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Anyone try E85 in their stang?

  • Thread starter Thread starter steedastangt
  • Start date Start date Nov 21, 2006
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steedastangt

Founding Member
Aug 29, 2001
141
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newbraunfels,tx
Nov 21, 2006
#1
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #1
I've been wondering if it will work in our cars. I believe its rated at 101 octane. Ive seen tests on it and it increases HP and acceleration in your typical street car. So anyone try it?

If we can't then for what reason?
 

BennyBlown2v

New Member
Dec 9, 2004
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Carmel, INdiana
Nov 21, 2006
#2
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #2
Doesn't work. You would need a retune and huge injectors.
 

bierbelly

Dirty Old Men Need Love Too
Founding Member
Oct 17, 2001
1,598
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58
Sterling, VA
Nov 21, 2006
#3
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #3
Might also need to replace some fuel system components which aren't compatible with the alcohol.
 

merc123

Active Member
Jan 27, 2003
420
2
39
North GA
Nov 21, 2006
#4
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #4
Just try regular racing fuel...
 

speedfreak98r

Banned
Jan 31, 2006
0
0
0
Houston Area
Nov 21, 2006
#5
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #5
E85 blows goats.

Do you ever wonder why our cars run like crap with regular gas in them nowadays? Because its got CORN in it.
 

steedastangt

Founding Member
Aug 29, 2001
141
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newbraunfels,tx
Nov 21, 2006
#6
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #6
speedfreak98r said:
E85 blows goats.

Do you ever wonder why our cars run like crap with regular gas in them nowadays? Because its got CORN in it.
Click to expand...


Why do you say? Its only major bi product is C02. It delivers better gas mileage and acceleration. Costs MUCH less than race gas and yes is a natural bu product of a plant grown by Americans.

I put together a large proposal for a business course my senior year in college. It reconstructed GM's advertising, marketing, and sales strategy for E85 compatable vehicles. I even went to the extent of making story boards for commercials. About 7 months later I saw a commercail which was much like the one i proposed on TV as well as advertising all over the web. I didnt know whether to be interested or pissed off because their stratgey implemented all my ideas for increased sales of E85 comp vehicles in the US.

The reason i started the topic is because in all my research i couldn't find directions on how to convert a gasoline vehicle to accept E85. I just think it would be really cool to pay $2.45 for gas with an octane close to that of race fuel.

-Matt
 

merc123

Active Member
Jan 27, 2003
420
2
39
North GA
Nov 21, 2006
#7
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #7
I pay $5.40/gal for 110 racing fuel.
 

jstreet0204

Active Member
Jun 26, 2003
939
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36
Winston Salem, NC
Nov 21, 2006
#8
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #8
steedastangt said:
Why do you say? Its only major bi product is C02. It delivers better gas mileage and acceleration. Costs MUCH less than race gas and yes is a natural bu product of a plant grown by Americans.

I put together a large proposal for a business course my senior year in college. It reconstructed GM's advertising, marketing, and sales strategy for E85 compatable vehicles. I even went to the extent of making story boards for commercials. About 7 months later I saw a commercail which was much like the one i proposed on TV as well as advertising all over the web. I didnt know whether to be interested or pissed off because their stratgey implemented all my ideas for increased sales of E85 comp vehicles in the US.

The reason i started the topic is because in all my research i couldn't find directions on how to convert a gasoline vehicle to accept E85. I just think it would be really cool to pay $2.45 for gas with an octane close to that of race fuel.

-Matt
Click to expand...

While I don't agree with the guy that said it was crap, you should check your facts on it providing better gas mileage. It actually provides much worse gas mileage since stoich for e85 is around 9.8:1 as opposed to 14.7:1 for gasoline. Meaning it takes a MUCH richer mixture to produce the same results.
 

