Hi.
I have an 85 4+3 z-51 modified . Stock bottom with new pistons with .5 higher compressionratio and a larger cam.
The possebility that E85 will come more and more in is big.
Then what do I do to convert the car to this fuel and also possible to have a dual modus both normal fuel and E85?
Have heard that the Orings and fuelpump and the feedbackvalve in the tank and may be the membrane in the fuel pressure regulator. How about the movable rubber part in the fuel lines?

HAs anybody done a convertion to E85??

It has much higher octane number about 104 I have heard , and then I can put new heads on with higher compression ratios.

Curious about comments and recommendations

 

Changing out all the rubber parts and o-rings to something alky friendly.
Larger injectors (about 30% larger), and some prom tuning.

I'll probably do the same thing once E85 is available around here.

-- Joe

 

You will also need a stainless steel fuel tank and fuel lines and a different fuel pump

 

Motorweek had an episode that explained the differences.

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/goss/2706.shtml
Way more to it than you think girls!

 

Thanks for the answers.
Why a stainless steel tank and fuel lines?

ARe there any place where one can buy these rubber O-rings and fuel pumps?

 

Because the ethanol eats up other metals.Stanadyne is a big OEM supplier hear in Connecticut.I have friends that work there and they told me they have a heck of a time making parts to stand up to E85.

 

Don't confuse the newer E85 that is becoming available with the much more common 10% Ethanol that is readily available now.

You will not need to convert your car for the 10% stuff.

E85 fuel does require a completely different setup, and some cars are coming from the factory now to use it. FlexFuel cars.

But they are not going to make you convert any current cars.

 

You think you have expenses now with a 23 year old car, change it to E85 and then see what your repair bills are. You would probably stand a better chance running straight alchlol. Nothing is compatiable with E85 on your car. Hoses, fuel lines, gas tank, sending unit, pump in tank, gaskets in throttle body, injectors, I am sure I missed something.
Gene

 

Well as far as 10% blend not doing anything to our cars I wouldn't bet on it .Maybe in the short run who knows? they thought MBTE was safe and used it for years until it started eating threw the gas holding tanks at gas stations and polluting the ground water.

 

I wouldn't convert if they gave me the stuff for free! E85 is WAY over hypped! It takes more energy to produce a gallon of it than you get out of it. It will take almost 80% of Americas farmland to supply enough ethanol for this country, and we can't supply the food needs on just the other 20%. Aditionally the corn still needs fertilizer that has many fossil fuel components in it, and all the farming & transportation energy to deal with would use up almost as much energy as you could produce. Ethanol is still a good idea for an aditional energy source, but is a bad idea as a replacement for motor fuel. Watch for a huge backlash in the stock prices of ethanol based energy companys when the public catches on to this. Legislators are quick to jump on the "alky" bandwagon, but try as the may, they still can't change the laws of physics or thermodynamics.

 

The octane rating of E85 is higher than ordinary gas so if you are running forced injection its a good idea to use it, if not I wouldn´t bother. One guy here tried it on his blower C5: gasoline 531hp/711Nm @ 6000rpm and with E85 620hp/804Nm. To my knowledge, E85 is not corrosive on metals and several people are running this stuff in C4´s without problems, have a look at JoBy´s turbo C4 - he is running E85. When I used about 50% E85 in my C4, I had to install a heated Lambda sensor due to the lower temperature of the exhaust gases and reprogram my ECU but that was all I did.

There have been some problems reported E85 dries out rubber but on my -90 C4 the rubber lines are fluorinated which should be E85 resistant and I also replaced the o-rings with Viton. I recall someone stated that all rubber parts in contact with fuel in the C4 was upgraded (don´t know what year) to be compatible to the additives used in the gas. The E85 is probably a lot less agressive compared to these additives. I think many people mix up ethanol and methanol, two entire different things with respect to corrosive properties. Talking environmental impact, I agree with Klondike that E85 is not the solution for a "sustainable" fuel.

Jan-Erik; have a look at http://www.etanol.nu/, it´s in Swedish but I don´t think it will be any problem for you to understand it.

 

Lots of new stuff, Corvette racing goes green with E85 ethanol fuel in 2008 American Le Mans Series.

Another example:

The Coskata process that GM is promoting can use a wide range of different feedstocks to produce ethanol. Materials ranging from agricultural waste to purpose grown crops that can be raised on marginal lands (switchgrass being the most widely known example of this) to waste materials such as old tires and even municipal waste streams can all be used as the raw materials that can be turned into ethanol with very little to zero landfill waste.

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1286/

I will convert over when E85 is cheap. $1 a gallon would be nice!

 

One of reasons for introducing vehicle ethanol is to establish an infra structure (filling stations) and when the second generation ethanol production starts it will also be a lot less environmentally hazardous. Volvo put their money into this; http://www.sekab.com/default.asp?id=2011&refid=2041

BTW Michael Woods, the US Ambassadour in Sweden has now gotten the approval from the Swedish Road Administration to convert his armoured Cadillac (or was it a Lincoln) to run on E85

 

More GREEN hype, as I see it. I won't use the stuff unless I'm forced to do so and I can't forsee any possibility of that.

Billy

 

Perhaps you should read more.

I can't wait for e85 to be available locally.

It's kinda like the "fuel infection" arguments in the 80s. Guys who just were not smart enough to understand it, would poke fun at it.

-- Joe

 

If you manufacture a NEW vehicle designed for it, fine. Trying to convert an existing vehicle would be a major rebuild. Besides the whole fuel system, there are valves, heads & other metals that alky is not frendly with, that all would have to be changed. I think alcohol would be great fuel for power plants & turbine equipment built for it. I just think trying to convert an existing gas vehicle would cost way more than any benefit you would realize on fuel costs.

 

Unless you supercharge or turbo you will not se any major performance gains.

I have run my 84 a few years in E85 now. I use steel braided teflon fuel hoses in the engine compartment. Other than that I use regular gas parts. (Injectors, reguator, filters, pumps)

Ethanol is not at all as corosive as Methanol ...

 

I'm not really looking at it from a 'performance gain'. More, of a "we can run more advance on that supercharged car now!" and "wow, this is cheaper than paying $8.00 a gallon for 103 leaded".

Most people I talk to agree with you that, other than replacing a few fuel components its just larger injectors and tuning.

-- Joe

 

I dont know this for 100% fact, but, while traveling, along I75, E85 was selling for @ 1.85 gallon. Sounds great right? Upon coming home, a guy I work with has a flex fuel Dodge truck (new) that runs both. After asking a few questions, he says that while burning the E85, his fuel milage drops almost in half! So, a 1.85 doubled is 3.70 cents! Wheres the savings? And factor in the price of food/milk etc going up, which there was just a news story of beer going up due to the E85 so it is happening!.I dont see it, no way.

 

Not half, 70%. E85 becomes a "deal" once it reaches about $1.40 a gallon, which once they start using sugar cane rather than corn should be a reality.


Beer is going up due to hops crops failing, and general hops shortages world-wide. Not due to e85.

-- Joe