Just found out a local station sells e-85

[GNVYUS 1]

Novaderrik, your post implies that you have dropped your tank and inspected the inside ( bottom of it or drained it through a pet **** ) since you started running E85 and have not seen any debris inside, is this the case?? Have you also cut open your fuel filter and fuel sock since running E85?

I did drop my tank and drained it and it had an amount of debris and rust I would consider not acceptable to run through my fuel sock/fuel filter on gas let alone E85. I later got it flushed and the shop confirmed that it was in need of a good cleaning. Garaged since day one.

Do you guys actually check this stuff out or just assume that it's ok because you haven't had any problems? So far it looks like you are recommending actions to others ( like replacing a cheap $15 fuel filter after switching to E85 ) that you yourselves have yet to debunk the myths with your personal findings.

bsdlinux

I run 20 gallons a week through my car, no issues. Same fuel filter I was using before I switched.

The above also confirms that you have not yet dropped your tank or cut open your fuel filter since switching to E85. How again is it that you know there is no debris in your tank getting sucked into your fuel sock or fuel filter from E85 to recommend others not worry about the E85 myths with a 21 year old gas tank?

 

[novaderrik]

no, i haven't dropped my tank, and why would i?
the pump still pumps, the filter still filters, the regulator still regulates, and the injectors still inject. everything works, and i'm not upgrading anything, so why would i drop the tank?
in fact, with the exception of my current 81 Ford F250 that had mold growing in the rear gas tank for some reason when i first got it, i've never had any problems with crud in any gas tank on any car or truck i've ever had- and i've had a LOT of cars over the years, most of them 30 years old or older.

 

[GNVYUS 1]

Have you seen any pics of what E85 does to valves and piston tops??
What about just Methanol injection being sprayed once in a while??

If so, you'd see that Ethanol will, within a short matter of time, totally clean the walls of your fuel tank. Thus creating a debris issue which could get sucked through your crudded fuel sock, go through your pump, into your crudded fuel filter and possibly get stuck in your injecting injector which will then go slightly to severely lean if not found and addressed. But in order to find any possible issues, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEM!! It is inevitable that E85 will clean out your tank, you're on the side of it's fine because everything is ok so far, IMO not very sound advice for new enthusiasts getting into E85.

All this because no one will recommend a $15 fuel filter change on a 21 year old gas tank running E85??

BTW, I have a Stainless tank, SS lines and SS filter because I already know the potential problems and $$ issues that could happen with E85.

 

[novaderrik]

ethanol and methanol are two totally different animals.
methanol will eat away at metals like crazy, but ethanol won't.
go buy a gallon of E85 and drop some pieces of aluminum and steel and rubber hose and o rings in it and let it sit and see what happens. i bet you'll be amazed...
what, exactly, did you read that ethanol does to valves and piston tops, anyways? and why does GM sell all those so called "flex fuel" cars and trucks every year with absolutely no changes to the engines, and with the very same warranty as on any other vehicle they sell? how many cars and trucks have been sold in Brazil- where they've run straight ethanol for over 2 decades now- that are exactly the same as what they sell here except for some computer tuning?
and, if it's so bad, then why are those of us that have actually tried the stuff not had any of the problems that are supposed to happen? it's not only a few of us Regal/GN guys running it- i know of several bone stock older carbureted cars and trucks running around in this area that run E85 without any problems except for sluggishness when cold and lower mpg than regular gas.

 

[vacuum 6]

Per this site ethanol does not look bad.

 

[bsdlinux]

Have you seen any pics of what E85 does to valves and piston tops??
What about just Methanol injection being sprayed once in a while??

If so, you'd see that Ethanol will, within a short matter of time, totally clean the walls of your fuel tank. Thus creating a debris issue which could get sucked through your crudded fuel sock, go through your pump, into your crudded fuel filter and possibly get stuck in your injecting injector which will then go slightly to severely lean if not found and addressed. But in order to find any possible issues, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEM!! It is inevitable that E85 will clean out your tank, you're on the side of it's fine because everything is ok so far, IMO not very sound advice for new enthusiasts getting into E85.