Venom_Nitrous

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Aug 23, 2002
416
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Spearfish, SD
Nov 21, 2006
#9
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #9
jstreet0204 said:
While I don't agree with the guy that said it was crap, you should check your facts on it providing better gas mileage. It actually provides much worse gas mileage since stoich for e85 is around 9.8:1 as opposed to 14.7:1 for gasoline. Meaning it takes a MUCH richer mixture to produce the same results.
Click to expand...
But just think if they did make a street car that just ran on e85. The reason they suck more gas now is b/c the e85 is being used very inefficiently. They make engines that can run on e85 as well as 85 octane. They are not utilizing the octane rating of the e85. If it were to only run on the e85, they could have a street car that ran well on 12:1-13:1 compression. That would drastically increase the efficiency of the engine and give more miles/gallon than gasoline does. They are using the fuel in an incorrectly set up engine.
 
K

Kilgore Trout

Fried or Broiled ?
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#10
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85
 

jstreet0204

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Jun 26, 2003
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Winston Salem, NC
Nov 21, 2006
#11
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #11
Venom_Nitrous said:
But just think if they did make a street car that just ran on e85. The reason they suck more gas now is b/c the e85 is being used very inefficiently. They make engines that can run on e85 as well as 85 octane. They are not utilizing the octane rating of the e85. If it were to only run on the e85, they could have a street car that ran well on 12:1-13:1 compression. That would drastically increase the efficiency of the engine and give more miles/gallon than gasoline does. They are using the fuel in an incorrectly set up engine.
Click to expand...

Regardless of how effeciently the engine is using the fuel, it does not change the stoich point for e85, so even at a maximium compression and timing settings for the higher octane, it still takes. 30% more fuel to completely burn it, than it would for a gasoline engine. That's not to say you can't make more power by taking advantage of the octane, but the fuel economy will not improve with any fuel that has a lower stoich point.
 
K

Kilgore Trout

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#12
  • Nov 21, 2006
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E85 contains less energy per volume as compared to gasoline. Although E85 contains only 72% of the energy on a gallon-for-gallon basis compared to gasoline, experimenters have seen slightly better fuel mileage than the 28% this difference in energy content implies. For example, recent tests by the National Renewable Energy Lab on fleet vehicles owned by the state of Ohio showed about a 25% reduction in mpg [1] (see table on pg 5) comparing E85 operation to reformulated gasoline in the same flexible fuel vehicle. Results compared against a gasoline-only vehicle were essentially the same, about a 25% reduction in volumetric fuel economy with E85.
 

Superhereaux

chicks make me feel inadequate
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Nov 21, 2006
#13
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #13
corn is a renewable resource, petroleum is not




yeah, it might not get the same mileage gasoline does but if the e85 vehicle runs out of fuel sooner hey guess what, they'll make more


i'm all for e85, bio-diesel and alternative fuels in general. none of that hybrid crap
 

DropTopPony

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Nov 21, 2006
#14
  • Nov 21, 2006
  • #14
I don't mind that its 30% less eficient since its a renewable product that we don't need to buy from 3rd world countries. They need to get on the ball with this and create better ways to grow and harvest these resources. Maybe this will be a benefit from a Democratic House/Congress.
 

BennyBlown2v

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Dec 9, 2004
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Nov 22, 2006
#15
  • Nov 22, 2006
  • #15
Superhereaux said:
corn is a renewable resource, petroleum is not




yeah, it might not get the same mileage gasoline does but if the e85 vehicle runs out of fuel sooner hey guess what, they'll make more


i'm all for e85, bio-diesel and alternative fuels in general. none of that hybrid crap
Click to expand...

Technically petroleum is renewable - just because it comes from the ground and certain areas can be "tapped out" doesn't mean it's not constantly being "renewed" by the forces at work within the planet. I agree E85 is good, as well as BioDiesel (REAL big fan of this stuff).

