E85

[compaqpunch]

Heard a lot of good stuff about E85 and was woundering if anyone has tried it yet? If so what supporting mods do you have? how are your fuel lines holding out? I know a lot of DSM are taking this route, is it a good choice for us?

[jason_bet]

Over Rated.. you need fuel pump injectors Management.. and it takes 30% more E85 then Regular gas.. also has problems in winter starting

[AutostradaVR4]

Heard terrible things about ethanol...something about it eating seals and stuff?
These cars are 10-20 years old now, and they were not designed with this stuff in mind. If you have a new car, it will say in your manual whether you can use it or not, but for our cars, i would steer clear.

just my

EDIT: Here's a little bit more info i found for you.
from about.com

"What to Be Aware Of
Because these vehicles can burn E85, they require specialized fuel system components. How come? It’s the alcohol content. E85 contains 85 percent ethanol, which is considered a caustic compound. Even in concentrations as low as 20 percent, the alcohol can deteriorate the non-synthetic, rubber parts in fuel systems. Therefore, these systems require synthetic gaskets and seals.

In addition, some metals can be damaged by high levels of alcohol, and vehicles with these systems often need to have stainless steel or another composite metal that will not be damaged by the alcohol.

Along with alcohol’s caustic nature, it also has different burn characteristics than gasoline. To compensate, the engine management systems are designed with additional specific sensors to measure the alcohol concentration and signal the on-board computer to adjust parameters such as ignition timing, fuel flow rate and air/fuel ratio."


and this link backs up what jason was saying, that it's actually more expensive than gas, since the mileage is so bad.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...anol_ov1_1.htm