I want to run E85 (100-105 octane) in a motor I built for 92 octane.

I'm thinking I can run E85, Change to a Higher RPM blower pulley and make higher boost.

Increase HP & decrease Gas Cost!

With the cost of High octane it might be a good way to go, I dono...

Really I should be running Av gas but 92 octane will do for now.

Specs:
355sbc
4340 Crank/Rods w/L-19's
Crane Roller sys w/ mild cam
Pro1 Heads 2.05/1.60 Faria SS valves
750 Demons w/ TBS 671 with 8PSI's Water intercooled
JE Blower pistons w/gappless rings
All MSD

YouTube dyno of my motor

youtube.com/watch?v=-fnGh_hPfV8

I wounder if anyone out there has any thought's???

Jet's, timming etc...

Thanks  Steve  

Would make some awesome power numbers. For my next motor build im thinking a 400 (bowtie block) ran on E85. To run alcahol you might need fuel system and cark work. It also requires more to be used (richer mix) so milage will go down. Also burns cooler.  

You will have to upgrade your fuel system for E85 because like alcohol, it takes quite a bit more fuel to feed the engine because it doesnt have the energy that gas does. You will also have to convert your carb to E85. CHP just done an article on the carb conversion that might help, or it may have been Hotrod Mag. Sorry dont remember. But anyway maybe that will help.  

DON'T DO IT!

Corn costs are going through the roof right now, and the cost of E85 fuel is gonna be skyrocketing because of it.

Now, you mention you should be running Av gas in your motor, why? low octane av gas usually runs about 112-115 octane. If you were running a ton of boost I could understand, but with only 8 psi the need for that high an octane isn't there. I work with Mustang guys that run 8 psi on 93-octane with no problem.

If you're worried about detonation, install a water/methanol injection system from a comapny like Snow Performance.

The guy's right above, you're gonna have to modify the fuel system, because you'll need to pump more fuel into the motor to make power because alcohol has less potential energy than gasoline. You'll also need ot be prepared for the corrosive aspects of alcohol based fuel and be ready to change any aluminum fuel fittings you have on your fuel system.  

Good choice!

All of the rear wheel horsepower champions last year ran e85 ethanol, ALL!  

Ethanol does have less energy content than gasoline,BUT you can run much higher compression ratios than gas and that gives you some of your mileage back.  If you were to run pure ethanol in your motor wich is 113 octane you would have a fuel that would contain 40 percent less energy than 92 octane gasoline BUT, you would also be able to increase your compression ratio from 10.00 to one to 14.00 to one.  Everything else being the same you will overall lose about 20 percent in milelage but you will gain 100 horsepower.  If you are running a blower and switch to E85 you will now be able to really put your timming into this thing and let it breath.  Your temps will be much lower and your tunning will become easier.

When you talk about E85 you have to completly change your way of approach to your engine.  You already have stainless valves and that is a MUST.  Ethanol is not going to corrode them, but it will warp them sometimes because of the cooling effect of alcohol.  The fuel system will have to be upgraded to handle ethanol fuel.  Ethanol will attack aluminum, copper, and some other non-ferrous metals.  I have been running an aluminum manifold with E85 and have noticed over the last two years a slight grey to white discoloration in the metal.  The fuel that really does damage is methanol - it is extremly corrosive and should only be used sparingly on the street.

Bottom line is that ethanol, gasoline and gold are all going up!  I don't think that any of us got into this thing to save fuel.  Ethanol will follow gasoline in its rise in price.  A blower motor running e85 will BLOW any 92 octane gas motor off the road and you will have less problems with heat and detonation.

Here are a few places to look for some products that can help.

e85carbs.com   -   These guys know there stuff

speedomotive.com

Vic Edelbrock is comming out wiht his e85 carbs as soon as they have testing completed.  

Contact any of the circle track guys in your area that runn alcohol motors and they can send you to the right supply houses.

Good choice on the ethanol! Get ready to blow the doors off the gas guys!         chris  

E85 is the way to go Steve. My web site www.RaceonE85.com and racing experience may help you answer a few questions. Thanks for your interest in E85.
Regards, Heath  

Check out this guy's web site - BAD ASS!  You burn it and I will grow it.  This guy knows his stuff.  Those cars are on!     chris  

Check out the E85 Corvette on this site.  Get on the train or get out of the way, E85 comming.  I am sorry your gas motors are weak but, pull to the right.  I am sorry your low compression motors suck but you can still convert over.  Are you ready for a whole new time in hotrodding?  Let's go back to the high compression motors of the 60's and pick up where gas left off.  Rememmber ETHEL?  That stands for ETHANOL GAS!  E85 does not have the lead in it so you will have to put in hardend valve seats - othe than that - change your oil and say goooood by to the ARABS.     chris  

Shut up...

