I switched my car over to E85 last weekend because I wanted to see if I could make any more power with it, and wanted to solve my detonation issues when the engine heated up to 190 degrees. The end result is the E85 switch was very easy to do and tune for, and the car runs great. (I already had larger E85 injectors and a larger fuel pump installed) It picked up 16 RWHP and 12 FTLBS of torque over the best 93 octane gas combination and it has no signs of detonation at any engine temperature. I made four E85 tunes for (E65, E70, E78, and E85) and ran each one of them on the dyno to fine tune the programs. Each one made approximately the same power as the other once they were dialed in. My maximum power with E85 was 476 RWHP and 453 RWTQ and my best gas readings were 460 RWHP and 440 RWTQ.

I plan to run 93 octane gas most of the time but when I go to the road course or drag strip I will switch over to the E85 tune.

If anyone has been paying attention to my car my signature is out of date, I have also added the USM stealth ram to the car since last year’s posted dyno numbers. The stealth ram on a gas to gas comparison added 5 HP at the peak when compared to the Mini ram/LT1 intake but it added 20 to 30 FTLBS of torque throughout the entire power band from 3000 RPM to 5000 RPM and then slowly drops to the 5 hp advantage at 6100 RPM.

With E85 and the stealth ram the car feels significantly faster than last year, this Friday I will go to the strip and see if I can run any faster in the ¼ mile.

 

Converted my car last December. Every thing was good but my ET never improved. Never can get to the track for T&T so it is back on gas for now. Never could get any real info on tuning on the net, since most of the E85 guys are running carbs. Cool buying it 40 cents cheaper than gas, even if it takes more. Price/mileage seems to be an even trade. Sort of sucks having to drive 10 miles out of my way to get it though.

 

Ported or unported USM?

Very cool, thanks for the update and your work!

 

What did you all do to convert?

 

This is basically what my dyno runs showed as well, with the HSR,,more TQ and no HP loss.

I will drop my car off at a local tuner this weekend for a real tune, a dyno sheet with the new cam and then hit the strip in October.

 

It is a ported Stealth ram.

 

Bigger fuel pump, 48 lb E85 compatable injectors, tune

 

That's not to bad, I need injectors sometime soon anyways. Did you go to a 255 pump or bigger? I have the Walbro 190 in mine from a Racetronix sale.

 

Very cool. Chris asked if the USM was ported and you said yes. Curious was the MR ported as well?

476rwhp is getting close to the 500rwhp mark that most want to achieve, but hardly anyone ever does with a hyd. roller (yours still is hyd brian?).

Keep us updated on how you do at the track. I didnt realize that you roadraced the car as well. That's great!

 

 

The mini ram was ported, actually it was a ported LT1 manifold, and it is the ZZX HYD roller cam.

 

Good job. Your combo's always seem to make good power. Maybe when mine is fired up sometime this decade I'll make similar power.

Take care.

 

What do you attribute the cause of your detonation? What's the DCR and SCR? (Have you considered a cam with steeper ramps or would that worsened a compression problem?)

Is this the car you were running 38-deg midrange and 31-deg top-end timing? Were you able to bump that up with E85? If so, how far?

 

Cylinder pressure can cause detonation issues, my static compression is 11.5 to 1, my dynamic is around 8 to 1. A cam with shorter ramps will make the problem worse.

My timing at WOT on this engine is 29 degrees. It makes the same power from 28 degrees all the way to 36 degrees so I keep it on the safer side. The E85 required no more or less timing then gas.

 

It's more than that That is the most unique/ modified one around that I ever seen including on the Internet.

Congrats on converting this car now.

P.S. I will be contacting you, but I am waiting for some stupid parts to come, so it can all be done at one time.

 

what air fuel ratio did you tune for or better yet, what Lambda reading if you did this with a wideband?

 

do you mix the fuel yourself or buy from the pump?

 

I tuned for .85 Lambda but I tried .8 to .9 and .83 to .85 seemed to be the best with the wideband.

 

I buy it from the pump, at 83.3% which is considered E85 at the Renew gas stations in WI.

 

Glad to know my USM HSR can live that High. I plan to move my shift point from 5200rpm to 6200rpm with a better shortblock.