anyone here do e85


peiserg

GT Owner
Aug 15, 2010
283
Phoenix, az
anyone? thinning about it
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
Do a search - there was a recent thread about it's use (tech section, I believe)
 

bonehead

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 18, 2012
2,814
Houston, TX
Gerry
PM Greg-TT. He recently switched to strictly E85.
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
Gerry
PM Greg-TT. He recently switched to strictly E85.
What changes did he make to the fuel system. Ignoring any possible seal and corrosion problems, it's hard to pump enough of the stuff without changes to the injectors and pumps if any power adders.
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,685
Avondale, Arizona
Greg-TT has stock fuel pumps with size 52 injectors. as i recall he is running the Kenne Bell boost-a-pumps....
 

tmcphail

GT Owner/Vendor
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 24, 2006
4,102
St Augustine, Florida
You have to effectively double the fuel system. That doesn't sound feasible in my mind pump wise although I am not clear on the power level of this car.
 

peiserg

GT Owner
Aug 15, 2010
283
Phoenix, az
id expect the big power tt cars have experience with essentially the same fuel delivery issues? regardless of.gas vs e85?
 

tmcphail

GT Owner/Vendor
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 24, 2006
4,102
St Augustine, Florida
Regardless you need to X2 the fuel system for E85 VS Gasoline. Turbo cars don't hit the fuel system limit as quickly like a blower car because they don't have to overcome the parasitic loss of the blower. That's why you can hit 1000WHP on a turbo car with stock injectors and no BAP. Granted that is about as far as you can go.
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
I guess that would mean half the distance range of travel, for the same sized fuel tank and assuming the same efficiency (miles/gallon).
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
Well, fuel efficiency is a lot lower because there aren't as many BTUs stored in alcohol. The odd thing about E85 to me is the standard...ethanol content can vary from 51% to 83%. How do you tune for that variation unless you really know your supplier? Still, the Koenigsegg CCXR gets 20% more HP out of E85 than gasoline.
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,786
Minnesota
stock pumps would support 700rwhp on e85 with a boost a pump. Im working on some drop in pumps that will allow that number to go up a bunch.

You need 30% more fuel to run e85 over gas. less at idle and part throttle but 30% in boost.
 
Last edited:

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,786
Minnesota
Well, fuel efficiency is a lot lower because there aren't as many BTUs stored in alcohol. The odd thing about E85 to me is the standard...ethanol content can vary from 51% to 83%. How do you tune for that variation unless you really know your supplier? Still, the Koenigsegg CCXR gets 20% more HP out of E85 than gasoline.

you can run e85 much leaner than gas tho at crusing speeds to make the mileage losses less. ALso e50 gets the best mileage and for 700-800 rwhp would be perfect and stock pumps could do this. You would just need to know how much e85 at the pump to put in and then how much 87octane to put in to make it 50%. (Yes you do not blend e85 with higher octane fuels). At the pumps you will never see it vary from 51 to 85%. More like e 70 as the lowest (Winter months). Even winter blend in Minnesota ends up over 70%. Make sure you tune for e85 and then if you get a lessor % it just runs a little rich. I have made 1300rwhp on e70 winter blend. One of the top Gt500 tuners in the country was also in Minnesota and spent time at our college close to me and did a ton of testing for fuel mileage etc with e85 as Mankato State has spent a ton of time testing e85 for over 10 years.

A lot of people hate on e85 that is for sure. A lot of uneducated people out there on the fuel and Its not going anywhere tho any time soon!
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,786
Minnesota
Also a stock blower car that makes 550 rwhp will make 600-620 by just switching to the fuel. E85 and twin screws is a match made in heaven..
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
Are there any ignition problems running E85?
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
...besides all the corrosion problems, up to and including needing a special motor oil to deal with acid in the crankcase (well, I guess we don't actually have crankcases in the traditional sense)? I think we are talking about E85 as a special purpose fuel for record runs, not everyday use, eh?
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,786
Minnesota
...besides all the corrosion problems, up to and including needing a special motor oil to deal with acid in the crankcase (well, I guess we don't actually have crankcases in the traditional sense)? I think we are talking about E85 as a special purpose fuel for record runs, not everyday use, eh?

There are 11million oem e85 vehicles in the us..you don't have to run special oil for it and I laugh at the corrosive comments. I have had it in vehicles for close to 10 years my self. No issues what so ever and the 15% of gas is for lubrication and so it will start properly until about 50 degrees then it goes to e70.

If it was so corrosive the OE's would not be using the fuel or building vehicles for use of it.
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,786
Minnesota
Are there any ignition problems running E85?

No not till it gets pretty cold out. I have cars that still start fine at 40-50 degrees on it. 40 and below is tough
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
I thought we were talking about using E85 in vehicles not designed for E85.
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,685
Avondale, Arizona
it is my understanding that the stock fuel pumps in a GT are rated to flow 255 LPH each. can anybody verify this for me? the fuel pump that i just put into my 2001 Camaro SS is a 255 LPH pump. this pump is designed to support up to 600 rwhp and 700 rwhp with a boost-a-pump....

so that means in a Ford GT application it should support up to 1200 rwhp without boost-a-pumps and 1400 rwhp with boost-a-pumps.

i think the problem with the GT is not the pumps but the returnless style fuel system. when you put bigger injectors in, the fuel lines get maxed out according to my local mechanic. he says the fuel rails can handle it but the fuel lines can't. apparently at some point the fuel lines go into a 2 into 1 configuration between the gas tank and the fuel rails. this is the bottleneck according to him. can anybody tell me where this takes place? does this happen right after the lines come out of the tank or just before the fuel rails? i would think that this would take place right before or after the fuel pressure regulator? before the fuel rails would make no sense because they would have to split apart again to feed each of the two rails.
 
Last edited:

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,685
Avondale, Arizona
You have to effectively double the fuel system. That doesn't sound feasible in my mind pump wise although I am not clear on the power level of this car.

at what pressure is the fuel pressure regulator set at in a stock GT? it is my understanding that it is 58 lbs? and when one like me puts in Bigger fuel injectors do you increase the fuel pressure or decrease it? if so, by how much?