Double, triple posts just to spam something you wrongly think is going to save the world...

Only someone as ignorant as you would think that alcohol is going to sweep the nation with it's newfound power advantages over gas.  

I am guessing that the GURU is weak and looking like RAGU right now.  Weak ass gas motor and has never built a alcohol race motor.  The guys here at the shop are willing to bet that you don't even work on motors AT ALL!  Where is your proof FAGU that your gas motors are better?  Isn't mom calling you to dinner right now?  The saudie's need you - weak ass gas motor guy.  You had better go to bed and dream of a world that yoused to just have pump gas in it.  That sound you heard was another E85 car passing your weak pump gas asssssss!  

corn prices are going through the roof because of all of the flooding down south. you can make e85 at home with potatoes... its easy. i make moonshine with apples and grapes. you can make your own race fuel, and idk what it is called, but i have this thing that tests the octane. and there you go!  

You think you're so cool, you and your buddies blowin' my doors off with your corn-burners, it really means a lot coming from a message board...

Like I keep saying, this isn't anything new. Alcohol makes more outright power than gasoline, but it still has a lower specific output and takes three times as much to do it.  

It does not take three times more fuel.  E85 has about 30% less energy than 93 octane gasoline, BUT you can run much higher compression ratios and that will give alot of your mileage back through more efficent combustion.  There are millions of e85 compatible cars on the road and they do not get 3 times less mileage.  If there were a way to vary their compression ratio there mileage would be almost the same as gasoline.  They are going to be coming out with systems from Europe that use computer controlled turbo with fuel injection systems that sense and adjust for ethanol content in fuel - taking way advantage of the ethanol in power and comprable gas mileage.  

Ethanol has it's greatest advantage when any kind of a blower application is used.  Not only with the detonation ressistance, but the cooling effect widens your tunning area and takes the heat out that destroys motors.  The one thing that a person needs to be aware of is make sure all of your seels are ethanol cappable on your roots type blower.  ALL companies that make roots type blowers should have experience with alcohol motors or they should not be in the game.

One other thing is oil and ethanol.  I use MOBILE1 synthetic and change about every 3000 miles or less.  I have never had a problem with reaction with ethanol and none of the millions of new e85 cars have problems or call for any special oil.  That said - I personnaly will stay with synthetic oil and keep changing often.

Bottom line - if you are worried about less gas mileage then go get a hybrid.  The differece in price and mileage  makes e85 the same price as 92 octane gas just because e85 is cheaper and will alsways be cheaper.  The difference in horsepower is great, and the amount of engine protection that ethanol gives you over crappy, expensive pump gas is huge.  

Synthetic oil changed every 3000 miles or less! Wow!

You're completely defeating your purpose of using alcohol fuel, it's costing you more money than gasoline would! We all know your mileage dropped significantly but you're buying WAY too much oil.

3 times as much is rounding up.  

Changing seven quarts of oil every three thousand miles is nothing, that's equal to about a gallon and a half of gasoline.  It's the huge number of barrels of oil that a car burns that matters.  We are here laughing right now - I don't even think you know math let alone chevy motors.  You are talking about mileage drop but you have never built any alcohol motors so you would not know, in fact are bet is you don't know squat!  Get to your point - what purpose are you talking about, you don't know ANYTHING about alcohol or its production or its distribution or how it works!  You don't know a damm thing about the science of this fuel or it's history.  You make broad statements that don't make any sense or have any proof.  If you think that me or anyone on this site is not telling you the truth then call us out and make us show the facts, or produce something that proves us wrong - other than that shut the *** Up and go look this stuff up for yourself.  So you are saying that if I were buying twenty gallons of gasoline a week, If I used E85 I would have to buy SIXTY gallons to go the same distance.  YOU ARE SMOKING CRACK -   SHOW ME

If you have a chevy suburban that you put in 30 gallons a week of premium gas wich is $4.30 cents a gallon you will now have to put in 36 gallons of E85 to go the same distance, except the E85 will only cost you $3.50.  The big difference is that the E85 was made buy farmers that used diesel to grow whatever to make ethanol.  This process gives the ethanol an energy advantage of about 1.5 to 1.  If you put in 100 Btu's of energy from diesel you will get 150 Btu's of ethanol out.  This accounts for all of the shipping, planting, refining and spillage.  Please look this up and tell me that I am wrong because if you do - I will somke your ass with more numbers than you have ever seen.  chris