A few guys I know run E85 in their 4cly race cars (serious race cars, sub 10 second cars) for the street - 100% alch for the strip... That's just as expensive as race gas though so it really comes down to performance:cost ratio.
 

sgarlic

Founding Member
Apr 21, 2001
3,085
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Nov 22, 2006
#16
  • Nov 22, 2006
  • #16
Ahh.. just think, our great great grandkids probably won't even know what gasoline is.
 

jstreet0204

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Jun 26, 2003
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Winston Salem, NC
Nov 22, 2006
#17
  • Nov 22, 2006
  • #17
DropTopPony said:
I don't mind that its 30% less eficient since its a renewable product that we don't need to buy from 3rd world countries. They need to get on the ball with this and create better ways to grow and harvest these resources. Maybe this will be a benefit from a Democratic House/Congress.
Click to expand...

I agree, and to make it clear, I wasn't pointing out the decrease in mileage with E85 because I am against it, just putting the facts out there. If someone makes a choice to use e85 based on cost alone, they need to realize that they will need to fill up more often, so cost goes beyond just the price they see at the pump. I personally would pay more at the pump to minimize out dependence on the middle east.
 

geoffsgt

Member
Aug 7, 2005
176
1
16
Baton Rouge, LA
Nov 22, 2006
#18
  • Nov 22, 2006
  • #18
jstreet0204 said:
I agree, and to make it clear, I wasn't pointing out the decrease in mileage with E85 because I am against it, just putting the facts out there. If someone makes a choice to use e85 based on cost alone, they need to realize that they will need to fill up more often, so cost goes beyond just the price they see at the pump. I personally would pay more at the pump to minimize out dependence on the middle east.
Click to expand...

And with widespread usage, will come lower prices. Assuming production rates grow as compatability spreads... or vice versa.

I'm all for E85, as long as I don't lose any horsepower in the process!

Technically petroleum is renewable - just because it comes from the ground and certain areas can be "tapped out" doesn't mean it's not constantly being "renewed" by the forces at work within the planet.
Click to expand...

Yeah but we're sucking it up faster than it can be renewed
 

jstreet0204

Active Member
Jun 26, 2003
939
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Winston Salem, NC
Nov 22, 2006
#19
  • Nov 22, 2006
  • #19
geoffsgt said:
And with widespread usage, will come lower prices. Assuming production rates grow as compatability spreads... or vice versa.

I'm all for E85, as long as I don't lose any horsepower in the process!
Click to expand...

Loss in power won't be an issue with the higher octane, as long as the cars are tuned to take advantage of it.
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
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the people's republic of massachusetts
Nov 22, 2006
#20
  • Nov 22, 2006
  • #20
Our cars are not desinged to run E85, Fords that can run on E-85 are called flex fuel and mustang is not one of them.

If ou run E-85 you can damage your engine due to the fact that the fuel metering requierments are different for E-85.

The reason fuel mileage decreases with E-85 is because the fuel metering is different, I forget the exact percentage but the PCM has to compensate for E-85 by increasing the amount of fuel for the same amount of air. stoch on E-85 is not 14.7.1 like it is with gasoline. E85 is it more like 9.8.1 or somthing like that.

The maximum safe amount you can run on a car that is not flex fuel equiped is 15 percent, anything over that with the stock PCM programming CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ford service message

19212 1996-2007 MULTIPLE VEHICLES - E-85 ETHANOL AND NON-ETHANOL VEHICLE FUEL REQUIREMENTS
WITH THE RISE IN AVAILABILITY OF E-85 ETHANOL FUEL, CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THEIR VEHICLE FUEL REQUIREMENTS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT E-85 ETHANOL FUEL SHOULD NOT BE USED IN ANY VEHICLE NOT IDENTIFIED AS A FFV ON THE FUEL FILL DOOR. USE OF E-85 FUEL (85% ETHANOL) IN A NON-FFV VEHICLE MAY CAUSE DRIVEABILITY ISSUES, ILLUMINATE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT, AND DAMAGE THE FUEL SYSTEM. CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO CHECK THEIR OWNERS MANUAL AND USE THE FUEL SPECIFIED.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 05/31/2006
 
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