Has anyone changed to E85 , I have a 64 Skylark with a 455/TH350 ,323 rear end, The temps gets to hot for my liking in Summer and as E85 is in most gas stations around me i would like to know the pro/cons , Costs, Ect to change over, This is not a question about overheating as i have beat that to death before, I do know that it runs cooler on E85 and that would be my goal, Not a racecar, just a car i enjoy driving around town,Thanks
Carbureted or EFI? Gain of up to 20% HP, but you need to tune for E85. If you have EFI, it is easier. A carb needs to be set up for E85. If your fuel system is not already compatible with alcohol, you will need to make changes. (broad brushing...) My little brother changed over his drag cars to E85 and is loving it.
You will also lose about 20% gas mileage running E85 over non ethanol gas, if you have EFI you can get a sensor and tune for % of ethanol and swap back and fourth or run a mix. If you have a carb once it is set up for E85 you will have to run E85 all the time or it will be super rich. Oh and all things being equal E85 motor will run 10-15* cooler
If you do decide to go the E 85 route I have in the for sale section a O2 monitor for E 85 for sale at a good price if you’re interested. Thanks
Before spending a dime on the conversion, I would buy an ethanol test kit and randomly check the fuel available in your area. A fuel injected car with a sensor can compensate for the variation easily but with a carburetor it’s not so easy. https://www.fuel-it.com/ethanol-content-tester/ I converted one of mine to E85. I’m switching back to gas. I moved across town and no stations in my new area sell E85. If you do decide to swap to E85 I suggest you contact Mark Sullens in Missouri. He can convert your existing carb and also give you good guidance on the rest of your fuel system.
