E85 for and against

[Mr Parts]

did a new test on the current caltex batch tonight...

http://www.mrparts.com.au/MPRacing/?p=460

[Rona]

Article title is misleading considering they never actually advertise the product as E85. It is sold as Eflex which will range between 70-85% Ethanol content. Given it is now coming into the colder months they have more then likely moved towards E70 to aid with cold start.

[nitrane]

If you run the pump stuff, tune within the 70-85% safety threshold.

If you're trying to make 1000hp with a super clean tune, run the stuff fuel out of a drum.

[10sec rx7]

the power difference between caltex and drum is zero...

have had problems with injectors running the very expanisve sucrogen e85 with CI.. a quick change to the milandra fuel and injector problems went away...

[Imposter Forg]

so they're going to phase out 95 and charge a billion dollars for 98?

fuck this bullshit off. bring back super.

[10sec rx7]

If you're trying to make 1000hp with a super clean tune, run the stuff fuel out of a drum.

we did a mates 20b and it made 820rwhp on 26psi on the caltex fuel.. ran all power cruise and copped a flogging with no problems at all.. thats with a full street exhaust..

if anything is going to die it will be a rotary if the fuel is not up to it..

[Mr Parts]

Given it is now coming into the colder months they have more then likely moved towards E70 to aid with cold start.

i know that. thats why i typed exactly that in there....

ive been running it since it came out.

still prefer the united stuff. i hate the petrol stink of the caltex. united e85 smelt so sweet.

it wasnt a test to say what fuel is better than the other, just a test to show they have obviously moved to the winter mix now.

[Guido]

the power difference between caltex and drum is zero...

have had problems with injectors running the very expanisve sucrogen e85 with CI.. a quick change to the milandra fuel and injector problems went away...

Have you done comparison tests between caltex winter mix, caltex summer mix and drum?

[10sec rx7]

nah i just fill up and go for gold, all year round and it works perfectly fine..

i reckon it stays pretty much 70-75% all year round

[10sec rx7]

Have you done comparison tests between caltex winter mix, caltex summer mix and drum?

yes caltex, united and milndra drum..

5rwkw between all of them on a 420rwkw xr6 turbo

[Mr Parts]

nah i just fill up and go for gold, all year round and it works perfectly fine..

i reckon it stays pretty much 70-75% all year round

id say so. i tested it in the middle of Decemeber and it was 72% (when it is meant to be in the middle of their 'summer mix' months).

never tested around late jan/feb when it usually hottest, maybe it was 85 then?

[10sec rx7]

nah dont think so.. 75 tops i reckon

[nitrane]

we did a mates 20b and it made 820rwhp on 26psi on the caltex fuel.. ran all power cruise and copped a flogging with no problems at all.. thats with a full street exhaust..

if anything is going to die it will be a rotary if the fuel is not up to it..

That's good to know.

I would have thought that if ethanol/petrol mixtures varied so much it'd surely affect 'point of detonation' in a boosted engine.

If it's a constant 75% at least you know what you're working with, until it changes!

Either way I'm up shit street, they have no plans to sell it here in WA.

[Typhoon]

The thing with E85 that people are forgetting or don't know, is that it's extremely forgiving of tune. It will suppress detonation till you melt shit and you really don't need to go as rich as a percentage as you do with premium unleaded to achieve a really big safety margin.
I'll link to this, it does have a lot of Volvo specific stuff later on, but the guy who wrote this knows a lot about E85 and the early stuff is relevant to all ethanol fuel:
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=73061

[Justengt4]

nah dont think so.. 75 tops i reckon

With alcohol being cheaper you'd think they would want as high a percentage as they could make it?

No complaints on how it goes on my latest tune. 330rwkw on 11psi (pretty lazy tune too) and feels more responsive and torquey than when on 98. Engine feels to be doing it easier as well...maybe because it's running cooler?

The car was sitting around for 6 months with E85 in the tank and fired up 1st attempt....topped up the tank and straight to the dyno for the result above. Good shit i reckon.