E85 vs gas

[fivespeed3.0]

I've got a 2000 ranger with a 3.0 Flex Fuel. In the cold months if I run E-85, upon cold start up, the engine stumbles when I push on the gas, but if I run gas, this does not happen. Also, anytime during the year, running gas, after fully warmed up, driving down the highway, when I punch it, I hear what sounds like lifer noise, but this does not occur when I run E-85. Also, gets better with mid-grade gas versus regular, but does not go away. Is it just an octane problem, or is it mechanical? Any ideas?

 

[Froggmann]

Pinging issues are common to the 3.0, as is the winter issue with E-85 from my experience. Personally I don't run E-85 from Oct thru March.

Run several tanks of E-85 through it, the truck will run better on gas and it will probably help with the pinging issue.

A 180 t-stat also does wonders for pinging.

 

[fivespeed3.0]

E85 vs Gas

Thanks for the reply,

I've run E-85 all summer, then switched to gas about a week ago, then experienced the pinging while using gas. I don't get pinging with E-85, but get the starting issues with E-85 in cold weather. Other than that, the performance is noticeably better with the E-85 both in summer, and after warming up in cold months, but mileage suffers.
Will switching to the 180 t-stat cause other issues? Mileage? Performance? Reliability?

Thanks again

 

[McCormack]

Will switching to the 180 t-stat cause other issues? Mileage? Performance? Reliability?

Better mileage. Better performance. Better reliability. But thermostats are only a couple of bucks and don't take very long to install, so throw one in and if it doesn't work out for you, you can always go back to stock.

 

[Froggmann]

The t-stat made no difference in fuel economy in my truck, but it dramatically helped with pinging, the engine runs a lot smoother and power was slightly improved.