E85 Octane Booster

Makinghole

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Is there a product that will raise the octane of Pump E85? I am going to tune for racing E85 (true 85% ethanol @ 112 octane) and want to be able to run pump fuel. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is not always a true 85% blend.
 

mustang john

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Is there a product that will raise the octane of Pump E85? I am going to tune for racing E85 (true 85% ethanol @ 112 octane) and want to be able to run pump fuel. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is not always a true 85% blend.

I'm pretty sure the E85 that the racing fuel companies sell isn't much different than pump E85 its just guaranteed to be true E85. The stuff at the pump can vary from 70% to 85% ethanol, an octane booster wont help there because the variance in ethanol content affects your AF a lot more than your octane rating. The less the ethanol content the richer it will run.

Get a $20 E85 tester and test before every fill up and you will know exactly the ethanol content.
 

need4snake

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Is there a product that will raise the octane of Pump E85? I am going to tune for racing E85 (true 85% ethanol @ 112 octane) and want to be able to run pump fuel. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is not always a true 85% blend.

E85 that I get is consistently 85% and 104 Octane. If your unsure of what your getting at the pump buy a little test tube.
 

c6zhombre

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As stated, get the tester. If it tests E85 (and it will 99% of the time in Houston), you are good to go to massive power level capability. I would not get hung up on "octane" rating with E85....it's a whole lot more than just the octane rating, it's no comparison to gasoline. Solid tested $2.xx pump E85 is good for way over 1000 wheel power.

From the people in Houston I know that are testing E85 pumps on a regular basis...the Krogers have had extremely consistent E85, all year long
 

need4snake

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Agreed! From what I understand, your cylinder temps will already be much lower because your burning ethanol (alcohol) instead of crappy gas. The octane is basically an extra bonus. You can run a lot more timing and make a lot more power safely on nothing but E85 out of the pump!

I love E85, its so sweet that your using a cleaner fuel for the environment, while at the same time getting a huge performance advantage.
 

Makinghole

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Thanks guys. I will order a test kit and do some sampling around Houston. New to E85 and always just thought it was "Hippie Gas". Then I lived in a place that sells it and learned all the benefits. Any more advice would be welcome.
 

65fastback2+2

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no reason to really test it unless you're just ultra paranoid...e90 to e70 is only about a 1/2 point AFR richer. wont hurt anything.
 

Makinghole

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no reason to really test it unless you're just ultra paranoid...e90 to e70 is only about a 1/2 point AFR richer. wont hurt anything.

I am an Engineer and there for ultra paranoid. Must have data, it is a sickness. Plus I derive some sick pleasure in knowing the exact ratio, ever though I won't affect anything. Just makes me feel better.
 

65fastback2+2

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I am an Engineer and there for ultra paranoid. Must have data, it is a sickness. Plus I derive some sick pleasure in knowing the exact ratio, ever though I won't affect anything. Just makes me feel better.

kinda like an accountant having a problem with a payment not matching a quote and being off 1 penny LOL
 

need4snake

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Thanks guys. I will order a test kit and do some sampling around Houston. New to E85 and always just thought it was "Hippie Gas". Then I lived in a place that sells it and learned all the benefits. Any more advice would be welcome.

oh hell no... the only thing that sucks about it is that you just can't get near the range out of a tank of gas, so your filling up more, and you have to be very careful if you take the car on a long trip. But everything else is a win/win... its cheaper, its cleaner (not only for the environment, but also for your engine and valves) and best of all it lowers your cylinder temps and allows you to run more timing, more boost, MORE RWHP...
 

mustang john

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I test mine every fill up and keep the sample with me as long as that fuel is in the tank lol. It takes all of two minutes before each fill up and sets my mind at ease about what im running.
 

c6zhombre

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Agreed! From what I understand, your cylinder temps will already be much lower because your burning ethanol (alcohol) instead of crappy gas. The octane is basically an extra bonus. You can run a lot more timing and make a lot more power safely on nothing but E85 out of the pump!
.

:beer:

I test mine every fill up and keep the sample with me as long as that fuel is in the tank lol. It takes all of two minutes before each fill up and sets my mind at ease about what im running.


Absolutely. No sense being lazy and guessing what you just did 2 minutes after leaving a station. I have already been burned and tested an E85 pump in Houston at E45....rich codes went off half a mile down the road and that crap had to be drained. It's going to be fine and very close to E85 99% of the time, especially in Texas. But it's that 1 chance it won't be fine that makes me test it every time.

Knuckleheads are every where...and if a fuel delivery truck drops E10 gasoline by mistake into the E85 tank below, you can get burned. That's what happened when I tested E45 and the store bagged those E85 pumps and took them offline. The only way I would forget about testing is if you have incorporated a flex fuel sensor and a PCM capable of making adjustments.
 

