E85 solution

[tnt_motorsports]

Hello forum members.
As I stated in my build thread, I would like to use E85 in my Cobra. E85 is readily available around these parts and provides an alternative to Premium gasoline. My thought was a Smeding Performance 427 SBF at 560HP with the Pro Flo 4. Well, Smeding tells me the Pro Flo 4 is not E85 compatible. In researching, neither is the Holley Sniper 2. The difficulty I am having is finding a fuel system that is "approved" to use E85.

Question
Does anyone have ideas on an E85 EFI style (port or TBI) solution?
Is anyone on the forum running E85 in the car?
I did find FiTech as a possible solution and have reached out. I have also reached out to Edelbrock and Holley for input.


Thanks in advance
Todd

[Smiley]

I believe the biggest problem with E85 is that alcohol is hydroscopic and will suck humidity out of the air, it can become E80 or E75 easily if it sits for very long in a humid environments. Alcohol is also a pretty good solvent and can wreak havoc on seals and O-rings.

I on the other hand look for “pure gas” (0% alcohol), but living close to the interstates it is hard to come by.
https://www.pure-gas.org/

[bobl]

Holley Terminator X and HP systems support any mixture. You can install a sensor in tank to make it multi fuel capable, or just tune it for E85. Of course you need the right size injectors and fuel system to support the extra fuel flow. I don't know if there are any TBI systems that will work. With the 15 gallon fuel tank you'll probably only have about a 100 mile cruise range on e85.

Bob

[rich grsc]

WHY would you want to run it?

[gbranham]

WHY would you want to run it?

My thought exactly.

[tnt_motorsports]

WHY would you want to run it?

To be honest, I thought it would be an interesting project along with being more economical to drive. Turns out the aftermarket parts business might not be as invested in alternative fuels as the OEM manufacturers are. I'll give it some thought and might pivot back to premium fuel. That said my fuel pump will be way oversized now. That can be easily solved I guess.

Some simple numbers are E85 is ~$2.05 in our area right now and 91 is ~$3.85. At about 53% of the cost, I don't see losing that same amount in MPG's.

It also burns cleaner and provides performance enhancements. I have been running E85 in our 2014 T&C with no noticeable downside except about a 15-20% hit in MPG's so the savings is nice on the wallet.

[Its Bruce]

The stoich is 33% less and you won't see any significant performance increase from premium gasoline as long as you're naturally aspirated. There's also variance in the ethanol content from the petrol station so unless the ECU is actively measuring, that could present possible damage scenarios.

[gbranham]

Worrying about fuel economy when you've got the disposable income to build a $50k+ play car that will likely see very limited miles. I get the fun aspect of trying to build an E85 car, but I think you're right that the aftermarket hasn't embraced alternative fuels like the OEMs.

[MaxVmo]

Looks like you need to move to the South. I filled up on 91 octane the other day at $2.80, 87 octane is $2.65. Unfortunately, Oban 14 is too high and Costco here doesn’t sell liquor. I did find Traveler Whisky to my liking though!

[efnfast]

To be honest, I thought it would be an interesting project along with being more economical to drive. Turns out the aftermarket parts business might not be as invested in alternative fuels as the OEM manufacturers are. I'll give it some thought and might pivot back to premium fuel. That said my fuel pump will be way oversized now. That can be easily solved I guess.

Some simple numbers are E85 is ~$2.05 in our area right now and 91 is ~$3.85. At about 53% of the cost, I don't see losing that same amount in MPG's.

It also burns cleaner and provides performance enhancements. I have been running E85 in our 2014 T&C with no noticeable downside except about a 15-20% hit in MPG's so the savings is nice on the wallet.

It also destroys rubber, o-rings, zinc, aluminum and turns into dog **** garbage if it isn't used up in like 30 days.

i hate ethanol with a passion

[maginter]

It also destroys rubber, o-rings, zinc, aluminum and turns into dog **** garbage if it isn't used up in like 30 days.

i hate ethanol with a passion


This is not complete true... ALL OEMs and parts manufactures' have made E85 compatible parts since 2010. Now, yes there are still parts that are made as noted above that do not tolerate E85, but that information is clearly stated by those manufactures. These parts are typically made and called out as such because the manufacture has chosen to limit their design for their target markets. I have been in OEM and Automotive Engineering for 45 years, so I have seen a lot. When I worked for Ford, we would run factory test cars on it at the Proving Grounds because we knew it was going to be around and used in vehicles. So, the deterioration and stability issue are not there, unless the parts you buy are as described above. I run E85 in my 2018 Shelby GT350 with a Tune that crams a ton of fuel and spark into the cylinder and love it. I adds some horsepower and a lot of throttle response at a minimal cost. On my AC I haven't gotten there yet as I do the renovation, but will eventually.

So, everyone has their favorite fuel, if you do not like E85, that is your choice, but I would get your facts about it correct. I do agree that E85 should not be looked at for fuel cost/economy, that is a different story....