E85 on a N/A Setup

[macoman69]

With the introduction of Ethanol Based Fuels I have started to think about the advantages and disadvantages of using one of these fuel systems on my DC2R B18C7.

Advantages that I know of:
- Can get more power
- Better for Higher Compression Engines
- Cheaper to purchase

Disadvantages
- Not readilly available (Yet)
- Possibly destroy older fuel lines, which could result in rust and corrision in engine.

This is a really interesting subject because with this fuel if it is possible to make more power (which is usually a 3% - 4% increase in the whole power range) I think it would be a viable choice to use because it would be cheaper as well.

Please discuss guys (especially the ppl that may know about this already) because im very interested in this subject.

[fatboyz39]

We are running E85 fuel in our track EG with b16a. It kinda suxs if your gonna use the fuel daily, only a handful of servo supplies them. We using fill up 5 jerry cans at once. And being $1 a litre, it doesnt cost to much.

We gain about 3-4% on the b16a switching over to E85. Tuning will be require on this fuel as it needs to be tune on lamba at different reading to unleaded (a/f). It burns approx 33% more then fuel.

Its has a funky smell when the fuel burns.

[tinkerbell]

do you have a tuneable ECU.

if not - factor this into the cost savings,

plus the dyno time - so about $2 grand to convert to E85? will you save that much in petrol?

[macoman69]

In your honest opinion is it worth running?

I heard for turbo cars its a miracle fuel

[tinkerbell]

worth running it?

it depends on your assessment criteria?

for me:

i have an ECU, i dont daily drive, i race on a track often, i want MAX power

so it might be good for me (if i feel like using it i might next year...)

but for you - what is your situation? will it suit your driving parameters??

[VTECMACHINE]

Think about how much it costs, well the amount you'll be saving. It burns a third faster than 98 Octane, is it a third cheaper than octane?

If your marginal benefit exceeds your marginal cost, then go for gold.

[tinkerbell]

If your marginal benefit exceeds your marginal cost, then go for gold.

assuming ubiquitous supply, yes, but this case is different, the decision matrix needs to account for consumer convenience...

[VTECMACHINE]

Nerd.

[macoman69]

Ok so simple math tells me
My fuel tank = 45L

I spend an average of $1.40 a Litre on fuel 98 Octane which costs me Approx $63 to fill up a full tank.

If i where to get E85 it would cost approx $1.00 a Litre which would cost me $45

Now on normal 98 Octane my car would average 450km to the tank where as if E85 burns 33% quicker would mean I would get approx 315km to the tank.

So if i where to add 33% to the cost of what I pay for E85 that should be how much I would pay to travel the same amount as I would if using 98 Octane petrol which would cost me $59.85. Which means I would go the same distance for cheaper whilst averaging 3 - 4% more power across the rev range....and im saving the environment =)

[tinkerbell]

....and im saving the environment =)

not too sure abt that!!!!

[macoman69]

lol...why you think not.....

[tinkerbell]

not just me that think not...

http://www.google.com.au/search?num=...d+good&spell=1

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columni...0-kantor_x.htm

Ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline, to be sure — using ethanol instead of gas can reduce greenhouse gases by 35-46%, according to Argonne National Laboratory. But it's not as efficient a fuel as gasoline. In fact, it takes a gallon and a half of ethanol to give you the same energy as a gallon of gas.

So let's cut to the chase: To get enough ethanol from corn to power our cars, Americans would need to use almost 13 million tons more fertilizer, and dump more than 93.5 million tons of atrazine into the environment every year. (The potential health effects of atrazine read like the small print in a drug ad: congestion of the heart, lungs, and kidneys; low blood pressure; muscle spasms; weight loss; damage to adrenal glands. And that's in the short term.)

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=13652

in the rush to promote ethanol as environmentally friendly, proponents are ignoring the fact that ethanol consumes more resources than it saves,

http://www.cleantechblog.com/2006/01...od-or-bad.html

the current corn-based means of producing ethanol is in fact a dubious environmental proposition. However, the use of emerging technologies to convert cellulosic matter -- the tougher fibers as found in trees, bark, woody wastes, etc. -- in ethanol should be net environmentally positive.

Not surprisingly, the downside is that cellulosic technologies are now on the costly side.

[macoman69]

well at least ill save money :P

[tinkerbell]

even if you buy a programmable ECU and get it professionally dyno tuned?

[Elwood]

I'd say don't bother man.

Use 98Ron, thats what your car was tuned to take.. if you change it, you'll have to get an aftermarket ecu and tune it again to reach full potential..