I am looking to upgrade my car to run on E85 exclusively. Here in MI, it is a tossup as to whether there are more Starbucks or E85 pumps near my house. The reasoning behind this move is as follows: My car at its most recent upgrade did 930AWHP on C16 around 26Psi and currently runs 700AWHP on 93. As much as I enjoy this car, I have very little time for it anymore with family and business commitments. I have spent much time and much more money building this motor only to run it at pump gas levels. I dont have the time, or patience to be swapping fuels and draining tanks. I want to run one fuel only and I think E85 is the ticket. I am not spending another nickel on this car as far as hardware upgrades are concerned,there is nothing left to upgrade, but I am interested in feedback from other members and even tuners on their experiences with E85. I would like to tune the car to the max with the current system I have and then control power via the EBC as opposed to a specific file. My fuel system is good for 1400 HP so it is not a concern. The injectors are 83 lb units and are the same that Joe and Bryant have in their vehicles which are are making 1100 hp or so. I would think this is enough injector even given the 20-30% increase in injector cycle needed for this fuel. The bottom line is I want to drive my car near the power levels it was built to achieve every time I turn the key, instead of rare occasions where I have the proper fuel. I really dont care about the ultimate power number, but if I would like to get 850-900 rwhp( RWD car now) every single day on fuel I can buy locally at the pump. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Kevin

 

kevin,
cant blame you for wanting to switch to e85, its cheap and makes alot of power.

one problem is that in cold , e85 down grades a good bit amount of points , to like e75or lower, and i know its cold up there at times, so you will have to keep an eye on that , lower boost levels , keep a eye on the afr's etc.

and also cold start on e85 can be finicky..

secondly, e85 requires ALOT more fuel then your conventional gasoline fuel system. so you may want to check with evoms on this , but i think you will have to swap out out for a bigger fuel system. double check with the evoms guys though.i know chris green has his fuel system complete for 2500 with everything you need. and about 7 hrs or so labor to instal .

other then that bro , its a no brainer more power for 1/4 the cots of race gas , like you said you want to run some one you can do it , and not get cought with 93 oct in there.

lots of boost and a alot of timing , oh and the fact that it runs much cooler dont hurt either ..

 

Happy New year kevin! I just got back from Clawson and noticed a few E85 pumps around in passing. You do need more fuel system, usually about double the injector, unless you don't plan to run full kill potential. I have also considered this, but the LACK of E85 around here is a hinderance. That's why I went the Meth route, not quite race gas, but very simple and inexpensive also. I don't seem to enjoy my car as much lately either and would definitely consider E85 if it ever comes around here. Chris Green has a really nice setup now that I would consider. You might PM him, if he doesn't see this first.

 

I really don't think that the injectors that you have will be even close to enough... I run ethanol on my cars since the 90's ... A 996 turbo S with 690whp is almost out of fuel.
First check what kind of lines do you have, pump and you go from there.... the fact that you don't drive your car that much is not good either, as you can get your fuel filter clogged pretty easily ...

 

Mike, did you get some world class ribs at the Oxford Inn while in the Royal Oak area? Best ribs in town! I found out that nearly every Meijer shopping center has E85, until you start looking you just dont notice. 4 pumps in a 5 mile radius makes it an ideal choice for me. I dont need to upgrade the fuel system I wouldnt think, other than injector. The fuel pumps and lines are rated to 1400hp and is the same system on EVOMS 4 liter car , as well as Joe and Bryants cars. I really dont even want to upgrade the injectors. My thinking being that if Joe and Bryant are making 25% more power than me with the same injector, I HOPEFULLY will be able to squeeze 850-900 out of mine on e85. I hate to admit it, but I am maturing... I dont care about glory numbers anymore. 850-900 everyday is better than one shot dyno numbers!

UNVMY996, thanks for the advice. I do know that the ethanol rating does drop around here in the winter. I was going to install the Zeitronix ethanol sensor that gives a real time readout of the ethanol content as a percentage, I also like the fact one file will be fine and power can be adjusted up or down with the EBC. Is your car running E85? When does the outside temp affect startup... 50 deg, 40 deg...lower?

Thanks guys!

 

I have a hugely upgraded car and fuel system. It is just a matter of injector. I do drive the car, just not as much as I used to or would like to. Thanks

 

Nah, no ribs for me, only there for 3 days and spent most of the time hanging out, eating, and skating with the kids...made it home last Sunday JUST as the storm was starting...

I don't think you have anywhere near the injector you need for the power level you desire, but smarter more knowledgable people will chime in for sure...E85 is also more corrosive, so even though you have enough fuel system, sizewise, (injectors notwithstanding) you may need to change some pieces parts here and there...

 

That's too bad, I really dont want to spend anymore on this car. Tuning is fine, hardware beyond injectors might be a deal breaker

 

Kevin
I do not know who is using the largest injectors but I have 100 lb in my turbo and after this you really get into drivability issues?? I am not certain but the larger the injector the more problems you will encounter for a street car? Just food for thought.
Happy New Year
Robert

 

Yep. The same injector that supplies fuel at 1000hp still has to make the car idle and drive around at part throttle...tough job and delicate balance. This ALSO depends on what injector you run. I know you know, but you will absolutely need more tuning for this switch over too...

 

I'm switching over to 200lb high imp. injectors here REALLY soon.

 

To get close to enough injector flow i think your injectors will need to be nearly doubled in size.

In the supra world(relevant as its 6cyl also) most guys at the 850-900hp level run 1600 cc/min or larger injectors as opposed to your 83lb/hr(870cc/min).

Ta

 

Kevin,

I believe you will like ethanol, especially if fuel sources are abundant. We went with ethanol utilizing a couple of twists. We utilized dual injectors (great response from idle to redline and everything in between) which I realize would be more expense than you want.

Another trick we utilized was to eliminate the stock ignition and coils and replaced them with a Pulsed CDI system and different coils. Ethanol is unlike gas. Gas ignites and the flame front burns rather quickly. Ethanol ignites and the flame front burns almost all the way down the liner. Pulsed ignition can really make a difference. The Pulsed CDI and coils will set you back about 4K.

We also utilized an Aquamist system. This in conjunction with the ethanol eliminates any issues with detonation at any boost level. In your case I believe this would be a good move.

 

Spoke with Todd about thus when he was down. U will need bigger injectors and a tune. U have the same fuel system as me, joe and bryant

 

Chad, thanks for the input, but as you can imagine you are in another world, perhaps another galaxy and there is a slight chance it is another universe to me. I appreciate the input, but I have spent much, upgraded more and am just trying to get an everyday fuel that will get me more power than 700 on 93. I really have spent as much as I care to spend on this car. A few more dollars on tuning and minor hardware is OK, but a wholesale re-do is out. Thank you.

Rob, happy New Year to you as well! Are you saying youy are having driveability issues now, or that the next injector upgrade will be an issue? I really like the fact my car idles pefectly,never stalls and is generally OK with cold starts. Not sure I want to give any of that up.

Mike, thanks. Let me get and umbrella while you rain on my parade!

JC, thanks for the input. I am not sure how I get to double the size injector for what has been said is a 30% upgrade in fuel, but that is why we ask questions

Thanks!