turbos and e85
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turbos and e85
hey you guys running e85 and turbos! where can i find some tech info for setting up a turbo and converting to e85 /feul injection on an old school american v-8? wondering about compression ratios to run safely for high boost (above 15 psi). have existing engine but , dunno if my combo will work with the addition of a turbo and changing to e85. will i nead larger combustion chambers, lower comp. pistons ect. any help is appreciated.
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your in tampa? you have found e85? i have been looking for a station in my area for a long time, but florida only has a few stations from what i have found, and not around here. i was thinking it would take some time for the e85 infrastructure to make its way here
anyways, you dont have to change anything inside the motor itself when switching from gas to e85. e85 is a much more tolerant fuel and the ceiling for safe horse power that can be made with it is WAY higher than 93 octane. e85's octane rating is comparable to race gas.
what ever your existing engine combo is, i'm sure it will work fine. with e85 you can run higher compression, more boost and timing then you could on the same motor running 93 pump gas. now if you have an 11:1 motor you might want to lower the comp ration a little, or just not run that much boost
the only thing you have to change is the fuel system. make sure whatever components you use, including the gas tank, are ok for ethanol. i have been preparing to switch to e85 for a while now and have a complete fuel system waiting, all i need is an e85 station lol. i have an anodized aluminum sumped fuel cell, eliminator pump, single 12an feed to an 8an Y block to each rail. why so big? because e85 is roughly 30% less efficient than gas, meaning you have to run 30% more to make the same power as gas. keep in mind with my new motor i'm aiming for 600+hp with a bigger turbo. so you'll need the fuel system to handle the extra load. your power goals will determine what you'll need
anyways, you dont have to change anything inside the motor itself when switching from gas to e85. e85 is a much more tolerant fuel and the ceiling for safe horse power that can be made with it is WAY higher than 93 octane. e85's octane rating is comparable to race gas.
what ever your existing engine combo is, i'm sure it will work fine. with e85 you can run higher compression, more boost and timing then you could on the same motor running 93 pump gas. now if you have an 11:1 motor you might want to lower the comp ration a little, or just not run that much boost
the only thing you have to change is the fuel system. make sure whatever components you use, including the gas tank, are ok for ethanol. i have been preparing to switch to e85 for a while now and have a complete fuel system waiting, all i need is an e85 station lol. i have an anodized aluminum sumped fuel cell, eliminator pump, single 12an feed to an 8an Y block to each rail. why so big? because e85 is roughly 30% less efficient than gas, meaning you have to run 30% more to make the same power as gas. keep in mind with my new motor i'm aiming for 600+hp with a bigger turbo. so you'll need the fuel system to handle the extra load. your power goals will determine what you'll need
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Turbomustangs.com
They have alot of info on e-85 and even a sticky in the tech forum. Awesome site.
I think they changed the offical name but turbomustangs will still link you there. It was such a good site that the chevy guys came over and then imports started coming to get turbo help so the renamed it theturboforums.
They have alot of info on e-85 and even a sticky in the tech forum. Awesome site.
I think they changed the offical name but turbomustangs will still link you there. It was such a good site that the chevy guys came over and then imports started coming to get turbo help so the renamed it theturboforums.
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Your fist problem is finding a place that sell E85 in the Tampa area. The only place that I know of that has a stock pile of it is Macdill Air Force base which obvisouly is not available to the public. But on the other note if your goal is only 15 psi you wasting your time. You dont need to mess with this E85 stuff. There are turbo Mustangs in this area running that and then some on regular pump gas!
In my opinion here is what you do. Build the motor to work with a turbo like a lower compression piston. Install a boost controller. Set it up for whatever you want to drive it on pump gas. Then put race gas in it when you wanna really pump up the boost like on the weekends and when going to the track. That honestly is going to be the best way to go. You can also look into methonal injection to keep detonation within limits with high boost turbo applications.
