KJL

Just curious. I have heard there can be significant HP gains running 100% E85 provided that your carb is setup to run it. I am skeptical. Also concerned about what it may do to me mechanical pump diaphragm. It is a Holley high volume pump, don't know if it is E85 rated. It will need to pump more of it as well. All rubber lines must go but what about AN braided lines? Are Russel lines E85 safe? Will it damage the stock steel lines that run from the tank to the engine compartment?

v2racing

Do a search online for E85 conversion and use on street and racing. There is a lot of info from people using it. Most of the negatives come from people who have never used it. The people who do use it seem to love it. They say most of the problems from the doom and gloomers just doesn't happen.

I have thought about switching over to it. I wish I would have gone with domed pistons and at least 12.5 to 1, 13.5 would be even better. It will run good properly tuned at any compression, there is just quite a bit more power available with high compression that you could never run on the street with gasoline. I could run boost on top of my 11.8 to 1 compression and get away with it, although not high boost. 7 to 10 pounds would be doable.

E85 is everywhere up here in Minnesota. You can even go on trips to South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa without problems finding it.

Mike

KJL

I never considered boost but now that you mention it.... I am running an 11:1 ratio. E85 is not that plentiful in the Atlanta area. I am starting to see more and more of it however. I guess I am curious as to how much more power can be had using this stuff without any hardware changes...only tuning.

gkull

Very minor if any gain in power. We run it in a drag car for the past 8 years.

If the ethanol level is truly at 85% it is equal to about 105 octane race gas. So to use 105 you need over 12.5 C/R in N/A motors to actually take advantage of the higher octane.


Boosted motors like the modern vettes like it because they end up running full advance all the time because of the knock resistance.


Read up on it some articles claim 2 % TQ and 1 % because of the cooling effect. We had a years worth of time slips and all we did is sent the carb out to run e85 and the times slips were just about the same, because the air is always a changing variable throughout the day.


Don't believe that you get magical power and the lower compression can't even take advantage of it. The 66 nova is a 421 ci with 13.8 C/R

KJL

Dusky

From a chemist's point of view I can 't see it improving power by just swapping to E85.
Would need some more compression and timing to make use of it.

Rescue Rogers

You asked for it, and they already did it. Here you go.


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...0F39&FORM=VIRE


Its over $3 a gallon up here, I could get race gas for the same price so its not worth the invesstment for me. If I was out west( back in Utah) it would be way cheaper

Milan454

I've been running E85 for the last 12 years in my blown 67 Camaro. I went to E85 because it loves boost! I ran a regular carter strip pump for 6 years without issue.

KJL

v2racing

Where do you buy race gas for $3.00 a gallon? Torco 112 is over $10.00 a gallon, Sunoco 110 is around $11.00 per gallon. VP C12 is $15 a gallon. These are very common race fuels and the biggest sellers of each company. The higher octane specialty race fuels can go over $25.00 a gallon.

Mike

gkull

Mike he is probably talking about the 100 octane unleaded that some gas stations have. Here it is $4.00 something

Rescue Rogers

wish there was some around here. I met a few guys that have a sorce for 50 gallon barrels. We only have the pump gas 110 octane leaded at $10 per gallon

v2racing

Yes, we have that here too, but it's about $6.99 a gallon. I plan on mixing that with 93 BP premium for mine this year. I'm still contemplating E85 though.

Mike

gkull

Over octane is a waste. don't you have enough cam that you never ping! When I had too small of a solid roller it would rattle going down a level highway in OD at 70 mph. I just bought another solid roller with 6 more degrees at .050 and everything has been good for many years.

The problem with e-85 is that you make an E-85 fuel only carb. the jets have to flow @ 30% more. I use alki needle and seat which is the biggest dia. then you need the sinkless floats

v2racing

I have enough cam to make power up over 7000 rpm with these heads. I ran this engine on BP 93 octane when it was in my 80, but I had to limit my initial timing to 14 degrees and how quick I brought it in. Now i'm setting my initial up at 20 degrees and bringing in 34 degrees full advance quicker in the rpm range, so it will need a little better fuel. I have a switch wired to my MSD Digital 6 Plus that can pull out from .9 degrees to 9.9 degrees. I figure between removing 4 to 6 degrees with the switch will let me cruise safely on straight pump premium if I am stuck running that.

Mike

Milan454

KJL I ran 12:1 pistons with 8 pounds of boost and it ran great. You will need to go with a MLS head gasket but yes you can run boost and hi compression pistons provided you do the ancillary work required otherwise it will run like a raped ape in till it pushes a gasket.

v2racing

Boost on top of 12 to 1! I'll bet that sounded crisp!

Mike

Milan454

Sounded awesome for a while then it made a mess. We run o-rings now.