Anyone here run E85

[amoparacer]

Okay all of you TDers. Im gona make the change to E85 I currently run my fuel at 42psi and I have 83# injector they only make 96# and 160# so I ordered 96# injectors. Im gonna increase my fuel to 50psi and install the 96# injectors they say E85 needs between 25-30percent more fuel think this should be close. If you have done this already let me know please.

[bradp]

I do in my 08 Silverado

[amoparacer]

Bump

[bradp]

I have a complete M85 setup from a Spirit but I haven't installed it yet.

[CSXRT4]

E85 is an amazing fuel. Actually ethanol in my opinion is a better fuel for automobiles than gasoline.

What are your power goals?

[amoparacer]

Well Im running 7.30 at 96.8 1/8th mile and I wanna be in the 10 second club. So 475 -525 or about. Im close now but I think E85 is the way to go and its only 2.70 per gallon. No more race fuel wth Lead killing my O2 censors.

[amoparacer]

Brad I love your foil hat Im also looking for the blackhawks they are coming.!!!

[Mario]

I've ran it. When I took delivery of the R/T it was set-up for it. What would you like to know about it?

[larryB]

I made the switch to E85. Your right it sure beats buying 7.00+ per gallon race gas. I'm running www.racetronix.com 120 lb injectors and two walbro 255 pumps. I dynoed at 470 whp with one pump but the AFR was in the low 12's, wanted low 11's. I added fuel in the cal but it wouldn't get any richer, added the second pump and the AFR dropped to the low 10's with no other changes. When the second pump kicks on the fuel pressure does go up 5 psi from the base setting of 42psi, not sure whether the extra pressure or volume was needed. After reading that the walbro pumps don't last as long with E85 I didn't want to crank the pressure up any more than necessary and put more stress on the single pump. There is a picture in my gallery of the second pump installed. It has a switch on the throttle body which turns it on at full throttle and a separate pick-up in the tank.

[amoparacer]

Thanks so much for you help Larry I just ordered the 120 injectors. I will try base pump at 50 then add extra if needed.

[Vigo]

I made the switch to E85. Your right it sure beats buying 7.00+ per gallon race gas. I'm running www.racetronix.com 120 lb injectors and two walbro 255 pumps. I dynoed at 470 whp with one pump but the AFR was in the low 12's, wanted low 11's. I added fuel in the cal but it wouldn't get any richer, added the second pump and the AFR dropped to the low 10's with no other changes. When the second pump kicks on the fuel pressure does go up 5 psi from the base setting of 42psi, not sure whether the extra pressure or volume was needed. After reading that the walbro pumps don't last as long with E85 I didn't want to crank the pressure up any more than necessary and put more stress on the single pump. There is a picture in my gallery of the second pump installed. It has a switch on the throttle body which turns it on at full throttle and a separate pick-up in the tank.

Well one thing we run into on these cars is how high the fuel pressure gets when you're running a lot of boost.. possibly up to 80psi (55base+25psi boost) or even more. A fuel pump is going to support the most flow at the least pressure, so the higher your fuel pressure the less volume (hp) it can support. Plus, 255 internals have a pressure relief valve which starts bypassing fluid at some point and wont let you have full flow at super high pressures. Externals dont have that valve. So if on a single pump you were hitting its pressure/flow limits you could not add fuel with the cal.. and if you have a way of monitoring your fuel pressure in car or on dyno the fuel pressure will level off or start to drop when this happens.

Also, 2 pumps inline (in series) lets you support really high pressures without losing flow volume. Two in parallel will also help this to a lesser extent but would give you more ultimate volume potential at low pressures.

I am guessing the 5psi jump is a symptom of the regulator orifices being too small, based on what Ondonti ran into with two 255s (he also runs e70 and e85 on his 400+hp 3.0s). The regulator will actually be flowing the MOST fuel at idle and flow less and less as the engine demand goes up. An extra pump would not raise pressure at idle or low load because of any lack of flow from the first pump unless it was going bad.. if this 5psi difference disappears when you get into boost and goes back to what you would expect, i would say that confirms the regulator idea.


Also, for anyone wanting to run ethanol fuels, i would say watch your a/f ratio carefully (i.e. you better have a good way to monitor it) because it only has a high octane rating when its rich.. it detonates MUCH easier than race gas when run lean.

Also this is all just FYI because i dont have the skills or results to go telling LarryB anything about going fast or building cool stuff

[Ondonti]

Vigo, I think when you said little you really meant "none" lol.



BTW, who said walbros don't last long with e85? I would pretty much disagree with that up and down. As long as you have real walbros.
Vigo, something you left out is that it might be the regulator, but also the entire combination of the fuel return system. Find the easiest/cheapest restrictions to modify (like opening up fuel lines that have been curled inwards at the end by the factory) and go from there.

[Vigo]

Vigo, I think when you said little you really meant "none" lol.

apparently i suck because i cant figure out what you're referring to.. i even Ctrl+F'd 'little' lol.

Vigo, something you left out is that it might be the regulator, but also the entire combination of the fuel return system. Find the easiest/cheapest restrictions to modify (like opening up fuel lines that have been curled inwards at the end by the factory) and go from there.

I assumed the regulator had the smallest orifices in the return system.. only an assumption I dont know what you mean about the lines.. i will go and find out very soon! Learn something every day

[larryB]

Vigo,
My fuel pumps are parallel plus the second one only runs at full throttle. My fuel pressure gauge is under the hood and honestly I've never checked it while on the dyno. The extra 5psi is when I trigger the second pump while the engine is idleing just to make sure it's still working. I agree, with the second pump running it's just overflowing the regulator at idle. Not sure what the pressure is up top I just try to keep an eye on the wideband.

I'm just another garage tinkerer with a lot more time than money. I read the forums a lot more than I post, always open to learning something new or pick up another idea to try out. My skills are only what I've learned from you guy's who post up the information.


Ondonti,
I read the walbro information in one of the Subaru forums. Don't know if it's true or not. I've only got around 12,000 miles on my pumps since I switched to E85.

[amoparacer]

Okay well the 120s or on the way and I have mostly run my base at 50psi how ever my current set up with 83s is based at 42 so I will install the 120s and bump the base to 50 and see what I get on the wide band at say 25boost as currently Im running 34boost so I should be safe if its at 10 Ill bump the boost till it hits 11 and stop at 34 should not take but a few hours then Ill data logg and try to fix any spots in the cal that need a lil tinkering if needed Ill go with the exstr pump at full trottle as you did but I dont think it will be nessesary. My last walbro was good for 3 years and I changed it just to be safe this one only has about 200 miles on it so we should be fine. Last cal base was set at 50 so I think Im in buisness plus I have a fuel line and gauge I can run through the wind to watch during driving.

[Ondonti]

I wouldnt trust anything actual subaru owners have to say. If they have a fast car, chances are their DSM friend built it for them.

I wouldnt lean out E85 past low 11's unless you have a really really good timing map since you are running over 30psi boost. Ethanol doesn't lose power like gasoline does when running rich and ethanol has terrible knock resistance when lean.


PS vigo, that was an AIM conversation joke

[Ondonti]

Some of our stock fuel lines sometimes have ends like this. The bends in our stock fuel line are probably even smaller then this restriction though. The thing is these type of restrictions are easy to fix.

[amoparacer]

Hey Ondonti empty your PM box plz

[johnl]

Amoparacer, I must be blind cause I don't see E85 for sale around here.


I assume you considered meth/water injection; why not?

[OmniLuvr]

i think you can google e85 sales locations, i have two around me i had no idea about until i checked