My carb is leaving for Eric at Horsepower Innovations tomorrow, im only running 11.25 to 1 now but 13 or more next season so im going ahead and making the switch. Eric said he's seen PLENTY of low compression engines pick up especially on the bottom end, any you fellas run corn?
When I switched from gas to alky I saw an increase of .03 or so. Not even a half of a tenth. The testing was done on the same track within two hours time frame. That being said.... I will not go back to gas!
Doug and I both switched to E85 a couple years ago. We both picked up a tenth. Car runs cooler and is not affected by atmospheric conditions as much as fuel. Need to make sure the fuel pump, lines, and regulator are E85 compatible. Cost is under $2.00 a gallon vs $10.00+, we burn 30% more at 1 gallon per run vs 1.5 runs per gallon, but worth it, we won't go back gary
Correct me if I am wrong. But to run E85, all you need to do is rebuild the carb for running E85? Or are there other variables?
As I indicated, the fuel pump needs to be capable of the E85, both gph and components, the fuel line and regulator have to be E85 compatible and the carb has to be built for E85 or modified for E85. Some guys have bought kits to do it themselves, but we found to send it out to a E85 guru to convert for $500, Mark Sullins is a great one, is the best bet. gary
Go for it, its even better if you add some aromatic liquid to it, cherry, lemon, etc. people wonder where that scent is coming from.
I work part time for my friend, Eric. I do tear downs, cleaning and other work to keep Eric so he can build carbs.
He seems like a hell of a guy, offered to talk with me about the future setup and and offer his experiences and knowledge. He really wants to help you go fast and help and not just take your money. Im really excited to get it back and experience this stuff, everybody seems to agree throttle response is much better , more consistent with ambient temperature change, cooler intake etc
Those of you using e85 I have couple of questions. First what kind of compression are you running? Second what do you do to control the mix? I have read that the blends can be all over the place. Gary I know what you mean about the scented top lubes. Sometimes in the lanes it smells like a fruit salad.
We run 12.5, same as fuel and could certainly up it a bit. But I'd have to disassemble the motor to do it, why mess with it to gain a few hp, after all its just bracket racing and we stop the cars back half a second anyway. I check every load of E85 we get and so far its been right on the money, I'll bet if I purchased the winter blend it would be off some but I wait till spring to get it. gary
If your drag racing with E-85 this should be in your toolbox. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/qft-36-e85 For dyno testing E-85 motors, I mix E-98 in with the pump E-85 to get the proper alky content as required, this is especially important in the winter, when the mix is closer to E-70. I have been watching the local retailers to see when they switch to summer blend. I had Chris at Classic Motorsports in Sauk Center do my lastest carb, an 8896 1050. I thought the fact that instead of just using bigger jets, he added a by-pass sized to compensate for the more fuel was smart.. now we still tune with the same size gasoline jets.. He does several other innovative things, and most importantly he has a 500 HP 454 on a dyno that he uses to tune in every carb. Beware of off the shelf E-85 carbs.. last one I used from a big name outfit, was 10 jets off, front and rear.. Was good for me, because it got me an engine build, as it destroyed the customer's 494 he had run for years. He has a Tomahawk now.. JW
The local circle track race teams buy a barrel of ethanol to use for mixing into the pump blend, as it can be inconsistent in my area.
So.... 70 Stage 2 street car, aluminum heads and 11.00-1. Factory tank and pickup. Factory fuel lines, factory Stage 1 pump. 1000 Holley HP. MSD Dist and 6AL. What do I need to do to be able to fill up at the pump on the "Flex Fuel". I guess thats e85 correct?
1/2 in stainless hard line or equivalent braided or Nylon hose and pickup, alcohol compatible pump and carb conversion and your ready the 3/8 line wouldn't supply adequate volume in a low psi carb application imo
I have run E85 for the last 5 Years and I love. I used Eric on my last GSX build an 850 Holley and I believe he is one of the best. I just recently purchased a 750 E85 Quick Fuel Carb and it work great out of the box. The only thing I had to adjust was squirter size front and rear. The Mechanical Fuel Pump Jim at Tri-shield sells works great with E-85. I ran it for five years and 600 passes before having to have it rebuilt.
