ethonol 85?

zx2guy · #1 02-18-2006, 02:23 PM

anybody hear anything on this corn ethonol that chevy is starting (well has had for a few months now) to push? that think green go yellow or what ever it is. good idea to be capitalized on or no?

Andydg · #2 02-18-2006, 04:06 PM

So far I like it...it's cheaper than gasoline but you get worse mileage but it's cheap enough that you come out ahead.

BP2K2Max · #3 02-18-2006, 06:04 PM

^it's not cheap enough yet. it currently costs as much as gasoline and you have to refill more often cuz it burns faster. however you do get more power from it since it's a higher octane. as there becomes more of a market for for e85 the price will come down.

check out either www.livegreengoyellow.com or www.e85fuel.com

FlippiN.af · #4 02-18-2006, 06:25 PM

Is this ethanol85 more available than gasoline or fossil fuel?

abaird · #5 02-18-2006, 07:31 PM

Here in the midwest it is quite a bit cheaper to buy E85. If you can run it that is. I think it is a good thing because it is made from corn which is a renewable fuel. I don't know what the octane is, but higher octane doesn't give you more power. Basically, the higher the octane, the less likely you are to have a knock(so don't waste money on the high priced fuel, 87 octane is all you need). High compression engines need to have high octane to prevent detonation. The truth is that ethanol produces less energy than gasoline so that is where the crappy fuel mileage comes from.

zx2guy · #6 02-19-2006, 10:13 AM

sooo this is kinda like the switch from leaded to unleaded back in the early 70's? i mean its gas, but different.

Steel · #7 02-19-2006, 10:27 AM

Biodiesel and alcohol is where its at. That and you can run alcohol at like 3:1 a/f ratio and get some power iirc. Then again, at that rate, you'll be getting a whole 3 miles to a gallon. i think stoich for alcohol is 6:1

BP2K2Max · #8 02-19-2006, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abaird

Here in the midwest it is quite a bit cheaper to buy E85. If you can run it that is. I think it is a good thing because it is made from corn which is a renewable fuel. I don't know what the octane is, but higher octane doesn't give you more power. Basically, the higher the octane, the less likely you are to have a knock(so don't waste money on the high priced fuel, 87 octane is all you need). High compression engines need to have high octane to prevent detonation. The truth is that ethanol produces less energy than gasoline so that is where the crappy fuel mileage comes from.

This is quoted from GM's Live Green Go Yellow web page in the FAQ section.
"using E85 ethanol can help improve your vehicles performance, how? E85 ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, which allows for more hp and torque."

-Jayson- · #9 02-19-2006, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BP2K2Max

This is quoted from GM's Live Green Go Yellow web page in the FAQ section.
"using E85 ethanol can help improve your vehicles performance, how? E85 ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, which allows for more hp and torque."

thats not really right, just stupid marketing. Octane alone does not make HP. If you put 108 Octane Race gas in your car that requires 87 octane, nothing special is gonna happen. You wont see anymore HP. The HP increase comes from the increased compression that is allowed because of the higher octane. The more you compress the air/fuel mixture the more powerful the combustion is. Race cars compress the airfuel ratio so much that it turns into a near solid state.

BP2K2Max · #10 02-19-2006, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Jayson-

thats not really right, just stupid marketing. Octane alone does not make HP. If you put 108 Octane Race gas in your car that requires 87 octane, nothing special is gonna happen. You wont see anymore HP. The HP increase comes from the increased compression that is allowed because of the higher octane. The more you compress the air/fuel mixture the more powerful the combustion is. Race cars compress the airfuel ratio so much that it turns into a near solid state.

damn, of all people to make a mistake like that you'd figure GM would know better. regardless the real benefits are that it helps diminish our dependence on foreign oil suppliers, it burns cleaner and it helps support our agriclture industry.

2strokebloke · #11 02-19-2006, 08:55 PM

E-85 has been consistently cheaper than gas at the stations around here (usually about 10 cents cheaper per gallon). E-85 has also been around for pretty long time, it's definately not new.

speediva · #12 02-20-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steel

Biodiesel and alcohol is where its at. That and you can run alcohol at like 3:1 a/f ratio and get some power iirc. Then again, at that rate, you'll be getting a whole 3 miles to a gallon. i think stoich for alcohol is 6:1

Yeah, but alcohol in certain quantities (ie. at Sunoco with their ethanol as an additive) makes my Subaru knock... NOT cool.

Igovert500 · #13 02-20-2006, 09:43 AM

http://www.3si.org/forum/showthread.php?t=284068

We were just discussing this, as it relates to boosted cars, on another forum. Some good points and links if you are interested.

G-man422 · #14 02-20-2006, 09:53 AM

I think its a good idea. i also think that it will eventually be used in every car.

Jet-Lee · #15 02-20-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BP2K2Max

This is quoted from GM's Live Green Go Yellow web page in the FAQ section.
"using E85 ethanol can help improve your vehicles performance, how? E85 ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, which allows for more hp and torque."

A higher octane rating means the fuel burns slower. 93 fuel burns slower and more controlled than 87. But because the 87 burns more fierce and faster, it's a stronger explosion inside th engine resulting in more power. The higher octane you go, without upping compression, the lower your hp/tq gets.

That's piss poor advertising on GM's part.

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