I been wanting to switch to e85 for a little while now. and now there is enough pumps in my area for me to do it!!!



im looking to make 470-480 WHP on my race car. but since the e85 needs 30% more fuel im not sure if my current fuel set-up will work. i have a single walbro 255 pump with 850 primary and 1680 secondary on stock fuel lines. i know i can make a little over 400 with regular 93 pump on this. but im not sure if i'll need bigger fuel lines and a second pump. im also adding methenol injection to it, so that could make up for some of the needed fuel...







and my basically stock turbo II, im looking to run e85. the way i see it is, if you need 30% more e85, then you could essentially just upgrade the injectors 30% larger and leave it all stock with no tuning. so, my TII has 550's all around.



30% of 550 is 165.



550+165= 715.



so i could just upgrage to 750s all around and be just fine. i already upgraded to a walbro 255 pump with -6 lines and a edelbrock filter that is metal instead of paper filter.

 

I'm curious to know why you want to run e85? As I understand it, your engine will run cooler, but you will get less gas mileage (which in a race car probably isn't an issue, but in a Rotary mileage always seems to be). And it will produce less power, unless you can increase the CR Ratio to gain some power back.



What's the thought?

 

e85 has the octane raiting of about 105. so you can run it almost like race gas. high boost, no detonation. and the cooling effect of running is good enough reason for me. im in Florida. when even a good running rx7 no no over heating problems will start to get hot at a red light.



i have only seen people gain power from it, not lose power. and yes you will get less gas milage, but its consideribly cheaper. so it evens out. most people i have seen have said its cheaper even though you need more fuel to run it.



i dont see any cons switching to e85 if i can just upgrade the injectors 30% and leave it alone. cheap easy way to make you car safer and have more power...

 

I have a question, did you have to do anything to the motor internals that is specialized for e85 or will a 13b handle e85 with stock internals, the reason I ask is because I've heard that e85 rots rubber seals and stuff, is that true?

 

i havnt switched over yet. i want ot. but i want to figure if i can just upgrade the fuel injectors 30%, pump, and lines and it be fine without any tuning.



when the fuel gets to the motor its a fine mist and immediatly gets burnt. just like gas. so it will not hurt any parts inside the motor. ive heard it can be bad or stock rubber hoses on old fuel systems. not to sure though...

 

I dont know how much of an issue it is in the real world, but all the OEM flex fuel cars have completely different fuel systems from the gas only. Starting with stainless steel injectors, and the fuel pump assembly is encased in plastic. I believe E85 will flow electricity, so the fuel pump electrical has to be sealed off from the fuel. E85 is also mildly corrosive, but not nearly as much as methanol.

 

heres some things debunking all the myths about e85...



did some research about the "myths" and the cons of e85... some good news came up... so as it turns out, e85will not in no way harm anything.



Im going to copy paste the ones that are relevant. i did not write these...





1. E85 Ethanol is corrosive?



Yes ethanol is corrosive, but not very much. Gasoline is corrosive too. Ethanol is biodegradable in water. So it has a tendency to contain and attract water. It is not the corrosive properties of ethanol that can cause damage to your vehicle; it is the water which can rust a vehicle’s fuel system from the inside out. Today’s vehicles (since mid 1980s) have fuel systems which are made to withstand corrosive motor fuels and rust from water. Also today’s distilling processes are superior to way back when. We now have better techniques for drying out ethanol or reducing the water content.



On side note, gas contains water too. Ever hear of dry gas?





2. If I put E85 in my gas tank, it will eat it away?



If your car was built in the old days, it was had a lead coated, steel tank. The water in ethanol would cause the tank to rust from the inside out. The government mandated that all gas in the USA contain 10% ethanol to help reduce tail pipe emissions. In the 1980s, automakers made vehicles with fuel systems to be ethanol and rust tolerant. Gas tanks began to contain polymers and Teflon which are extremely durable.



4. Ethanol will burn up my engine?



Ethanol has a lower ignition point than gas. Ethanol has about 115 octane and E85 has 105 octane. It burns cooler and will extend engine life by preventing the burning of engine valves and prevent the build-up of olefins in fuel injectors, keeping the fuel system cleaner.



5. Ethanol will ruin gaskets, seals, rings and more?



Running 100% ethanol or alcohol in an engine can cause damage to cork products.



The rubber neoprene used in the last 20 + years is resistant to the drying effect that ethanol may have.



Today's vehicles are built to withstand the corrosive effects of water in ethanol and gasoline. Any vehicle built since 1985 will have no ethanol related issues. Older vehicles that used more steel in the fuel systems or cork gaskets may have issues from long term exposure to water.



Vehicles in Brazil have been using ethanol for 30 years and they are completely free from using any foreign oil.



6. E85 will eat my rubber fuel lines?



This is another myth from the old days. Rubber technology has significantly advanced so the concerns of a 20 year old car or newer having issues like this are extremely rare. Plus the 15% gas will help keep lines lubricated.



7. E85 will destroy my fuel pump?



E85 won’t destroy your fuel pump. If you convert a high mileage vehicle to Flex Fuel, the E85 will cause the sediment in the gas tank to dissolve and then get sucked up by the fuel pump. It is believed that this sediment may shorten the life of the pump of your higher mileage vehicle (100,000+). We have had no reports from customers with damaged fuel pumps.







so basically, unless your driving something older than 1985. you'll be just fine... sorry 1st gen guys...





so i need to figure out now if the 750's will be fine with no tuning... but i could just get an Rtek and an safc II for a decent price to adjust the fuel a little and add sometiming...



but im being a little cheap here... and i really want to know if i can just add injectors and run it just fine...