Now I am not sayin the e85 approach is not the way to go. Its just they dont sell it anywhere in this area. So basically you would have a car that you would have to have fuel shipped to you just to drive it.
We actually looked into running one of are drag cars off the stuff because NMRA has made it a legal fuel to use in some of thier class's. But after doing some research tryin to find where to buy the shit the only option was to have it shipped to us in 55 gallon drums. Which isnt all that bad but the fire marshel had a field day with us when we contact him about storing it in our shop. Told us we you have to build a seperate building so many feet away from the shop to store it. By then we said screw that crap.
In my opinion here is what you do. Build the motor to work with a turbo like a lower compression piston. Install a boost controller. Set it up for whatever you want to drive it on pump gas. Then put race gas in it when you wanna really pump up the boost like on the weekends and when going to the track. That honestly is going to be the best way to go. You can also look into methonal injection to keep detonation within limits with high boost turbo applications.
Now I am not sayin the e85 approach is not the way to go. Its just they dont sell it anywhere in this area. So basically you would have a car that you would have to have fuel shipped to you just to drive it.
We actually looked into running one of are drag cars off the stuff because NMRA has made it a legal fuel to use in some of thier class's. But after doing some research tryin to find where to buy the shit the only option was to have it shipped to us in 55 gallon drums. Which isnt all that bad but the fire marshel had a field day with us when we contact him about storing it in our shop. Told us we you have to build a seperate building so many feet away from the shop to store it. By then we said screw that crap.
Last edited by 91Notch; 01-29-2008 at 05:28 AM.
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how much does e85 go for when you buy it in 55 gallon drums? where can you get it? do you have to have any special license or anything to buy it? i was kinda thinking about using this since it has a higher octane and is cheaper (i heard)
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I havent price it but we pay about 400 for a 55 gallon drum of 110. I would say your probably lookin around 300+ maybe???? IDK. But I dont really see how this is cheaper. Remember you need to completly redo the fuel system to use E85. Its actually alcohol and that will tear some of the fuel parts up in a hearbeat. Plus it is a less efficiant fuel so you need to use more fuel to equal what is possible with race gas. Plus alcohol wash's down the cylinder walls and contimates the oil. No big deal but in turn you will have to change your oil more often. Next time you go to the track walk by the pits of an alcohol car and look at the oil they drain from the motor it looks like milk. Thats the alcohol washing down the cylinders into the oil. Now E85 isnt as bad because its not straight alcohol but it will still do it. Thats another cost you have to add onto this.
My advice would be like I said to get a boost controller, which I am pretty shure all you turbo guys already have. Make some sort of drain in your fuel tank maybe. When you wanna jack the boost up drain the pump gas from the tank and poor some race gas in it and go play.
My advice would be like I said to get a boost controller, which I am pretty shure all you turbo guys already have. Make some sort of drain in your fuel tank maybe. When you wanna jack the boost up drain the pump gas from the tank and poor some race gas in it and go play.
Last edited by 91Notch; 01-29-2008 at 06:49 AM.
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ok let me restate my mission, i already have an engine that im very intent on using. as it sits it is approx. 12.7:1 comp. the reason i suggested the e85 was in hopes of being able to pass the sniffer in utah when i move there. i know very little about alternate fuels, and the requirements to use them effectively. i just started to dabble into turbo set ups and have everything to learn. i've always been a old school "cubes and revs" buff. being im from mid MI thats the norm. my goal is a streetable weekend warrior that will also serve as respectable 1/4 mile advocate. i think that with some small changes to my combo, and proper turbo selection its possible. OR im completely nuts and id be better off building a woodchipper! what do you guys (y'all) think ?
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Well 13 to 1 compression is way too high for a street/strip turbo motor. You need to bring the compression down some like 9 to 1 or maybe 10 to 1 Set the car up to run on pump gas. Like I said I have seen 600 hp numbers with pump gas. If you need some more power just put race gas in it at the track and go.
Last edited by 91Notch; 01-29-2008 at 05:47 PM.
