Instead of mucking the head thread, maybe experienced E85 guys can explain what's needed to convert. New pickup in tank, complete larger fuel line tank to carb, electric fuel pump, can I modify my 830 hp,? Does it burn cleaner, or is it corrosive? Will E85 have that nice race gas smell? What if E85 dissappears? In MI., some stations don't sell it as in the past. Ethan and others seem to have some 1st hand experience on this conversion.
I have and still do,...its awesome. It has it's own distinctive smell, I like it,..Eric at horsepower innovations is the man to do the conversion. And yes he will just modify your 830. Burns MUCH cleaner and you will pick up tq across the whole range and possibly up to 30hp. It really shows bigger gains with 12to1 and higher compression but will still pick up on lower comp. As far maintenance, just keep it circulating ie crank it up and let run even tho you may not can drive it. As far as its continuity regarding availability idk I feel confident up north it will hang around for a good while
An option, just in case alum head chambers are smaller than 55cc. Also, big duration cams with alot of overlap, contaminate oil more. Running wide open helps with more efficient burn, but street driving/ traffic gets in the way & loads things up. Just thinking corn may be a cleaner fuel.
Been running it in both racecars for 4 years. Carb has to be converted and fuel pump and regulator need to be E85 compatible. Love it. $2 or less per gallon vs $9 per gallon. Engine runs a lot cooler, in fact have to put heat in the motor before heading to staging.Cars picked up .1-.15 and are less affected by DA changes.Much more consistent for bracket or index racing.Uses 30% more fuel though.Can run more compression too without fear of detonation.Here in Ohio E85 is everywhere, but if its discontinued the carb can be easily converted back. For winter storage I run all the fuel out of the carb,tank and pump. During racing season if I don't go out every week I start the car every 7days and bring the motor to temp before shutting it down. Seems to take care of any corrosion and any deposits that may form in the carb. gary
For winter storage my son runs ALL the fuel out & then puts in Cam2 leaded race fuel & runs it then shuts it down for the winter. Come spring run the race fuel out as only a gallon or 2 were added & refill with E85. Mostly eliminates ANY corrosion.
My procharged setup was 11.2 to 1 with good bit of cranking psi as it was an NA cam, plus the 9lbs from the blower with no meth or intercooler
Eric and I just converted my 950HP to E85. I installed it, but we are waiting 'til spring to fire it. No sense adding E85, running it, then draining it out. I do carb tear-downs and cleanup at Horsepower Innovations when Eric is busy.
One thing you don't want to do with E85 is store your car with it long term, you WILL have issues with moisture and rust in the tank
On top of the pickup, fuel pump, line, carb conversion & regulator, seems like a considerable amount of maintenance for storage/ lay-up. I remember a time returning from the track, I was on fumes and made it into the first town. All the power was out in town. I ended up buying 3 gallons of regular off a neighbor across from the gas station to get me to the next town. What dilemma would I be in if I went up north and couldn't find E85 available?
You should be able to do a internet search for places on whatever route you take for E85 availability? Seek and you shall find.
I just did a search. Last update at only 1 station was in 2016. That's how they roll up in the sticks. Then when you roll in, they tell you "we used to sell it a couple years ago"
Too much of a bother to me to run on just one type of fuel that's not widely available if your going to drive it frequently. I think your better off buying race fuel and adding it when needed, and pump premium the rest of the time
