hmmm, E-85 kicked the shit out of my gt pumps and wiring

[Silver03Termi]

im not saying i know everything there but this is something i looked into because i was interested in what the certain differeces were. As i was converting my car into running e85 i thought what better place to look to see what the manufacturer is doing as far as any changes to protect parts from the extra ethanol content. Like i said, i couldnt find any differences at all.

How far back did you look? I mean the terminator is 7 years old. I'm not doubting your research, just making sure its complete. They still don't have a mustang (to my knowledge) that runs on e85 from the factory, so is it possible that there are different materials in the mustang than what you're referencing?

 

[WS6JJP]

How far back did you look? I mean the terminator is 7 years old. I'm not doubting your research, just making sure its complete. They still don't have a mustang (to my knowledge) that runs on e85 from the factory, so is it possible that there are different materials in the mustang than what you're referencing?

Yes, you're most likely right, they do use some different parts (some the same too) so its a possibility that some part(s) on the mustangs may not be compatible with e85.
Basically what i was looking for is, if they didnt change anything when they first started offering the flex fuel option and currently dont have any different parts so to speak for them now that was enough to convince me, for the most part, that what already came in the vehicle was probably already compatible for e85, meaning no changes made, no extra or different parts needed for that option.

 

[Silver03Termi]

Yes, you're most likely right, they do use some different parts (some the same too) so its a possibility that some part(s) on the mustangs may not be compatible with e85.
Basically what i was looking for is, if they didnt change anything when they first started offering the flex fuel option and currently dont have any different parts so to speak for them now that was enough to convince me, for the most part, that what already came in the vehicle was probably already compatible for e85, meaning no changes made, no extra or different parts needed for that option.

Thanks for clarification.

 

[BADD281]

Well I am hoping this has something to do with the wiring and not the fuel itself since I am running the exact same setup for my E85 fuel system.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Meth and Ethanol both absorb moisture out of the air. Old fuel in partially full fuel tanks are exposed to air. The Alcohol absorbs the humidity out of the air it is exposed to.

E85 is less susceptible than Pure Methanol but it can still happen.

When one of the posters said "water in the fuel" That IS basically what can happen, except you won't see it, it does not separate out.

It is best to keep your tank topped off if you can, and Hopefully there is a test that is cheap and easy to use to detect high levels of moisture before you buy it.

That is my understanding of it, I'm NOT an engineer, I'm an OLD gear head.

 

[04sleeper]

Interesting to say the least.

We pulled Skaarew04SVT's tank after a year of running E85 and it looked nothing like that. (Same pumps, hat etc)

I would suspect either the gas station not having a well sealed tank or your car not having a properly sealed system allowing water into it.

 

[shanezt]

could be the gas station, i have always used the same station.

also something destroyed the o-ring in the fore basket.


here is my solution, connection soldered then sealed. even though the hose looks very weathered i will leave it for now.

 

[02reaper]

I'm an IBEW Journeyman Electrician and in college to be an Electrical Engineer. I know how this stuff works. Its not like a breaker, its like an overload. There is a difference. This isnt a result of the fuel, its a result of either water or a bad connection. Loose connections cause arcing, pitting, heat, and could cause changes to the way the material reacts with the fuel or vise versa. Soldering the connection should fix the issue. I'm talking to a buddy of mine who is a Mechanical Engineer, he said he has something to put on the connections to insulate the connection and isn't subjective to the corrosive nature of the alcohol. I'll share that info, when he divulges all the details.

I took and graduated from electronic tech over 10 years ago. Most of what I studied is forgotten now, because I didn't pursue the field I graduated in. I guess we can agree that the fuel alone didn't cause this problem.

 

[02reaper]

Shanezt is it possible for you to get an overall picture of the whole fuel hat before you put it back in? I would like to see what all was affected by this.

 

[shanezt]

Shanezt is it possible for you to get an overall picture of the whole fuel hat before you put it back in? I would like to see what all was affected by this.

 

[Black*Death]

could be the gas station, i have always used the same station.

also something destroyed the o-ring in the fore basket.


here is my solution, connection soldered then sealed. even though the hose looks very weathered i will leave it for now.

I would change stations. Buy E85 somewhere else.

Maybe someone accidently or deliberately introduced water into the E85 mixture?

 

[forcefedcobra]

I've heard of people in my area having problems after the car sits for the winter but as long as you keep the tank filled up during the winter it shouldnt be a problem.

 

[95snake03]

if it was water it would cause rust on metal, not white corrosion on everything including rubber like seen in the pics

 

[Alb Cobra]

So if you do not daily drive your car and you are running E85 it is recommended to always have a full tank when stored? I drive my car usually only on the weekends. There is a lot of times I will store my car with less than a 1/4 tank of gas.

Is there a time frame on how long you can safely leave your car sitting with the tank low on E85?

Is there a additive you can place in the tank to prevent the moisture build up? I live in a some dry air and our humidity is not generally high. Is this better?

Thanks! I have a dyno tune scheduled for this Sat be nice to know what precautions I need to take to make sure this does not happen to me.

 

[04sleeper]

Let me just say this. Most water that is introduced into the fuel is done by an inadequate station that lets water into it's storage tanks that are not sealed properly.

So if you do not daily drive your car and you are running E85 it is recommended to always have a full tank when stored? I drive my car usually only on the weekends. There is a lot of times I will store my car with less than a 1/4 tank of gas.

The main thing is you want to make sure the system is as sealed as possible. (ie. most fuel injected cars are.) Filling all the way should make no difference if the system is sealed like the factory.

Is there a time frame on how long you can safely leave your car sitting with the tank low on E85?

As long as you don't have you system open to air, you should be able to let it to sit as long as you want. Think of how many FlexFuel cars are on the road. If the amount of gas in the tank had anything to do with it, there would be mass chaos.

Is there a additive you can place in the tank to prevent the moisture build up? I live in a some dry air and our humidity is not generally high. Is this better?

If you believe your fuel source is not the best, you can add 1/2 oz of Stabil for each 5 gallons of fuel. This should help neutralize the acid from the water mixing with the Ethanol.

Thanks! I have a dyno tune scheduled for this Sat be nice to know what precautions I need to take to make sure this does not happen to me.

You should be fine. :thumbsup:

 

[Alb Cobra]

Thanks Kevin :beer:

 

[Teej281]

Also there is additives that are actual water remover to put in the fuel as well.

 

[shanezt]

so far so good, car runs great. interesting though that the two wires for the third pump that are not in use look brand new. only the connectors i was using and the exposed brass portions of the pumps were corroded.

i fill up twice a week so the car most definatley does not sit.

by the way i cleaned the fuel filter and it looked perfect.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Also there is additives that are actual water remover to put in the fuel as well.

Seriously?

Those are for removing water from gas, which don't mix.
They are nearly all Isopropyl Alcohol which does mix with gas and then absorbs the water into the fuel and then you bun it.

It doesn't remove the water, per say, it allows it to be absorbed and then burned.

It would be pointless in E85 since the water would already be absorbed.

I don't know how you would go about removing water from E85.
I knew some guys who used meth in direct injected circle track cars back home. They used to get a big funnel and pour the meth through cotton diapers, they told me it removed moisture, I believed them.
I don't know if it really does or not.
Not being a chemist I can't say for sure, but I am relatively sure that there is nothing you could add to E85 to "remove" water it had absorbed.

 

[04sleeper]

Not being a chemist I can't say for sure, but I am relatively sure that there is nothing you could add to E85 to "remove" water it had absorbed.

Then you could always add a little Stabil to neutralize the acidity due to the water.