Anyone seen black "goo" build up on their injectors from E85?

c6zhombre

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Very cool. I was tempted to just get a 10 micron cellulose element but the glass ones are so cheap I just got that. I have enough problems with my car right now, no need to invite more and figure out there's something weird with my E85 and the paper filters lol.

I hear you. Personally, if I ever went to do the filter swap on this car and found the cellulose filter "disintegrating..." I'd probably ditch E85 and just run wimpy gasoline. Seems like the filter would be the tip of iceberg at that point. The source of the fuel issue would have to identified or I'd go to plan b for fuel because something isn't right
 

MalcolmV8

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I hear you. Personally, if I ever went to do the filter swap on this car and found the cellulose filter "disintegrating..." I'd probably ditch E85 and just run wimpy gasoline. Seems like the filter would be the tip of iceberg at that point. The source of the fuel issue would have to identified or I'd go to plan b for fuel because something isn't right

Well I don't know about that. Cellulose filters and E85 are a known problem. If you google it there's countless threads and issues with it. Granted some of you guys have no issues and have been very lucky with it. Who knows I might even be lucky with it but why test it when I can just use a glass media filter that out flows and out filters the cellulose and is guaranteed E85 compatible.
 

04sleeper

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The only reason I can see the cellulose filter having an issue is if the fuel is tainted with water. Paper and water don't mix so the results are easy to figure out. But E85 is not the culprit.
 

MG0h3

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is the filter really going to fix this problem? With so many people not having problems with the SS filter, seems this is random quality problems with the fuel?

Just not sure if I need to send my new FORE filter in for a glass one.
 

MalcolmV8

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is the filter really going to fix this problem? With so many people not having problems with the SS filter, seems this is random quality problems with the fuel?

Just not sure if I need to send my new FORE filter in for a glass one.

No it's not going to fix my current problem but you do leave yourself open to other potential problems. You do not have to send your filter back to Fore or even buy a new filter. You simply need a new filter element that goes inside your filter. Look at this link and you'll see the "replacement filter elements". There are two sizes depending on which filter you have.

http://www.foreinnovations.com/category_s/266.htm
 

c6zhombre

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Well I don't know about that. Cellulose filters and E85 are a known problem. If you google it there's countless threads and issues with it. Granted some of you guys have no issues and have been very lucky with it. Who knows I might even be lucky with it but why test it when I can just use a glass media filter that out flows and out filters the cellulose and is guaranteed E85 compatible.

I tried searching this and only came up with images very similar to my pics above. I could not find any cellulose/factory filters that were damaged from e85 use.

What phrase are you searching under? I tried "fuel filter damaged by E85" on google and looked under "images". I did find some images where the filter was coated with a black residue...but that was from pump issues where they weren't e85 rated and the brushes failed

can you link in some of these photos or threads?
 

MalcolmV8

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I was just searching cellulose and E85 and E85 black goo etc. and browsing threads. Read thread #3 on this link for example

http://www.modularfords.com/threads/147612-E85-Fuel-Filters?p=1477762&viewfull=1#post1477762

In case my linking sucks here's what it says.

I've been running a 10micron cellulose filter for 2 summers and 1 winter so it has maybe 20months on it. I have been using E85 the entire time. When I pulled it at first glance appeared to be ok but as I looked closer I started to see some issues. One issue was that where the paper glued together (to form a circle) it was eating away a bit at the seam. Little paper parts around it. I looked at the caps and they appears to be perfect and no rust or corrosion of any kind on them. I split the filter in half and looked at the inside of the filter. This is the side that goes to the injectors so I would expect nothing in there since it was filtered through the element. As I opened it it appeared very gummy and parts of paper clunks where attched everywhere. It appears as if the paper was starting to decay and bits of it are all over the inner filter. I took a scapper and the chunks came off with very little effort. IT desturbed me a bit since this was on the side of the filter that goes to the injectors. The side if the filter that comes from the fuel pump looked good. I would only assume its becuase the fuel pressure forcing the paper together there and not pulling it away like the injector side.


On another note I think I finally found my lean issue. I believe it was a corrupt tune file or possibly a corrupt slot in my X3 where I was uploading the tune. I'd heard of this happening but have never seen it first hand and was so out of ideas. So I grabbed a backup of my tune file from about a month ago, loaded it in a fresh spot (different slot on the X3), flashed car and boom I could use the gas again. Amazing.
I stabbed into it in 2nd, 3rd, and let out very happy. Tried it again 2nd and then 3rd was just quiet and powerless. I looked at the dash and saw the battery light. Oh must have shredded my serpentine belt, dang it's a brand new one too. Go back home pop the hood with the engine still running and the belt is there in tack looking perfect but it's not moving. I look down at my lower pulley and goodness I've broken another. Center shaft with the hex is spinning but the tri-bar and entire lower pulley is just sitting there still not moving. Threads are completely snapped out of it and destroyed.

