E85 Fuel

[Syclone0044]

I have been meaning to write this, but someone beat me to it before I could finish the research.

I was on another website and I saw a post by a fox body Mustang guy saying "for the guys who like to experiment," he's running E85 fuel in his Mustang and it's a lot cheaper than gas and "it makes good power and is "boost-friendly"." That's all I needed to hear, sounds right up my alley!! He said he was from Southeast Wisconsin so I figured the fuel must be available.

For some reason I thought it must be some type of lame, alternative, "not quite as good" fuel and perhaps the "85" meant "85 octane". I researched it and it's actually 85% Ethanol! 15% gasoline. If you ever looked into running full methanol in your car (or remember the BCM thread where a guy from out of state came on and posted how he did it to his small-block Chevy 400), this is the exact same idea. I interpret E85 as basically a mild version of an alcohol conversion. Here's the main info!:

http://www.e85fuel.com/imgs/E85_tagline.gif

:stare Got anyone's interest yet?? It's obvious why the Mustang guy found it "Boost friendly"! They claim running E85 makes 5% more horsepower (the SBC400 methanol guy said 10% more HP from running 100% methanol, so it makes sense.) The best part is, it's made in the USA and supposedly as cheap as Regular , or cheaper! Imagine filling up with 105 octane ALL THE TIME... I know I would be ecstatic!

Now here's what I need your help, Milwaukee guys. I'm curious to find the current price for E85 but it looks like it's only sold downtown. Here are the stations. Is anyone in the area that could drive past and report back the price?

Citgo
145 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53207
414-483-6398

Citgo
2426 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53211
414-347-1764

Citgo
425 E. Capitol Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414-961-2425

Marathon
4137 W. Fond Du Lac Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53216
414-447-9082

Marathon
10501 Brown Deer Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53224
414-586-0811

http://www.e85fuel.com/ has more info.

Unfortunately you can't just run it in normal vehicles. They list vehicles that already can handle E85. http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php In their FAQ they answer the reasons why you can't just run it. But it sounds like it may actually work anyways, if you're willing to experiment. I'm still looking for more info but if I get enough - I intend to try it in my truck or my car, and record the results on a Wideband O2 and datalog the changes. The risks sound like the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel line o-rings, and fuel injectors. There's more to it - info on the site listed.

[Flight_740]

Ah, I just posted this same thing in the Gas price forum.

[Al]

The catch is that you do not get the same mileage as with gasoling.

BUT, it will get you farther per dollar than the regular stuff.

[Syclone0044]

It's between $2.00 and $2.30 a gallon. Awesome! :thumbsup

I discovered the E85 about 3 days ago but didn't have the time to post it. I feel it warrants starting a new thread, anyway. http://www.ocforums.com/oc_images/images/smilies/gen068.gif

[Syclone0044]

The catch is that you do not get the same mileage as with gasoling.

BUT, it will get you farther per dollar than the regular stuff.
Yeah, 100% methanol race cars require double the fuel to operate. The e85fuels.com website said E85 gets 30% worse mileage, if I remember right.

[Al]

The pump says that it can only run in newer cars.

I'd love to put it in my integra, but I am afraid that it will bring about some new issues.

[juicedimpss]

not trying to be an ass,but why not just call those gas stations for the price..?
you do have the phone numbers listed..

[Cryptic]

my mom's tahoo came with package of info on E85. I stole the T-shirt from it.

It says:
"I Fuel Good"

[animal]

My old ranger had the ford 3.0L dual-fuel engine in it so I knew about E85 long ago. I never found anywhere to buy it to try it out though... plus at the time gas was like 1.20 a gallon so I didn't care.

Gas just went down up here in the falls tho...
2.72 2.82 2.88 respectively.

[animal]

Also found this on another forum:


Flex Fuel Vehicles have an additional sensor that detects the ethanol/gasoline ratio so the computer can adjust the fuel injection and ignition timing to compensate for the different fuel. E85 has a octane rating from100 to 105. The fuel system is also modified so that it is ethanol compatible. (The fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel injectors) Ethanol is corrosive so any part that comes in contact with the fuel has to be upgraded. i.e. stainless steel fuel tank and Teflon lined fuel hoses.

[TransAm12sec]

That sounds cool. A sensor to tell what octane your running.

[Syclone0044]

not trying to be an ass,but why not just call those gas stations for the price..?
you do have the phone numbers listed.. :goof Guilty as charged. Answer: stuck at work right now. If nobody posts the prices I may give the stations a call tonight.

Animal, was there discussion on running E85 in standard vehicles in the forums you were reading? If so - can I take a look at the link?

As far as the sensor , my guess is that it's a Wide Band O2 Sensor since standard narrowband O2 sensors only measure accurately at 14.7:1 which is stoichometric for gasoline but alcohol is stoichometric at 4:1 or so, so obviously E85 would be somewhere in between (leaning towards the alcohol ratio). I'm very curious how the computer would detect and "switch programs". I see a lot of 5.3L Vortec (LS1-style) GM truck engines can run E85. Any of you LS1-Editor people, know if the code has sections that get called for alternative fuel operation??