All this because no one will recommend a $15 fuel filter change on a 21 year old gas tank running E85??

BTW, I have a Stainless tank, SS lines and SS filter because I already know the potential problems and $$ issues that could happen with E85.

Sounds like you've got it all figured out and in lieu of your comments you've also made alot of assumptions about my testing and my methods and my non-garaged car.

 

[86george]

still learning

I started useing e85 in my alk sprayer last summer and liked it so much that i thought i'd try it in the tank too. I started just buying 5 gal at a time to see if the car would run on it. It ran just fine. I've been playing with the car in the garage all winter burning up last falls fuel. I had to get more fuel so i got 10 gal e70 winterblend. Started a little better still idles fine overall seams to like the 70% blend. Ran the car on the road today a couple wot blasts thru 3rd gear 22psi no knock no other issues. Changed the fuel filter lastnight after it has had e85 in it sense last summer. Cut the filter open to check it out.No debris or ellement issues that i could find.With the fuel in our area being 10% ethanol for years now i don't see how there should be any compatabilty issues.Fuel tanks should have been cleaned years ago. So in my opion if E85 is available in your area you should not be affraid to use it. I said this setting here looking out over 100's of acres of corn being planted around our house and we don't own a single foot of it.

 

[usetaboost]

I can't even remember being able to buy regular gas. Probably been since high school. Everywhere I go everything has 10% ethanol. Even the 93 I use up the street.

 

[V6POWER]

What is the octane rating for E-85?

 

[novaderrik]

What is the octane rating for E-85?

they say its "100+" octane on the stickers on the pump. i think that's the minimum rating for the E70 winter blend, and i've heard that a true 85% blend has 105 octane, with straight alcohol being around 110, i think.

 

[novaderrik]

I started useing e85 in my alk sprayer last summer and liked it so much that i thought i'd try it in the tank too. I started just buying 5 gal at a time to see if the car would run on it. It ran just fine. I've been playing with the car in the garage all winter burning up last falls fuel. I had to get more fuel so i got 10 gal e70 winterblend. Started a little better still idles fine overall seams to like the 70% blend. Ran the car on the road today a couple wot blasts thru 3rd gear 22psi no knock no other issues. Changed the fuel filter lastnight after it has had e85 in it sense last summer. Cut the filter open to check it out.No debris or ellement issues that i could find.With the fuel in our area being 10% ethanol for years now i don't see how there should be any compatabilty issues.Fuel tanks should have been cleaned years ago. So in my opion if E85 is available in your area you should not be affraid to use it. I said this setting here looking out over 100's of acres of corn being planted around our house and we don't own a single foot of it.

you must be doing something wrong, since you didn't clear a bunch of gunk out of your tank and clog everything up. if you figure what you are doing wrong, please let me and the other guys that run the stuff what it is, so we can properly clog our fuel system components like we are supposed to do.
also, if you figure out why your gas tank hasn't rusted out and fallen off yet, please let us know about that, as well..

 

[V6POWER]

Thanks. Too bad I don't have any E85 stations in the area.

 

[86george]

you must be doing something wrong, since you didn't clear a bunch of gunk out of your tank and clog everything up. if you figure what you are doing wrong, please let me and the other guys that run the stuff what it is, so we can properly clog our fuel system components like we are supposed to do.
also, if you figure out why your gas tank hasn't rusted out and fallen off yet, please let us know about that, as well..

I think you're probably right.I must have missed a step some where.I probably didn't use enough discount gas over the years or something . I hate it when i do something wrong like that. I shoudn't have been useing 100 LL AV gas back in the late 80s when Keene Bell said not to.My mistake.Maybe i could get a salvage yard gas tank and start over and see if i can screw up my fuel system the proper way.Maybe write a tech article on the proper way to distroy your fuel system in easy to follow steps or something. Just a thought. Enjoy the clean burn. George

 

[86george]

I can't even remember being able to buy regular gas. Probably been since high school. Everywhere I go everything has 10% ethanol. Even the 93 I use up the street.

