E70 vs. E85 Spark Advance

[SnakeBoostE85]

Been running 85% to 87% for few years with no issues.... recently I'm finding it harder to find anything but E70 around Colorado Springs. I through the towel in and changed my stoich AFR to 10.62 (71-72%). There are just a lot more stations that have 70-72%, and the last and only one that was carrying 85-87% is out and they don't know when or if they will be getting more.

So in doing some calculations, straight E85 is like 105 octane. So if you dilute that with 15% more 86 octane gas, then your at about 102 Octane. Still WAY up there IMO if my calculation is correct.

Bottom line - if switching to running E70 vs. E85 should I pull any timing?

 

[Bdubbs]

My timing is the same 23* in both e70 and e85 tunes.

 

[SnakeBoostE85]

My timing is the same 23* in both e70 and e85 tunes.

Cool - do you think I am right about the octane rating being around 102 vs. 105?

 

[Bdubbs]

Cool - do you think I am right about the octane rating being around 102 vs. 105?

I'm not sure, but I've always guessed it was around there. I'm still waiting to get my e85 tune dialed in again. Local stations are making the switch from winter to summer blend right now.

 

[SnakeBoostE85]

I'm not sure, but I've always guessed it was around there. I'm still waiting to get my e85 tune dialed in again. Local stations are making the switch from winter to summer blend right now.

Colorado is VERY strange. I have never tested a station that was different from summer to winter. They are all always either straight E70 all year or E85 all year. Worse yet the only gas station that carried true E85 was Western Convenience and they are all out of E85 at every location. I almost shit when I went to two different stations yesterday and almost ran out of fuel. I had to go and fill up with E70 and change my tune.

So I called Kum N Go today. They have by far the most stations in Colorado that sell E85, but its all really E70. I talked with a really cool guy that knew his shit and actually wanted to work with me on identifying locations in the area that would be good to sell higher grades to cater to the tuner community. He said unfortunately they have decided that they will only sell E70 at the rest of the stations year round to help with cold starting. He said the highest they can go is 83% per federal law now. I suggested North Colorado Springs near I-25 would be good. He took my name and number and said he would call me when they identified the location they will use for year round 83% blend.

I told him I would help spread the word online of where you can get good ethanol in CO.

 

[Nightmare302]

It seems like more and more places are running out since the tax credit ran out. Twice I've gone to a place that used to have it and they've been out so I had to baby it home on 91. It also NEVER fails that when I have to put 91 in it some asshole wants to race and I can't.

 

[oxfordgt]

You should always have multiple tunes ready to load incase of no E85. I wrote tunes for E10 (93), E85, E85 with 1/8 tank of E10 and E10 with 1/8th tank of E85. Pretty much covers all possible situations.

 

[04sleeper]

Cool - do you think I am right about the octane rating being around 102 vs. 105?

Octane does not drop off until you get around the E50 mark. So no worries running E70.

Hellions new TT car made 1416 on E70.

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[Nightmare302]

You should always have multiple tunes ready to load incase of no E85. I wrote tunes for E10 (93), E85, E85 with 1/8 tank of E10 and E10 with 1/8th tank of E85. Pretty much covers all possible situations.

Some people pay for their tunes. In that case I don't think most people want to spend 1k in in tunes for fuels. An E85 tune will get you home on 91 you will just be pig rich and you'll have way too much spark up top.

 

[SnakeBoostE85]

You should always have multiple tunes ready to load incase of no E85. I wrote tunes for E10 (93), E85, E85 with 1/8 tank of E10 and E10 with 1/8th tank of E85. Pretty much covers all possible situations.

100% agree.... damn I wish there was a way to integrate an ethanol sensor into the AMZ1 computer... such a pain in the ass.

Fortunately, I have the PRP package so it won't cost me anything but time. Anyone messing around with Ethanol should be capable of tuning their own car.

When I was sitting at the gas station nearly empty with only E85 tunes on my SCT device, I was thinking damn I wish I had my laptop with me... I could have whipped up a gas tune real quick.

 

[SnakeBoostE85]

Octane does not drop off until you get around the E50 mark. So no worries running E70.

Hellions new TT car made 1416 on E70.

That's good to know... so is there any advantage to running E85 then over E70?

If what you say is true, I'd rather run E70 regardless because you will get slightly better gas mileage. My range right now is pretty short on E85. I can get just over 200 miles out of a tank if I don't do any WOT pulls.

 

[Nightmare302]

100% agree.... damn I wish there was a way to integrate an ethanol sensor into the AMZ1 computer... such a pain in the ass.

Fortunately, I have the PRP package so it won't cost me anything but time. Anyone messing around with Ethanol should be capable of tuning their own car.

When I was sitting at the gas station nearly empty with only E85 tunes on my SCT device, I was thinking damn I wish I had my laptop with me... I could have whipped up a gas tune real quick.

There is no caveat that anyone with E85 should be able to "tune" themselves. I can "tune" myself but I would MUCH prefer someone with more experience to look over my tunes on a SCT PRP tune since it's not exactly user friendly and does not have learning.

Secondly, since you are a "tuner" you should know that you don't need a "gas tune" to run. An E85 tune will work perfectly fine on 91 octane to run and drive. It will be overly rich and no you can't go racing it but my whipple on the pulley I have makes 25-27 psi. There is no "tune" on 91 that would work much better for that than just keeping my E85 tune.

 

[SnakeBoostE85]

There is no caveat that anyone with E85 should be able to "tune" themselves. I can "tune" myself but I would MUCH prefer someone with more experience to look over my tunes on a SCT PRP tune since it's not exactly user friendly and does not have learning.

Secondly, since you are a "tuner" you should know that you don't need a "gas tune" to run. An E85 tune will work perfectly fine on 91 octane to run and drive. It will be overly rich and no you can't go racing it but my whipple on the pulley I have makes 25-27 psi. There is no "tune" on 91 that would work much better for that than just keeping my E85 tune.

I'm not a tuner... I just know how to tune. I'm no expert, and yes I realize I could get home on 91... the problem is that I had a 100 mile trip in front of me that morning. I didn't really want to throw 91 in it for that long, my fuel trims would be fighting the tune the whole way and running rich - you cruise rich for that long and you might foul your 02 sensors out.

I'm just saying unless you have deep pockets... its gonna cost you a shit load of money to have someone make all those tunes for you with any degree of accuracy.

Your much better off using ethanol if you have the ability to play with your tunes in PRP. I just find that most "tuners" are not helping you for fun... Its a business and they have to make a lot of money tuning to stay in business and most of them DO NOT stay in business. They're are also very few "tuners" out there that actually know what they are doing. Also most tuners don't finish the job and tune out all the bugs, because it takes way to long. They tune it to go fast at the track and overlook all the drivability stuff that makes it a fun daily driver.

I had a Mach 1 tuned years ago by some idiot shop in Boca Raton FL... The car was knocking like crazy above 4500 RPM WOT.