When I had the engine in my signature in my 80 Vette 2 1/2 years ago, there were plenty of stations around me with 93 octane. It ran great on the 93 without heat or detonation problems.

Now almost all of the 93 octane has vanished along with the most of dedicated Premium hose pumps. Most are single hose for all grades. There were several 100 octane street legal gas pumps that are gone now too. The only one half way close to me now has a price that is scary and makes it not affordable to run.

The 75 has not been on the road for 2 1/2 years either. It is a victim of while I'm at it, but I hope to have it on the road this year. My quandary is at 11.8 to 1, 91 octane may not be up to the task, especially if you get up to a gallon of regular when you fill from a single hose pump. (If that is what the previous customer pumped)

I have 3 carbs, a heavily modified Holley 750 DP I ran before that I dialed in and is flawless. I don't want to mess with this carb as it will always be a fall back. I also have an 850 DP and a 750 Demon.

I am considering the Demon as the victim of my experiment. I know what circuits need to be modified, but I may do another mod "While I'm at it." There are those words again! I have an 850 base that I may put on the 750 Demon. I will need to re-machine the taper under the venturi, but I have no problem with that. Basically, it will be like a Holley 950HP. From talking with E85 people and reading a lot, the 950 HP makes a better E85 carb than an 850. E85 needs a stronger signal at the boosters than gas is what I hear. The 850 does not work as well because of the venturis being packed so tightly together and the radius leading into them being to small. Some say the 4500 series carbs do better if you need a large carb.

I have a 150 GPM electric fuel pump fed by a -10 AN line from the bottom of a new gas tank. -8 (1/2") line goes from the pump all the way to the regulator under the hood. Dual -6 lines go to the carb. So I have the flow needed, the lines and pump are E85 compatible. There are tons of E85 pumps around me and in the surrounding states, soooo, why not?

Anyone else running E85 or has tried too. Suggestions?

 

No opinions? No one has run E85 or done a conversion?

 

Sounds like you're going down the right path. It's about having alcohol friendly soft parts and upjetting (a lot).

I have not gone onto the E85 bandwidth because the closest pump is 15 miles away. Pass.

 

You can walk to 2 stations with E85 from my house and pumps close by to most all the places I go. Minnesota has the highest amount of E85 pumps in the country.

 

Not a E85 fan, the dyno results i have seen dont justify it. Plus in my area E85 isn't at the pumps. I would run 91 and some Lucas Octane booster.

 

This local place setup my friends 421 drag motor to run on e-85. Maybe give Bob a call because it is a common alternative to race gas.

http://www.competitioncarburetion.com/

 

I run E85 in my bike, only problem is if i'am driving on the street i have to make sure i know where the stations are that have it. When i go to the track i only have a half tank and take an extra 2 gallon can with me.

 

Don't want to run octane booster. I have a friend with an oil company who makes one of the boosters on the market. It has manganese in it. It is the most effective booster I have used but it leaves a red deposit on the plugs that will foul them prematurely. Most boosters use toluene or xylene or a mixture of both. They both have very high octane ratings. The problem is it takes way more of it to raise your octane enough to matter than you get in a little can on the shelf of the parts stores. Some boosters use methanol, which is not a good choice at all.

The small gain in power is not what I am looking at E85 for.

 

Thanks George! I may call Bob. I have a buddy who converted to E85 in his BBC powered Anglia drag car. A local shop did his conversion. He is happy. Street is another matter though, but I'm not afraid of the work or the tuning involved.

PS: I saw on the Competition Carburetion web site they build 750's 950' and 4500 series carbs, but no 850 carbs. Must be something to the 850 info I picked up.

 

I don't see any reason to really worry about E85. Make sure you have the fuel GPH, all fuel lines are compatible with ethanol, and then start upping your jetting.

To benefit from it, though, you'd really have to run a motor with the static CR set up for it.

They're popular with forced induction applications because you can up the boost more.

 

What's up with minnesota running E 85?? I noticed that while on vacation. I know some are useing the Ethanol fuel with results, but what kind and why I don't know. I sure would not use it especially in a car which is barely driven. Just my thoughts. Al

 

Good point. It sucks water like brake fluid.

 

Yes, alcohol does like water. I will have a drain on the tank to empty it for times it will be just sitting. I dealt with nitromethane and methanol for decades. Ethanol is not as hygroscopic, corrosive, or volatile. I'm not too worried about that part of it.

 

I run e85 in my 77 has a 406 small block about 12 to 1 compression I really like it could tell a difference between it and gas. I can keep my timing where it runs best and not worry about detonation.

 

And this is what I am looking for!

 

I forgot one important note - E85 can have huge variance in the amount of ethanol.

Read the inconsistent ethanol content section: http://www.injectordynamics.com/AlcoholArticle.html

 

Yes it can vary, that is why you check it for percentage.

I checked out the link. The guy is funny, but he's correct. I know the problems he is talking about. There are ways to deal with them. Gas isn't exactly something you would bet your life on for quality and consistency either these days. I know 91 isn't going to cut it in this engine, at least not at air fuel ratios and timing that would perform to it's potential and my nitrous is a for sure no deal. 93 was good, but I just don't see it around anymore.

 

I'd take the plunge as long as it's available where you are.
And save your time and money trying to convert a carb to E-85. It's taken the guys that are good at it a long time and a lot of money to learn what it takes. I can almost promise you that you'll be frustrated and disappointed and want to toss it all in the trash before you get it right. This is one of those instances that you need to grit your teeth and pay what it takes to be done right.
I'm building a trailered race-only car and it will be E-85. 13:1 LS 6 liter iron block stroked to 402 with a small hairdryer in a stripped '98 Firebird. There are a lot of benefits of E-85 but there are even more folks that won't look at it as long as we're making it from food. Research "energy beets" and you'll see where I think we're headed with this fuel. I hope so, corn is too expensive to produce and it's sugars are too costly to extract.

 

I built and tuned fuel systems for exotic fuels for many years, both carbs and mechanical fuel injection. We used E98 in nitromethane at Bonneville (my partner got some sponsorship from the SD ethanol people.), but I have not set it up for the street. I did set up a blown, mechanical fuel injected, methanol burning Harley for the street once. It was a beast in a custom rigid frame with clip-ons and rear set controls. Not you typical Harley. I digress though.

I rather do it myself. I will get it right. I just needed to talk myself into taking the plunge.