm sure that would work. I guess my question really is: would a rich condition on E85 cause this issue?

I have change jets on my E85 Dominator carb, it was sensitive to the amount of Ethanol content in the pump swill I tested with but I didn't drive it at the track with the original jetting until much later.
I would change the primary jets to leaner, maybe two sizes smaller, and increase the power valve restriction channel to get back to the same AFR at WOT or just change the primary jets first (leaner by two sizes) without racing it to see if it responds to that change only and go from there
My car does warm up slow but it doesn't have a standard type or size radiator, it has two small oil coolers for the coolant instead It was that way when I got it and I haven't change it

Mine takes quite a bit of time to warm up and I always planned to add a lean out valve to help create heat. Maybe this year if we keep racing in the winter months.

would a rich condition on E85 cause this issue?
AFAIK frequently reported.

Hi Bob. I would lean it out at a idle and put a t-stat on it with a bypass hose to keep water circulating. Works for me

Absolutely
The local racer that convinced me to switch to E85 did a bunch of research on several different E85 forums before he switched over to E85 and all them said to jet the primary rich enough so the car would cool down coming back down the return road by at least 10 F from the end of the run temps He bought the parts needed to convert one of his spare carbs. and tested with it until it made him happy
He did that and his car does run cooler than mine but he has a standard type radiator in it also

Mine has zero problems making or controlling heat. I just put antifreeze in it last week. Fired it up with no fan on to circulate it, held it around 2k in neutral. Took about 2 min to hit the 180 thermostat, and about 3-5 more min until it was at 210.

Turned the fan on, and it came right back down to 180 where it always runs. This was in 40 degree weather outside.

Idles right around 13:1 af, cruises just a touch richer. I know when I leaned it up looking for fuel milage gains it did run hotter in the middle of summer...but we are talking 14:1 af cruise...nothing drastic.

Timing is locked at 35deg (unless under boost of course)

Shouldn't take a big carb move to make heat.

I know a lean out valve works great with straight alcohol. Nothing fancy just a rubber line going to a spacer plate or manifold fitting going inside to a 1/2 ball valve. Crack it open to build quick heat and close it up.

Got a question for you guys running E85 .... How do you deal with the big diffs in the formula of this fuel ? I have two buds down here that started out using E85 but now are using pure methanol. Bracket racing is deadly DEAD ON chit down here so dealing with the diffs in the formula was uNtolerable for them because their cars wouldn't run consistently.

The main reason the other guy converted was to help his car become more consistent, on race gas it would change .2 from first time trail(around 10:30 AM in the morning and slow down .2 for the first round after lunch around 1:30PM.
After getting the carb. dialed in it ran exactly the same number(6.84 in the 1/8 mile) from early morning to last round in the after noon for 6 different race days in the summer
My car may vary .02 to .03 from first run to the last run on E85
I have not run this car on race gas either so keep that in mind, it runs between 5.98 to 6.03 in the 1/8 mile at 115.MPH and runs right at 9.01 to 9.04 in the 1/4 mile at 147. MPH at Woodburn, OR in the summer
I have slowed it down by being to rich in the summer also

I've been running E85 now for 6 years. I have NEVER seen it test less then 83% here in Michigan. Obviously I'm not buying fuel in December, so those are all May to September race season checks.

The only time I even bother checking anymore is early or late in the season. Middle of the summer I dont even worry about it.

At the store I buy mine it has always tested right around 87%. I normally fill a 55 gallon drum in the spring for racing, so don't have to worry about any changes. I just fill up at the pump when I'm driving the car around.

Don't think those guys actually tested it for a % but the cars were not consistent at all. With pure meth it is. POURING IT into a 55 gallon drum or two IS a good idea ... I think both of them would do 4 or 5 5 gallon containers at a time.

I buy my E85 fuel from a local gas station that sells all kinds of fuel from straight standard pump gas to diesel and VP brand race gas of several different octane ratings. The first ten gallons of E 85 I bought was in late fall and it ended up testing to be E75, not E 85
That was the E 85 fuel I used to do the first dyno testing on my e85 Dominator race carb. that wanted to be jetted down leaner to get the best HP and torque. The dyno shop ended up buying ten gallons of E85 from the same station the next week after my first dyno test and left it in the two 5 gallons plastic fuel jugs in the dyno room that winter. I went back the next spring to do some more dyno tuning and they insisted that I use their fuel as they weren't going to use it, I tested it there before using it and it tested out to be E90 I assumed that some of the gasoline had evaporated out of the jugs while sitting in the dyno room
I have seen the same thing now in my fuel sitting in my plastic fuel jugs during the winter in my enclosed race trailer that sits outside all winter Two winters ago it got down to -25F at night for several days that week, it freezes at night most of the winter here from mid October to at least mid March My message is it ain't hot in the trailer during the winter so it is not the heat causing the fuel change, maybe it is the plastic jugs
Mine has tested to be right at E85 out of the pump to start with but ends up testing to be from E87 to E90 when it sits more than a month or longer in the plastic jugs