had an idea today (E85 related)

[Endo]

after driving away from the pumps today with a sore bum, i had an idea. the shelby daytona i'm building is going to be running the S60 computer, which has a ground type switch for running 100 octane race gas. as far as i know, the only reason a regular gas engine shouldn't run E85 is because the calibration isn't correct for it, but my car already has a 100 octane cal (still not 110 i know but closer than a regular cal). on top of this, i read somewhere that E85 has a way of fooling o2 sensors into causing you to run lean, but the S60 computer to my knowledge doesn't use o2 feedback at all. I'm also going to be using the computer's wastegate control instead of a grainger so it'll boost a little slower (if i blow the tranny my wife is gonna make me sell it ) and running the computer in race gas mode will allow me to boost to 18 PSI instead of the pump gas modes 14 PSI (i dunno about you, but i'm all for more boost)

I know i am looking at it from a very rudimentary point of view, but everything seems to line up. I'm aware of a few reports that E85 corrodes rubber fuel lines, but i have a whole roll of it in my garage, and a good ABC fire ext. that never leaves the car, so that doesnt bother me even if its true.

It looks to me like it would work, and at the same time relieve some of the pressure from the vice on my balls. Let me know what you guys think.

p.s. I know the S60 computer has a bad reputation, but its all I have, and if I could afford a new cal, I wouldn't be dreaming up ways to stretch my gas budget a bit more

[DaytonaTurbo87]

Go for it, give it a try. I know there's a guy on another mopar board, he's running a big block on E85. He said he built the engine with real high compression, like 12 or 13 to 1 or something like that and he's running it on E85. I did hear that E85 releases something like 20% less energy when burned than gasoline does. I've heard that's why gas mileage goes down when you use it, which offsets it's cheaper cost. Also, with the less energy production, you may be able to run more boost, but not be any faster.

[Shel-Game]

The problem isn't the octane. Stoic for E85 is not the same as for gasoline. E85 needs more fuel as the energy content is lower. Just usig an S60 computer would be too lean. I don't know if it's under the lean limit, but if it runs, it won't run well...

[Ondonti]

just increase fuel pressure to make up the 20% loss.

That or go bigger injectors and a somewhat lower pressure.

[Rampage1967]

Just use bigger injectors & set the fuel pressure accordingly, worked great on my na 2.2.

[Ondonti]

Does anyone know how much more boost you would be able to run and not run into detonation????

did someone say the octane is 110????? That would be nice. Cheap race gas. Just need stainless fuel lines right????

Also, I thought the flex fuel cars had all sorts of crap done to them including different injectors, special oil, etc........that sorta scares me.

[89acclaim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ondonti Also, I thought the flex fuel cars had all sorts of crap done to them including different injectors, special oil, etc........that sorta scares me.

The FFV spirits that you are thinking of are M85 with is 85% methanol. Then new FFV is E85 85% ethanol. It seems with higher prices people are looking at E85 more. You will want to read this thread and ALL the links in it.

E85 Ethanol.

Daniel Merrill

[Una]

Endo, you cannot buy E85 in Washington state. Unless you're military, they just don't sell it here.
As for running too lean, the S60 cal runs too rich, E85 might just fix that problem.. haha..