This is after been down a couple days pulling the transmission and replacing rear main seal. Test drive and lower goes boom. I give up lol.

I now have three broken factory caged lowers in the garage. Bolting on a Metco setup and see what happens.
 

MG0h3

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damn man that sucks. I dont think Ive seen any other threads where people are going through them like you do. I know we talked about this before and I dont recall your answer, but are we sure something isnt up with your blower? I mean there are a good handful of guys running the same pulley setup as you and no problems.
 

MalcolmV8

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damn man that sucks. I dont think Ive seen any other threads where people are going through them like you do. I know we talked about this before and I dont recall your answer, but are we sure something isnt up with your blower? I mean there are a good handful of guys running the same pulley setup as you and no problems.

Blower seems fine. Others have broken them too. I've chatted with other 2.9 owners with similar issues. It normally takes a couple years or more to break them though. I've never broken one in less than 1k miles. Not sure if it was just a weak one or what.

At least you found the main problem!

:beer: agreed.
 

MG0h3

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I dont think Ive found a 2.9 broken crank thread yet. Its all 3.4 and up.

Would the 4lb lower that CJ is working on with the anti tightening hub help?
 

MalcolmV8

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I dont think Ive found a 2.9 broken crank thread yet. Its all 3.4 and up.

Would the 4lb lower that CJ is working on with the anti tightening hub help?

I didn't break the crank, just the lower pulley. Only time will tell on Mike's new pulley but it does look promising.
 

MG0h3

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I didn't break the crank, just the lower pulley. Only time will tell on Mike's new pulley but it does look promising.

I understood...just commented because thats what we all worry about with running the Metco with the "bigger" blowers.
 

badcobra

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Malcolm,

I read through this whole thread and I saw another thread on the tuning page in regards to tuning your mafia. I think your transfer curve is/was off and that is what is causing your problems. I plugged your data into 03Steve's Tuning Workbook Pro sheet and it shows that in a 5.1" housing, that meter can support 847rwhp. I would take the numbers that sheet spits out and re-work your tune and eliminate the mafia altogether just to see if you can get this problem to stop completely once you get the pulley fixed. If you need more meter, pony up for an HPX and sell your GT500 meter. Best of luck!!
 

MalcolmV8

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Yeah I didn't know there were other meter options for such a large tube besides the stock GT500 unit and the BA5000 which I've tried in the past. Once I get this pulley situation sorted out I can hopefully get this car opened up and see where my MAF curve and fuel injectors stand. I need some good hard data before making anymore purchases.
 

03Steve

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We broke three of those lowers with a 4.0L Whipple using the foot brake. Stick cars are almost always more punishing. Here is one breaking on the 1-2 shift with a TH400:

[video=youtube;tcUz2Zu3wMA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcUz2Zu3wMA[/video]
 
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03Steve

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The horsepower calculator on the sheet is a very rough tool. It can help someone know if they are in the ballpark for MAF limitations.

I would say that Malcolm's combo with the stock slot and 5.1" tube could need a bit more headroom. The stock meter will peak around 3000 kg/hr (or 112 lb/min) in a 5.1" tube at 5 volts. The VMP3500 in a 5" tube will go to 150 lb/min and looks like this:

5.00 4105.17
4.72 3553.89
4.48 3136.62
4.16 2569.18
3.87 2128.34
3.52 1669.06
3.31 1419.65
3.08 1168.91
2.80 915.13
2.55 720.85
2.35 585.88
2.26 532.85
2.15 482.47
2.11 458.33
2.00 410.99
1.75 301.69
1.60 238.95
1.51 211.77
1.42 181.92
1.32 154.74
1.20 124.13
1.14 110.83
1.01 85.73
0.93 73.38
0.84 58.93
0.73 48.09
0.60 35.36
0.54 29.09
0.43 24.52
0.00 0
 
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Jon82387

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Not sure if you are tuning with sct prp or what???? But ive also ran into issues before where changing tunes/loading/overwriting tunes on my x3 hasn't always worked. From now on i almost always change the name of the tune file if i overwrite a tune say your tune is called E85 tune, if you put a new tune overtop of it make the new tune E85 tune1. That seems to have fixed it for me.
 

MalcolmV8

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Not sure if you are tuning with sct prp or what???? But ive also ran into issues before where changing tunes/loading/overwriting tunes on my x3 hasn't always worked. From now on i almost always change the name of the tune file if i overwrite a tune say your tune is called E85 tune, if you put a new tune overtop of it make the new tune E85 tune1. That seems to have fixed it for me.

You know I've always done that in the past and just recently I just started saving over the same file. I can't say that's what did it but interesting you bring that up. I've now gone back to save with 01, then 02 etc. and keeping individual tune files. Currently on SCT PRP but I've been dabbling with quarter horse and tuner pro too.
 

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