We haven't had straight gas here sense the early 80s.Early on they didn't say they were selling 10% ethnol. Then the pumps started saying the gas might have 10% ethnol. I was in to 2 wheel touring at that time and noticed mpg drop. If i filled up in Mich or Wis the mpg would go back up so i knew there was something going on with the gas.Always ran ok just didn't get the same mpg.

 

[GNVYUS 1]

I have an E85 car, and it will clean sensors and the tops of pistons like Methanol will, that goes along with my point of it cleaning your fuel tank which is why you should change your fuel filter after 1k miles. Have you guys checked your plugs since changing to E85 at least, notice anything different than gas??

These are not myths like stated in this thread, ethanol could clean some GN owners dirty, rusted tank and create a possible issue. Don't see the point in saying changing fuel filters is a myth when Ethanol will do exactly what I stated.

bsdlinux, I take it your vague post means you've yet to drop your tank and check your fuel filter since running it on E85 correct? Hard to be a Mythbuster when you have NO proof yourself to bust them with. All this myth busting so you can say you run the car stock on E85 to board members.

 

[novaderrik]

it cleans the tops of the pistons the the way it does becasue it burns so clean- when burning gas, the carbon on the pistons is constantly being replenished, whereas with a heavy mix of ethanol, there is virtually no carbon residue, so the carbon that is there gets blown off and not replaced. the same thing happens in the exhaust pipes after combustion.
and this has NOTHING to do with what it's going to do on the other side of things before it gets squirted into the intake port..
any car that has been driven in an area that has had blended gas for any period of time should have no issues with crap getting cleaned out of the tank and sucked into the pump- look at the areas where E85 is readily available, and most of those places have had blended gas for the better part of 20 years now. any problems that older cars were going to have with the new gas have been taken care of for 15-20 years now. and i don't know of too many old cars that had any problems with blended fuel over the years.

 

[86george]

I have an E85 car, and it will clean sensors and the tops of pistons like Methanol will, that goes along with my point of it cleaning your fuel tank which is why you should change your fuel filter after 1k miles. Have you guys checked your plugs since changing to E85 at least, notice anything different than gas??

These are not myths like stated in this thread, ethanol could clean some GN owners dirty, rusted tank and create a possible issue. Don't see the point in saying changing fuel filters is a myth when Ethanol will do exactly what I stated.

bsdlinux, I take it your vague post means you've yet to drop your tank and check your fuel filter since running it on E85 correct? Hard to be a Mythbuster when you have NO proof yourself to bust them with. All this myth busting so you can say you run the car stock on E85 to board members.

Dr. Boost, I agree that when you first start useing e85 you should change the filter soon and often until you're confindent that you're not clogging up things. The intank pick up sock could clog rather easily. I have a external pump and don't use a pickup sock. I like to prefilter any fuel that i put in from 5 gal cans. Coffee filters in the funnel seam to work for this. I changed my filter last week cut it open and couldn't find any crud in there. Bought new set of plugs to install. Old plugs had light white color to them gaps still good.Reinstalled old plugs . Don't need new plugs yet.My car seams to prefer a 70% blend so i'm doing a 4 gal e85 & 1 gal 93 mix before i put in tne tank.By my math that should be close to a 70% blend.I'm useing a tt 93 chip and e85 in the spray also.I allso have a tt 108 chip that i've yet to try with e85.I know i'm not supposed to run e85 with 42 lb injecters but i think if i spray e85 too i should be ok up to 24/25lbs. Want do you think?

 

[J-B Racing]

I just found a place close by. Since I am in Canada here the fuel is sold in Litres = $1.29 which would make it about $5.16 Gallon. Is that a good price?
I am going to run my car on this and see how that goes..

Joe

 

[MrMNTTA]

I just found a place close by. Since I am in Canada here the fuel is sold in Litres = $1.29 which would make it about $5.16 Gallon. Is that a good price?
I am going to run my car on this and see how that goes..

Joe

Near me in Minnesota, E85 is about $2.85/gallon.

$5.16 for E85......

 

[J-B Racing]

Near me in Minnesota, E85 is about $2.85/gallon.

$5.16 for E85......

Ya...Always more expensive up here..:frown: