E85 stroker build?

[92ranger18]

Whats the differencer between a stroker build on 97 octane or race fuel and a stroker on e85? Just a thought. Are there any advantages with e85 over the other type fuels? What parts if any are different? Stuff like that.



Sent from behind the wheel of the work van.

 

[adsm08]

For one thing, E85 is extremely corrosive. Generally speaking the fuel filter, lines, tank, and injectors on an E85 vehicle are different from those on a non-flex fuel unit. They are stainless or other similar material that is better able to stand up to the alcohol.

 

[RangerSVT]

I hear E85 is also not a consistent octane. One tank might be 86 octane, another tank could be 101. Personally, I don't like it, good for the environment, yeah. Good for the consumer, no. Less mpg, more harmful to the engine, more expensive parts for repairs when needed...

SVT

 

[Mac]

I had saved a real good article on running E-85 but computer died and file lost (Car craft?) Do Google search maybe. I know one guy at another site is building a 331 and mentions a lot of changes from a normal built, one thing was area.
Dave

 

[adsm08]

I hear E85 is also not a consistent octane. One tank might be 86 octane, another tank could be 101. Personally, I don't like it, good for the environment, yeah. Good for the consumer, no. Less mpg, more harmful to the engine, more expensive parts for repairs when needed...

SVT

Not to mention all the wasted food and booze.

You know what E85 is? It's a little less than a quart of gasoline with a few fifths of Everclear dumped in it.


Not to mention that the "environment" numbers are about as accurate as Obama's unemployment numbers.

Ethanol is touted as "environmentally friendly" because it "produces less carbon dioxide". Problem is that's a lie. Burning one gallon of E85 produces about 1/3 the CO2 of one gallon of gas, that much is true. On the other hand you need about twice as much of it to produce the same power as one gallon of straight gas (Gasoline having a stoichiometric ratio of 14.7:1 while E85 has a ratio closer to 9:1). Also, there is the production cost. The process of fermenting the fuel alcohol produces about the same amount of CO2 per gallon as the use of gas as an automotive fuel. The in the, E85 produces MORE net carbon emissions than gasoline.

Want to question that, it's taken straight out of Ford's flex-fuel training course.

 

[kcarsey]

E85 is not as corrosive as everyone seems to think. Basically anything with a fuel system made in the last 20 years or so should have no problems with E85. It is corrosive to cork gaskets, and very old rubber products. Any newer neopreme rubber lines and o-rings will have no problems with E85. It can retain water more easily than regular gasoline, but if you have a fuel system in good condition you should have no problems. Basically if you are looking for performance, and have availability to E85 then it is a great alternative to racing gas. You can run much higher compression with the E85 and correct tuning, for some nice power increases. Also fuel consumption is increased by about 30% not 50%

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

E85 is not as corrosive as everyone seems to think. Basically anything with a fuel system made in the last 20 years or so should have no problems with E85. It is corrosive to cork gaskets, and very old rubber products. Any newer neopreme rubber lines and o-rings will have no problems with E85. It can retain water more easily than regular gasoline, but if you have a fuel system in good condition you should have no problems. Basically if you are looking for performance, and have availability to E85 then it is a great alternative to racing gas. You can run much higher compression with the E85 and correct tuning, for some nice power increases. Also fuel consumption is increased by about 30% not 50%

If anything made in the last 20 years can take it fuel system wise why do flex fuel and standard vehicles have different lines and seals?

In addition to the money part of it my biggest gripe about ethonal is it takes very little water (AKA condensation) to seperate the alcohol from the gas. Then who knows how much of either you are really running on.

I avoid E10 at all costs which is getting harder to do. I fill my trucks first because they can take it better than my toys to get the crap from the last guy out of the pump before I fill my gas cans. If I was more consistant in my usage it wouldn't be a big deal but depending on what I am doing 5 gallons in a 10-15 gallon tank could either last me a night or a month or two... it is the month or twos that ethonal screws me up. Straight gas = no problem.

My toys are old but they are pretty straight cut about their fuel preferances and at highlighting downsides to ethonal. A newer more modern engine may be able to deal with it but it is still dealing with it vs a more stable/consistant fuel.

 

[kcarsey]

If anything made in the last 20 years can take it fuel system wise why do flex fuel and standard vehicles have different lines and seals?

Do flex fuel and standard vehicles have different lines and seals or is that just an assumption?
I can tell you that they have sensors that are able to detect the amount of Ethanol in the fuel as it comes into the engine. Thats why you can fill up one tank with E10 and fill up the next tank with E85, or any combination in between. This is the main difference between flex fuel and non flex fuel vehicles.

I also have a Honda build going on in addition to my ranger, it is quite common to do an E85 tuned turbo build in a car from early-mid 90's while using lines,components that came on said vehicle from the factory.

All I am saying is, that LOTS of people in the Honda world, and im sure in the Ford v8 world do E85 builds with no adverse affects. If you store your fuel properly, keep tanks full, and use some Ethanol stabilizer the advantages FAR outweigh the small negatives.

 

[Jfive]

If you want a lot of bad info on E85 listen to adsm, or 85ranger. E85 isn't always 85% alchol. In northern states they go down to 70% for better cold starts. Alcohol is less flammable then gas, but so is high octane gas vs. 87 octane gas. When you raise compression, or build boost with a supercharger or turbo, you need higher octane fuel. E85 has 105 octane at 85% ethanol. E98 is 116 octane. Last time I saw E85 at the pump it was under 3.00 a gallon. If you want to run higher compression, or a turbo or supercharger, then using E85 can allow you to make more hp for less then the cost of using leaded race fuels.

 

[pjtoledo]

Do flex fuel and standard vehicles have different lines and seals or is that just an assumption?
I can tell you that they have sensors that are able to detect the amount of Ethanol in the fuel as it comes into the engine. Thats why you can fill up one tank with E10 and fill up the next tank with E85, or any combination in between. This is the main difference between flex fuel and non flex fuel vehicles.

I also have a Honda build going on in addition to my ranger, it is quite common to do an E85 tuned turbo build in a car from early-mid 90's while using lines,components that came on said vehicle from the factory.

All I am saying is, that LOTS of people in the Honda world, and im sure in the Ford v8 world do E85 builds with no adverse affects. If you store your fuel properly, keep tanks full, and use some Ethanol stabilizer the advantages FAR outweigh the small negatives.

and that effin sensor is a Ford only part that retails for well over $650, or at least it did a couple of years ago when my 2000 Ranger needed one.
I've heard the newer systems do it differently, hopefully less expensive to service.



Perry