E85? Pros/Cons

[475_enduro]

I run a 4412 on a 383 in a dirt street stock, i know of a few guys that are running the E85 fuel, just wondering what you guys think about this fuel and running it in a race motor, i like the idea of E85 being about half the price of race fuel, and ive heard you can gain around 25hp and that it runs cooler. I also heard of a few guys burning down their motors because of this fuel. Just wondering what everyone elses take was on this issue, and what others had heard pro/con wise.

[hnamea]

we have ran it for 2 years with no problems. just talk with your engine builder about your motor specs and buy a good e-85 carb from a good builder that can set it up for your motor and you will be fine.

[racer69]

Definitely run a true E-85 built carb! Cost of E-85 is soon to rise due to tax breaks ending for manufacturers. Only real problems I have heard are from guys trying to run modded gas carbs and from fuel that wasn't blended right. Purchase from someplace thats trustworthy.

[RACEMAN]

One thing you have to be aware of if you're buying the E85 from the local gas station is that the fuel you buy will not be exactly 85% ethanol. EPA, DOT and I think a couple other alphabet agencies granted the fuel providers leeway in the ethanol to gasoline ratio over the seasons and the availability of the base ethanol. If I remember correctly in the summertime the percentage could be down to 75% ethanol. To know for sure you'll need to check the specific gravity of each batch of fuel you buy. I would suggest that the racer should buy the E85 in large batches (maybe a months worth at a time) to reduce the number of times the SG needs to be checked.

[50j]

Actually it drops in the colder months in some places. Not all. You can test the fuel with a $15 tester that checks the ethanol percentage, not the sg. It's very simple to check and the fuel works well.

[chevy370lsx]

I know a lot of 1000 hp+ drag racers than run e85 and love it.. Everything from nitrous big blocks to twin turbo small blocks.
If you burned up a motor on it you didn't know what you were doing and it's your fault the the fuel..

[50j]

IMO the key things are to get a GOOD carb, not a conversion kit project or generic E-85 shelf carb, a good pump, and test the fuel. If it's set up right and you check your fuel you'll be just fine. The people I've seen have problems were trying to cut corners to "save money". Good stuff and diligence doesn't cost that much more, an engine does.

[72Dubya]

Even though E-85 is cheaper, it burns off twice as fast than normal racing fuel. So, whatever money you save in price per gallon will be lost in gallons you will have to buy from what is being burnt. If your track allows it, I would try switching to an oxygenated race fuel, like VP CHP. Usually you will have to tune your carb richer, but you burn the same amount of fuel, but gain a lot of HP and Torque. I know that if you send your 4412 to Willy's and say that you are going to be burning an oxygenated fuel, they will tune and dyno your carb for you.

[50j]

Respectfully that's not right either. Methanol will use twice as much. E-85 which is 85% ETHANOL does not. Two different fuels. Look at bsfc numbers to see the difference. I think that the amount of misinformation contributes to the "problems" people have with using it. If your stuff is right, it works and costs less.

[DANNY]

Respectfully that's not right either. Methanol will use twice as much. E-85 which is 85% ETHANOL does not. Two different fuels. Look at bsfc numbers to see the difference. I think that the amount of misinformation contributes to the "problems" people have with using it. If your stuff is right, it works and costs less.

I have to agree there, I hear at most 25% more use and that is most likely high. The most fuel (gas) I have run through on a 50 lap race was 11 gal. had tons of caution laps we most likely ran 75+ total.

[Crash 4]

Is E-85 legal for UMP stock car?

[475_enduro]

I dont see why not, its pump gas

[stockcar5]

I dont see why not, its pump gas

its alcohol.

[powerball]

its alcohol.

thanks for that tid bit of info, but it is still PUMP GAS!! ive been running it for 3 yrs

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[Crash 4]

UMP rules state;

E.) Only gasoline will be permitted. Methanol and/or any other type of fuel and/or any type of fuel additive will not be permitted.

This says to me that if you've been running E-85, you are not legal.

That being said, I would like to switch to E-85, and would like the rules clarified to make it legal. I think it only makes sense and would be a good PR statement from UMP here in the middle of corn country to make it legal.

[stockcar5]

thanks for that tid bit of info, but it is still PUMP GAS!! ive been running it for 3 yrs

no its not..lol.

see above post. doesnt take a genius..

[35racing]

I think most tracks need to do a better job of addressing allowed fuels... IMCA late model and some other divisions state NO E85... pretty black and white. when the rules say only pump gas or gasoline that kindof leaves it somewhat unclear. Racers love to work in this gray area of the rules.... Its hard to find gas without 10% ethanol which looks to soon be 15% ethanol. if its ok to run e10 or e15 or even e25 whats the cut off limit of ethanol in the gas? Or you say only racing fuel and stick it to the racers requiring them to buy only high priced fuel.

