Author Topic: E-85 who is running it and questions  (Read 1066 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Faron

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
  • Dist Recurve Service l TotalPerfEntofPa@aol.com
    • View Profile
E-85 who is running it and questions
« on: January 07, 2022, 05:57:41 PM »
What lines are ok , can you run an aluminum cell , maintenance and carb mods needed

Jb427

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 338
    • View Profile
Re: E-85 who is running it and questions
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2022, 08:42:30 PM »
Any rubber not E-85 approved needs to be changed keep in mind too you will use twice as much E-85 fuel so i would think an electric fuel pump would be needed along with carb being converted to E-85 pretty sure you want compression or boost too for E-85 12.5 13 to 1. Maybe you can run more not sure about how far you can go but if your thinking of going E-85 that is why so you can run high compression. E-85 also goes bad quick and gums things up if it is left to sit for long amount of time. in a perfect world you would set up a system so when you are finish using the car you could swap it to reg gas and run the the E-85 out of lines and carb after use.

Jim Kramer

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 44
    • View Profile
Re: E-85 who is running it and questions
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2022, 09:32:30 PM »
I built a 390 for my 67 Mustang two winters ago using parts I had on hand and ended up with about an 11.75 to 1 motor so I decided to try running pump e85 as kind of an experiment. It's been more or less satisfactory on the whole. 26I used a Carter high volume mechanical pump, and converted a 735 "U" carb I had which being vacume secondaries gave some problems on the dyno, but once sorted out gave almost identical numbers to the motor with a 750 dyno carb and race gas, 490 hp and 500 tq. My fuel tank is stock, all the lines are steel or braided Aeroquip. I used a replaceable element fuel filter. How it works.....It runs fine, maybe a little hard starting. Corrosion has been minimal. A very small amount in the carb, maybe a little more in the fuel filter housing, ( which is aluminum ). The motor will still ping at lower rpms under load, so I have a 10 degree retard switched in the MSD, and run that a lot of the time when cruising and such, ( giving me 26 degrees ). I think the inconsistency of the pump e85 has something to do with this. And the milage isnt too bad. I've only got a couple thousand miles on it buy I've checked it several times at 9.5 to 10.5 with spirited driving. Not sure I would do it again if I was building from scratch with all new parts mostly because if the limited number of stations available with e85, even here in Iowa, but it really doesn't work too badly........Jim Kramer   

Royce

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 777
    • View Profile
Re: E-85 who is running it and questions
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2022, 12:21:50 PM »
Couple things.. On an NA engine it will not make more power.  It's main advantage is if your are buying race fuel at 11 dollars a gallon you can run this for $2.50.

It is not that hard on parts, certainly not like  Alky.. I drain my tank at the end of the year and drain the carb bowls and that's it  If you are racing, jetting up a gas carb 30% will make just as much power as a dedicated E-85 carb.  E-85 has a very wide tuning window. Your exhaust smells like beer...

On a cold day you may need a spritz of gasoline to get it fired up


For a race car it is a great alternative.  For a street car on pump gas without the revamped fuel system it is probably not worth the trouble
1955 Thunderbird Competition Coupe Altered Chassis "War Bird" 383 Lincoln Y block 520 hp
1955 Thunderbird 292 275 hp Y Block
1956 Ford Victoria 292 Y block

1957 Mercury 2dr Wagon "Battle Wagon" drag car 
1957 Thunderbird Glass body Tube Chassis drag car 333 cu in 500 hp Ford Y block
1961 Starliner 390/375 clone
1965 GT40 tribute w/FE
1966 Falcon Pro Touring project
Kaase Boss 547. 840 HP 698 Torque  pump gas
1992 BMW V-12 5.0
2001 Lincoln 5.4 4 cam.
1968 Cougar XR7

Falcon67

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2151
    • View Profile
    • Kelly's Hot Rod Page
Re: E-85 who is running it and questions
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2022, 10:31:32 AM »
What lines are ok , can you run an aluminum cell , maintenance and carb mods needed

I use Jegs Pro Flow 350 and their anodized fittings.  Noting now that they are claiming thos hose is not E-85 nor Methanol compatible, which is a change from when I bought the hose a couple of years back.  I have not seen any issue with the hoses I already have, maybe they changed the type of inner hose.  I run top lube with methanol that that works to protect the system parts.

At any rate, I think you need to buy hose that is SAE 30R9 at least, mostly sold as fuel injection hose.  PTFE braided for sure will work, but I read it's a bitch to assemble.  All fittings need to be anodized.  Standard aluminum fuel cells should work with it.  You WILL NEED FILTERS - do not skimp.  100 micron stainless in front of the pump, possibly 10 micron before the carb and stock spare stainless filter replacements.  Alcohol, especially methanol, "cleans" out the system and the filters quickly fill up with trash that looks like dryer lint LOL.  So keep an eye on fuel pressure and change the filters when you see any variation or evidence of blockage.  Leaving the used filter(s) in the sur to dry out then blow out with air gets them ready for use.  If your cell has foam, make sure it's alcohol compatible.

Carbs require special calibrations - gas optimums are usually stated as 14.7:1 fuel, 9:1 E-85, 6:1 methanol.  Likely slightly fatter in practice.  Note the potential increase in required fuel volume.  Where gas is usually rule-of-thumb at .5 lbs/hr/HP, I use 1 lb/hr/HP for methanol.  IMHO I would use a top lube even with E-85 to protect the system.  Still, if the car sits for more than a couple of weeks I would run the carb dry, then pull the bowls and spray then with WD-40, work some through the accel pumps and the needle/seat assemblies.  It will chalk up on you just like methanol will if left to sit too long.  Winter storage - drain the system, WD the alcohol carb, put a gas carb on the car and run the engine/fuel system on pump fuel to flush it out for storage.  Holley blue gaskets work with alcohol, along with the special rubber metering block gaskets and such.  Accel pump diaphrams have to be alcohol compatible. ALSO - remember that "E-85" is nominal as the spec allows it to vary from E-70 to E-90 (?) as I recall. 

So yes, there's more maintenance, more cost.  And yes, cold = hard to start.  Racer trick is a quart fuel cell, tiny pump with gas and a thin nitros plate to shoot a little into the manifold.  Or pull the air cleaner and squirt a bit of fuel.

On my 393C NA engine, switching from VP110 to methanol was worth at least 30 HP and a lot of torque.  Can't speak to E-85 specifically, none of it around here - well, at the QT I think but who knows where that comes from.  You will pick up some power and torque from the oxygen carried in the alcohol and the intake cooling effect.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2022, 10:37:13 AM by Falcon67 »