65fastback2+2

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:beer:




Absolutely. No sense being lazy and guessing what you just did 2 minutes after leaving a station. I have already been burned and tested an E85 pump in Houston at E45....rich codes went off half a mile down the road and that crap had to be drained. It's going to be fine and very close to E85 99% of the time, especially in Texas. But it's that 1 chance it won't be fine that makes me test it every time.

Knuckleheads are every where...and if a fuel delivery truck drops E10 gasoline by mistake into the E85 tank below, you can get burned. That's what happened when I tested E45 and the store bagged those E85 pumps and took them offline. The only way I would forget about testing is if you have incorporated a flex fuel sensor and a PCM capable of making adjustments.

your CEL or an A/F gauge make checking fairly easy without having to use a test tube.

I rolled CEL in the Lightning and only had an issue once in a year. It was off 15%. Throws a CEL when over 10% out of commanded. Didnt hurt a single thing.
 

c6zhombre

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your CEL or an A/F gauge make checking fairly easy without having to use a test tube.

I rolled CEL in the Lightning and only had an issue once in a year. It was off 15%. Throws a CEL when over 10% out of commanded. Didnt hurt a single thing.


We're going to just have to agree to disagree here, what you're suggesting is after the fact and the fuel is already in the tank. I'm not comfortable running E45 for an entire tank and throwing rich codes. I'll invest the 2 minutes to test it before pumping to get a good, solid reading.

I do agree in an emergency situation, it will run. But it's not scenario case A to me and I would either drive down the road to the next E85 pump or take my handheld and drop the E10 tune back in, fill up with 93.
 

mustang john

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your CEL or an A/F gauge make checking fairly easy without having to use a test tube.

I rolled CEL in the Lightning and only had an issue once in a year. It was off 15%. Throws a CEL when over 10% out of commanded. Didnt hurt a single thing.



I have to disagree also, the problem with your reasoning is that once you find out its too late... you just filled the tank up with whatever is causing your problem. As I said it just takes two minutes before you squeeze the handle to fill your tank and if its not what you want hang the pump back up and leave to another station.
 

Makinghole

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I am debating installing an Ethanol reader in the glove box or trunk. So I can have the digital read out and confirm with tester
 

65fastback2+2

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We're going to just have to agree to disagree here, what you're suggesting is after the fact and the fuel is already in the tank. I'm not comfortable running E45 for an entire tank and throwing rich codes. I'll invest the 2 minutes to test it before pumping to get a good, solid reading.

I do agree in an emergency situation, it will run. But it's not scenario case A to me and I would either drive down the road to the next E85 pump or take my handheld and drop the E10 tune back in, fill up with 93.

I have to disagree also, the problem with your reasoning is that once you find out its too late... you just filled the tank up with whatever is causing your problem. As I said it just takes two minutes before you squeeze the handle to fill your tank and if its not what you want hang the pump back up and leave to another station.

I didnt say you would make optimum power still...I said you'll run rich but it most likely isnt going to hurt anything.

same thing happens with all fuels out of a pump...they can be off. this is how people detonate on 93 pump gas and mess up motors.

ran e85 in my lightning for over a year and never tested it once. it was tuned on summer e85, so in the winter it just ran 1/2 point richer or so. even if you got some weird e45 tank, it would only be about a point richer...not enough to damage anything.
 

c6zhombre

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ran e85 in my lightning for over a year and never tested it once. it was tuned on summer e85, so in the winter it just ran 1/2 point richer or so. even if you got some weird e45 tank, it would only be about a point richer...not enough to damage anything.


This is what my issue is with your stance on this....you have absolutely zero data since you have admittedly never tested one single batch of fuel. Houston does not get winter blend E85....it has proven from testing it's summer blend all year long for the most part.....unless a mistake has been made.

You have zero data to prove you've run E45, E70 or E85. You have no concrete evidence why your a/f changed....there are several things that could contribute. My suspicion is you've run E85 almost all the time. I keep logs of what I test, I can document every fill up.

Please get the tester and help other Houston members out with what stations are consistently providing solid E85. Knowledge and tracking with a tester would be very beneficial to the Houston E85 users. :beer:
 

mustang john

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I didnt say you would make optimum power still...I said you'll run rich but it most likely isnt going to hurt anything.

same thing happens with all fuels out of a pump...they can be off. this is how people detonate on 93 pump gas and mess up motors.

ran e85 in my lightning for over a year and never tested it once. it was tuned on summer e85, so in the winter it just ran 1/2 point richer or so. even if you got some weird e45 tank, it would only be about a point richer...not enough to damage anything.

How many times in that year did you track your truck and demand max performance out of it? The track going WOT at 135+ MPH isnt where i want to find out i have a sub par tank of fuel.
 

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