I dunno about most of you guys, but in the midwest we have a fuel (kinda new) that is 85 percent ethanol...this yeilds an octane of something like 105...plus ethanol is gov. subsidized, so the price of this stuff is typically about 20cents cheaper than regular gas...problem is that it's an alcohol based fuel and I know that this tends to dry out rubber/plastic fittings. Anyone have any experience with it?

 

it doesn't dry out, it eats ****. We use straight ethanol in a gsxr powered race car, and you need to make sure everything is tolerant. Pumps, filters, tank, etc. Some metals have an intolerance to it as well. Plastic and rubber most definitely get eaten.
Jus tmy thoughts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ibanez4string &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it doesn't dry out, it eats ****. We use straight ethanol in a gsxr powered race car, and you need to make sure everything is tolerant. Pumps, filters, tank, etc. Some metals have an intolerance to it as well. Plastic and rubber most definitely get eaten.
Jus tmy thoughts.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Think its safe to run, let say....a quarter tank E85 with three quarters regular to boost octane?

 

I read a scathing article in Car and Driver some 15+ years ago as 5% ethanol infused gasoline was becoming common...I don't remember much except that I filed it under "do not use/avoid" in my head (right between fat chicks and crack)

 

I used to use 10% on my old car for over 3 years....not a single problem. But mixing a quarter tank in with regular gas would be something like 20% ethanol.

 

Bump for a reply

I to am also wondering this-since i could substitute this for expensive premium. And the high octane will be great for when I go turbo

 

In Brazil some automotive companies [particularly GM and Ford] are trying out cars that can run on 100% gasoline, 100% alcohol, or any mixture in between. Car owners can choose which gas to buy based on price.

Clark Howard was talking about it yesterday...also talked about cars that have been modified to run off restaurant grease. He said they smell like popcorn, haha.

 

(acc to my 91 CRX manual) you are supposed to use no more than 10% ethanol, no more than 5% methanol

 

ethanol needs a richer mix to run. while a gas engine runs 14.7:1 normally for best burn i heard alchohol needs somewhere close to 4:1 ratio. im 68% sure

 

http://elektro.cmhnet.org/~audi/audi/toluene.html

 

you're 100% correct
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 91civicLX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ethanol needs a richer mix to run. while a gas engine runs 14.7:1 normally for best burn i heard alchohol needs somewhere close to 4:1 ratio. im 68% sure</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

do it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by drdisco69 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://elektro.cmhnet.org/~audi/audi/toluene.html</TD></TR></TABLE>

E85 is cheaper than regular gasoline, If I wanted to buy toluene I'd buy toluene

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 91civicLX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ethanol needs a richer mix to run. while a gas engine runs 14.7:1 normally for best burn i heard alchohol needs somewhere close to 4:1 ratio. im 68% sure</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Steve91 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you're 100% correct
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You're both wrong, it's 9.0:1 for ethanol and somewhere between 6-6.5:1 for straight methanol.

 

lots of cars are completely E85 safe now. All the fords that say "FlexFuel" and the 5.7L V8 GMs that are like 98 and newer.

To run e85 you will need larger injectors, but everything else should be fine. No cars have been produced w/ alcohol affected rubber since like 1975. It is a wives tale.

The biggest problem you may have is that alcohol is really good at cleaning up varnish, so you may clog your injectors/filter because of the residue in the tank. Many people seem to think the ethanhol is dirty because of this, but it is actually the gasoline.

If you need more info, just ask, I researched it for FSAE, and I still have the info around here some where.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by krustindumm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">lots of cars are completely E85 safe now. All the fords that say "FlexFuel" and the 5.7L V8 GMs that are like 98 and newer.

To run e85 you will need larger injectors, but everything else should be fine. No cars have been produced w/ alcohol affected rubber since like 1975. It is a wives tale.

The biggest problem you may have is that alcohol is really good at cleaning up varnish, so you may clog your injectors/filter because of the residue in the tank. Many people seem to think the ethanhol is dirty because of this, but it is actually the gasoline.

If you need more info, just ask, I researched it for FSAE, and I still have the info around here some where.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What the reason for bigger injectors?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spankjelly &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What the reason for bigger injectors?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Not nearly as much energy in a gallon of ethanol, so you need more of it to make the same power. Thus negating the price benefit touted earlier.

 

in ohio 104 octane is $4.00 a gallon, crazy!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by krustindumm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">lots of cars are completely E85 safe now. All the fords that say "FlexFuel" and the 5.7L V8 GMs that are like 98 and newer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

FlexFuel...that's what I was talking about earlier!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davens &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I read a scathing article in Car and Driver some 15+ years ago as 5% ethanol infused gasoline was becoming common...I don't remember much except that I filed it under "do not use/avoid" in my head (right between fat chicks and crack)

</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's ******* great man! Lol! So you can seriously get this for a $1.80? Hell than, give it a shot, but only if you are running a setup that requires such an octane. Oh, and what would burning something like this do to, ooh, lets say, an O2 sensor?

 

Actually I think it might be cheaper than $1.80. I think having a car tuned for it would rock...I think I'll go for it. What the hell, right?

 

it is fine for O2 sensors, ran it w/ a AEM UEGO controller & sensor w/ no bad results.

for E85 I think we increased fuel by ~2x.

so run 450's w/ a AFC for mild tunning (+/- maybe 10%) and you should be able to run e85 w/o problems.

 

learn something new every day!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Anti-Bush RRREX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">(acc to my 91 CRX manual) you are supposed to use no more than 10% ethanol, no more than 5% methanol </TD></TR></TABLE>

yea i read the same thing... i use 89.5 w/ 10% ethanol.. and so far no problems... anything about that i wont try it....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Anti-Bush RRREX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">(acc to my 91 CRX manual) you are supposed to use no more than 10% ethanol, no more than 5% methanol </TD></TR></TABLE>

I assume this is for reasons of the car not being able to compensate for the extra fuel required...but with aftermarket injectors, pump, etc. I'm sure they're would be no problem assuming you are tuned correctly for it.

 

So...essentially...

If you had Hondata or some tuneable ECU and some larger injectors...you could run any % ethanol you wanted after tuning for it?