[Flight_740]

not trying to be an ass,but why not just call those gas stations for the price..?
you do have the phone numbers listed..


I called a few hors ago. thats how I came up with the prices. :thumbsup

[animal]

:goof Guilty as charged. Answer: stuck at work right now. If nobody posts the prices I may give the stations a call tonight.

Animal, was there discussion on running E85 in standard vehicles in the forums you were reading? If so - can I take a look at the link?

As far as the sensor , my guess is that it's a Wide Band O2 Sensor since standard narrowband O2 sensors only measure accurately at 14.7:1 which is stoichometric for gasoline but alcohol is stoichometric at 4:1 or so, so obviously E85 would be somewhere in between (leaning towards the alcohol ratio). I'm very curious how the computer would detect and "switch programs". I see a lot of 5.3L Vortec (LS1-style) GM truck engines can run E85. Any of you LS1-Editor people, know if the code has sections that get called for alternative fuel operation??

It wasn't very good, about 5 posts and one guy posted this and basically ended the conversation about it. I just did a search on E85 on www.nloc.net

[Al]

I do not think that it is a matter of the stoichiometric ratio going in, but the oxygen content coming out the exhaust. Whether wide or narrow band, the sensor will pick up on the O2 levels as being above or below normal, the wide band just does a better job of reporting it to the computer.


BTW- you can get a substance similar to ethanol in your mouth when you eat sugar, it is a byproduct of bacteria and causes cavities. Overall, ethanol is very safe.

[animal]

i thought ethanol is also basically what I get drunk off of also?

[mxman18]

The pump says that it can only run in newer cars.

I'd love to put it in my integra, but I am afraid that it will bring about some new issues.
would i be able to run it in a 2000 ceilca just a thought and since it is a lot cheaper than the other **** i might just have to try it :headbang

[theavenger333]

would i be able to run it in a 2000 ceilca just a thought and since it is a lot cheaper than the other **** i might just have to try it :headbang
:rolleyes: http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php

[lotsals1]

yah the goverment will put a higher tax on it soon once they see alot of their money is being taken away from it.The goverment pays farmers billions of dollars a year to not produce a surplus of corn for ethenol -Once Bush is out of the whitehouse we will be all better off ;)

[Flight_740]

Didnt Doyle just veto the tax relief on gas in wisconsin? Because he already promised the money to the schools. :rolleyes:

[Rocket Power]

Doyle's got his head so far up the Teacher's union's ass he craps textbooks.

[Al]

Doyle's got his head so far up the Teacher's union's ass he craps textbooks.

And then the union purchases more books than they need and throw the extra ones away (because of cash flow issues). At the beginning of the next school year, they do it all over again. Yet this frivilous union is unable to teach kids how to read by the third grade. Surprize surprize!!! Stupid demorcrats.

I've seen the book fraud in person. If I see it again, I'm going to whip out the Louisville Slugger and make sure that that participating individual won't walk straight again.

[Cjburn]

yah the goverment will put a higher tax on it soon once they see alot of their money is being taken away from it.The goverment pays farmers billions of dollars a year to not produce a surplus of corn for ethenol -Once Bush is out of the whitehouse we will be all better off ;)
Yeah, that's because farm subsidies really was started by Bush, sure... :rolleyes:

[Al]

Just remember that Rudolf Diesel presented his idea of an engine which could run off of a byproduct of corn to the worlds fair and he was found floating face-down in the english canal shortly there after.

[Syclone0044]

OK check it out, I have gotten ahold of some advance information... there will be a new E85 Fuel pump in Washington County in approximately 1 month!! The first one in the county. Construction is already under way. Ready for the Location?? (Tom, you listening?) .........



Here it is!!

GOEMAN'S Rapid Mart BP in Slinger on HWY 60 / Kettle Moraine Rd.!! WooHoo!!! :banana (That's just 5 minutes from the EH Wolf / Tri Par gas station a lot of people already get their 110 Leaded and race fuels from.)

[DirtyMax]

EH Wolf / Tri Par gas station a lot of people already get their 110 Leaded and race fuels from


Is this on 175 (Washington) a few blocks north of 60?

What kind of hours do they keep? It would be nice to pick up a splash of race fuel for my quad on the way up north once in a while.

[Syclone0044]

Is this on 175 (Washington) a few blocks north of 60?

What kind of hours do they keep? It would be nice to pick up a splash of race fuel for my quad on the way up north once in a while. The Tri Par is actually ON 175 and 60 intersection. They are open till 10 or 11 PM. No credit card pay after hours for race fuel, unfortunately.

[DirtyMax]

The Tri Par is actually ON 175 and 60 intersection. They are open till 10 or 11 PM. No credit card pay after hours for race fuel, unfortunately.

Thanks! :thumbsup