Its a great option for racers, Ive used it for over 7 years never had any issues... EVER. most all info posted here is right on.. Buy a good carb... thats the main thing. The statement that it burns twice as fast as gas is FALSE! Its actually very close it burns faster but not much and you WILL save money over Race gas.. Every racer needs to save money this is a great way to do so. I wish IMCA and other sanctions would open there eyes and allow ethanol like indy and nascar have done. American fuel made by Americans!

[powerball]

I think most tracks need to do a better job of addressing allowed fuels... IMCA late model and some other divisions state NO E85... pretty black and white. when the rules say only pump gas or gasoline that kindof leaves it somewhat unclear. Racers love to work in this gray area of the rules.... Its hard to find gas without 10% ethanol which looks to soon be 15% ethanol. if its ok to run e10 or e15 or even e25 whats the cut off limit of ethanol in the gas? Or you say only racing fuel and stick it to the racers requiring them to buy only high priced fuel.

Its a great option for racers, Ive used it for over 7 years never had any issues... EVER. most all info posted here is right on.. Buy a good carb... thats the main thing. The statement that it burns twice as fast as gas is FALSE! Its actually very close it burns faster but not much and you WILL save money over Race gas.. Every racer needs to save money this is a great way to do so. I wish IMCA and other sanctions would open there eyes and allow ethanol like indy and nascar have done. American fuel made by Americans!

wow couldnt of said it any better agree 100 %.

[powerball]

no its not..lol.

see above post. doesnt take a genius..

yes it is! so your telling me i cant go an buy e85 out of the pump from a gas station! ya right an i guarantee you guys that dont think its fair also dont read between the GRAY areas in the rules either huh! lmao

[stockcar5]

yes it is! so your telling me i cant go an buy e85 out of the pump from a gas station! ya right an i guarantee you guys that dont think its fair also dont read between the GRAY areas in the rules either huh! lmao

never said you couldnt buy ETHANOL from the pump. buy it all you want its not gonna turn it into GAS..lol. some of you guys get more retarded bye the day.

[powerball]

never said you couldnt buy ETHANOL from the pump. buy it all you want its not gonna turn it into GAS..lol. some of you guys get more retarded bye the day.

earlier you stated it was ALCOHOL!! which is it jacka$$ !! keep paying for that expensive race fuel you have been burning DUMBA$$ an i will keep buy that e85 for half of what you ve been spending

[kidrock]

I agree with powerball it is pump gas. After all you get from the pump at the gas stations. I guess that is one of those grey areas.

[50j]

I would call it pump fuel. It's 85% ethanol and 15% gas. Ethanol and methanol are both alcohols but very different. No, you don't use twice as much E-85 as gas before it even comes up lol. It's not like methanol.

[Crash 4]

OK, no where in the rules does it say anything about "PUMP" gas or fuel. It states clearly gasoline only. If you are running E-85, that is 85 percent ethanol. NO gray area! Black and white to me. People saying they have been running it for "years" tells me they have been cheating for years, and just admitted to it on a public forum.

All that being said, I would still like to try it, but the rules need to be clarified if they are going to allow it.

[stockcar5]

powerball..i'll type this REALLY slow so you understand it. PLEASE read slow.

alcohol is a classification of fuel. fuels that fall under this category include methanol and ethanol. so here is where it gets complicated for you...yes ethanol IS an alcohol!

now since ethanol is available from a pump DOES NOT mean its gas. gasoline is a totally different category of fuels.

i apologize to my fellow 4mers for powerballs rants and misinformation. in all honesty i thought everybody knew the difference between gas and alcohols. i really didn't think somebody that knew how to use a computer would be this uneducated.

[powerball]

OMG! you guys are some of the biggest cry babies out there. lmao!

[Krooser]

Not to muddy the water's here but you buy E-85 at a gas station not at an alcohol station...

The popcorn is in the microwave... this may get good.

[dirty white boy]

pump fuel is pump fuel,...e85 is the standard pump fuel cross the usa today,....but yall can keep being an exact (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) long as ya want to bout it,..if rules says pump fuel,..e-85 should be fine,...its writin that way so them over edumactaed know it alls out iowa ways wont mix up race fuel an corn likker to race on,...some folks would argue with the 10 commandments trying to be the info guru of stock cars

[35racing]

Lets call it gas-ahol.... because it does have gasoline in it and is not 100% alcohol. With that being said the statement "gasoline only and no additives" is in my book an Oxymoron. Do some fuel testing and you will find out gasoline has MANY additives which may or may not be intended. H2O being a unintended additive and Nitrogen being an intended additive. Many companies are selling these Oxygenated fuels that use Nitrogen additives. When they say Gasoline only one also could make an argument that Turbo blue race gas would be illegal also because it is no regular gasoline either. So my point is a racer can find a gray area argument quite easily. Unless your tech inspector has a chemical engineering degree and the tools to test fuel for all of the above. Check out circletrack.com theres a nice article about Oxygenated fuels. Personally I would worry more about these types of race gases or Nitro based fuels than E85.