E85 advantages?
- Thread starter gula187
- Start date
- Status
1st thing you have to consider is the local availability, if its tough to get and is anything but a racecar its not adviseable.
If you have a carb, I don't suggest it on a streetcar. If you run out of e85 and have to limp it with a true flexfuel efi sensor car or at least can tune and have a laptop you can change the AFR. I guess you can do it with jets and stuff but that means getting ethanol or gas on your hands every time you fill up in an emergency situation.
You are going to get 25-35% worse fuel economy.
Good- its cheap race gas. If you have a high comp NA motor or especially boosted its great.
Cost savings kinda neutral out in an NA low compression application.
If its not EFI and boosted and performance minded I wouldn't consider it for an older car.
If you have a carb, I don't suggest it on a streetcar. If you run out of e85 and have to limp it with a true flexfuel efi sensor car or at least can tune and have a laptop you can change the AFR. I guess you can do it with jets and stuff but that means getting ethanol or gas on your hands every time you fill up in an emergency situation.
You are going to get 25-35% worse fuel economy.
Good- its cheap race gas. If you have a high comp NA motor or especially boosted its great.
Cost savings kinda neutral out in an NA low compression application.
If its not EFI and boosted and performance minded I wouldn't consider it for an older car.
E85 has been shown to be superior to C16 in terms of HP. Requires 1.3 times the fuel flow at the same pressure, so in order to run it you have to have a properly designed fuel system and pump capable of proper delivery volume at boost.
That being said, E85 is $1.99 gallon here. It requires a different tune than regular gasoline since ethanol is the type of alcohol you drink.
It is possible to change tunes and run either, but I would think that would be a pita.
I run it on my twin turbo car that has an ancient gale banks TT setup. Makes good power, even for 40 year old turbos.
That being said, E85 is $1.99 gallon here. It requires a different tune than regular gasoline since ethanol is the type of alcohol you drink.
It is possible to change tunes and run either, but I would think that would be a pita.
I run it on my twin turbo car that has an ancient gale banks TT setup. Makes good power, even for 40 year old turbos.
Cheap
105 octane
More consistent octane (when fresh)
YAAAAAAAAAAY
Hard to find. Only 1 station (in my area)
Don't let it sit, It will absorb water quickly
Everyday driver worse mileage
BOOOOOOOOOOOO
105 octane
More consistent octane (when fresh)
YAAAAAAAAAAY
Hard to find. Only 1 station (in my area)
Don't let it sit, It will absorb water quickly
Everyday driver worse mileage
BOOOOOOOOOOOO
Unless your car is turbo or a 14-16:1 race motor, forget about E85.
Advantages on a turbo car, besides the higher octane is that it burns so cool, you almost don't need an intercooler. On a 9:1 NA street motor, I can't think of 1 advantage. Even the lower, taxpayer subsidized cost/gallon is lost in the extra volume consumed.
E85 is only cheaper than gasoline, because your grandkids will be paying for it long after you are dead. The government isn't 20 Trillion in debt because it makes wise economic decisions. When Ethanol mandates really took hold, I personally know more than a few corn farmers that went out and bought $120K 2009 ZR1's. One told everyone he Was "going to run 200 mph" in the mile with his. When he only ran 180, he spent another $40K on it until it ran 204 mph in the mile. Super nice guys, but they have always been dirt poor corn farmers... your grandkids will be paying for that 204 mph ZR1.
E85 was also a scam the big 3 used to get one over of the crazy CAFE regulations. Since its only 15% gasoline, a 13 mpg truck that can run E85 can say it gets (100/15 * 13) = 87 miles per gallon of gasoline. Never mind it takes a the equivalent energy of nearly gallon of Diesel to make a gallon of ethanol, words are words and the CAFE std did say miles per gallon of gasoline. Shhh don't tell anybody... Its a secret.
It never made sense that the Turbo cars (like the 2.0L ecotech or the Ford Ecoboost) weren't "flex fuel" but the crappy gas guzzlers WERE flex fuel (so they got EVEN CRAPPIER gas mileage). It all made sense when I found out the scam.
Advantages on a turbo car, besides the higher octane is that it burns so cool, you almost don't need an intercooler. On a 9:1 NA street motor, I can't think of 1 advantage. Even the lower, taxpayer subsidized cost/gallon is lost in the extra volume consumed.
E85 is only cheaper than gasoline, because your grandkids will be paying for it long after you are dead. The government isn't 20 Trillion in debt because it makes wise economic decisions. When Ethanol mandates really took hold, I personally know more than a few corn farmers that went out and bought $120K 2009 ZR1's. One told everyone he Was "going to run 200 mph" in the mile with his. When he only ran 180, he spent another $40K on it until it ran 204 mph in the mile. Super nice guys, but they have always been dirt poor corn farmers... your grandkids will be paying for that 204 mph ZR1.
E85 was also a scam the big 3 used to get one over of the crazy CAFE regulations. Since its only 15% gasoline, a 13 mpg truck that can run E85 can say it gets (100/15 * 13) = 87 miles per gallon of gasoline. Never mind it takes a the equivalent energy of nearly gallon of Diesel to make a gallon of ethanol, words are words and the CAFE std did say miles per gallon of gasoline. Shhh don't tell anybody... Its a secret.
It never made sense that the Turbo cars (like the 2.0L ecotech or the Ford Ecoboost) weren't "flex fuel" but the crappy gas guzzlers WERE flex fuel (so they got EVEN CRAPPIER gas mileage). It all made sense when I found out the scam.
I run E85 in my 11 CTS-V and love it. Its cheap and makes great power. But like others have said. The gas mileage is worse, but in a performance car mpg was not my first concern. My car made 586rwhp and 601rwtq on 93. 612rwhp and 622rwtq on e77. If you have just a street motor nothing crazy, pump gas would be fine. if you have a high compression or forced induction you can benefit from E85.
So they can advertise GREEN and make the tree huggers happy - just like NASCAR with their E-15
- Status
