E85 anyone running it?

[mycarsolderthanme]

So I am a new owner of a 68 road runner that needs a lot of work. But the car has a hemi with 12.5:1 and since it needs high octane to run I was think about running e85. I know I will need new fuel lines and carbs and fuel pumps but the car needs them anyway. Just wondering if anyone runs it and what your experience was like on it?

 

[The Horvaths]

Here's what I have been taught:
Vehicles that are designed to run E85 are also designed to tolerate a combustion byproduct called formic acid. In particular, combustion chamber design will incorporate formic acid tolerant metals and/or coatings. Running an older vehicle on E85 for an extended period of time risks engine damage.
Have I done it? Yes, a few years ago. You will want to jet up, way up.

 

[bm02tj]

Find the station with the best gas then add octane boost and or water injection but not e fuel
or av gas and mix with good pump gas

 

[Cornpatch MO]

Recently, I have been thinking about E 85. I know you can make big power with the stuff. Can it be made to work with a carburator? What would need to be done to make a 44o run on it?.....................MO

 

[benno440]

octane boost, you will replace plugs a lot. tried it a few times and my plugs kept dieing on me, stopped using it and they work fine again

 

[mycarsolderthanme]

A lot of my friends running newer cars run e85 and I have to rebuild the engine anyway. I will be running forger pistons and rods and hopefully a set of aluminum heads. But I want to keep the compression 12.5:1 because it makes power. I have researched the ecarbs and am going to run the setup because all gas stations around me sell e85. Going to see if I can inject some modern performance into it.

 

[Cranky]

Find the station with the best gas then add octane boost and or water injection but not e fuel
or av gas and mix with good pump gas

What's wrong with running 100LL av gas in a non cat car? Done it for years and years and years. The biggest draw back is you can't drive your car up to the pump as it isn't legal to run on the street but just about any small airport will sell it to you if you walk up with 5 gallon cans and tell them it's for off road use. Yeah, that's a hassle....but I'd rather do that than run octane boost which in my case never really worked. Also, av gas isn't corrosive like E85 is and will also last much longer.

 

[onephat66]

What's wrong with running 100LL av gas in a non cat car? Done it for years and years and years. The biggest draw back is you can't drive your car up to the pump as it isn't legal to run on the street but just about any small airport will sell it to you if you walk up with 5 gallon cans and tell them it's for off road use. Yeah, that's a hassle....but I'd rather do that than run octane boost which in my case never really worked. Also, av gas isn't corrosive like E85 is and will also last much longer.

Ditto.... I run AV gas in my 12.4:1 440 on the street no problems.

 

[rscurtis]

Fortunately, a local Sunoco station sells 112 octane leaded gas for "off-road use only". I use a little in my old Gravely for valve lubrication, and of course the Hemi will see a little now and then- mostly then at $8.69/gallon.

 

[dvw]

We run E85 in a boosted 360. Have run up to 20psi with no detonation,carb and no intercooler . Constant checking at local stations has always been with-in 1-2%. We race on it, very consistent. Drain and flush with gasoline over the winter. We also run aluminum fuel line with no issues. 9.80's@138.
Doug

 

[soundhd]

Don't bother with the E-85...........not worth all the changes you would have to make, less power, uses more fuel.....does not "compute" in the end for any savings..........

 

[onephat66]

Don't bother with the E-85...........not worth all the changes you would have to make, less power, uses more fuel.....does not "compute" in the end for any savings..........

Not sure about the less power thing, but I do see the point about all the $$$ required to make the changes.

 

[patrick66]

You can makes scads of HP with E85, absolutely! Why do you think they run alcohol in drag racing? You just have to have equipment compatible with it.

 

[GetX'd]

This has been a bit of a conundrum. I just had my 440 built to a 494. 555 Hp. It's got a roller rocker set up in it. Factory heads. I believe it's 10:1 compression. (The car and all the details are up in Minnesota for now.)

its also a six pack. What kind of gas do you guys think I'll be able to run in it? I believe the Dyno Dr. said it was cut for 93 oct. Do I have other options? Do they even sell 93 at any of the pumps?

little advice would be great.

 

[GTX.JCW]

GetX'd:
One of my club members just finished his RR and it is a about the same as yours and he is running 91 with a bit of octane booster. No 93 in CA, but I have found street legal 100 octane at the pump in my area (N. San Diego County) for around $9.00/gal. I haven't used any yet, but I may treat my "X" to 5 gal next week!

Jeff

 

[RESURRECTEDRIDE]

We run E85 in our race cars and have never had a problem. If the carb is built right and your fuel lines and pump are alcohol compatable why not..... We use roughly a gallon and a half per run. So just rough math here is about $3.50 a run. One of our relatives runs race fuel which I think last time priced was about $9.00 a gallon when purchased by the drum. He uses a gallon a run.. savings. As for power we picked up switching to E85. The problem with E85 is no one wants to take the time to get it dialed in. They want to put it on and go. You have to play with the jets until you know what your car likes.

- - - Updated - - -

I would say if your serious about it do some calling around. We have our carbs built by CLASSIC MOTORSPORTS in Sauk Centre MN. Give them a call and pick their brain.

 

[onephat66]

GetX'd:
One of my club members just finished his RR and it is a about the same as yours and he is running 91 with a bit of octane booster. No 93 in CA, but I have found street legal 100 octane at the pump in my area (N. San Diego County) for around $9.00/gal. I haven't used any yet, but I may treat my "X" to 5 gal next week!

Jeff

$9.00/gal for 100 octane pump gas!!!!!? Talking about getting ripped off!!!!! I can buy 104 race gas for that!!

 

[451Mopar]

I just converted my '71 Charger to E-85. It gas a 499" stroked 400 block, around 12.3:1 compression. I was running race gas at $8.50/gallon, and the gas station near my house has E-85 for $1.99/gallon, but When I tested the E-85 fuel, it was only about 80%. The fuel station near a friends house tested at 85%, but they were a bit more expensive.
Anyhow, my point is you need to check the alcohol content as it changes between winter/summer blends and different stations, so it can affect your jetting.
I just have the Indy single plane 4150 intake, so I am using a Quick Fuel 1050cfm E-85 carb. Out of the box it was pretty rich running, but I am at 6,000 ft altitude.
I only have the carb on a few weeks and I am still tuning it, but so far no complaints.

 

[GetX'd]

$9.00/gal for 100 octane pump gas!!!!!? Talking about getting ripped off!!!!! I can buy 104 race gas for that!!

You have to remember this is California. We don't have oil and gas running from our faucets here like you do in TX. Just our regular gas is $1.25 more per gallon than the rest of the country. They tell us it's a special anti pollution blend. Part of the ridiculous cost of living here.....

 

[Garys1969RR]

I have run a mix in my 451 of 3-2-3 , thats 100 Sunoco 3 gallons, E-85 2, 91 Premium 3 gallons. It works great with no pinging. 13 to 1 C/Ratio. But with 1 to 1 premium and E-85 it would ping. Im using an 850 CFM Holley dbl pumper carb with 86 jets all around. Stock is 80. I haven't changed any part of the fuel system other than larger jets in the carb. 3 years and no issues.