Is E85 better than Gasoline? Let's find out!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2018
- Is E85 better than cheap gasoline? What about fuel efficiency / MPG (miles per gallon)? What about horsepower and torque? So, will E85 clean the engine better than cheap gasoline? Will it prevent carbon buildup? Let's find out.
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When you click on a TH-cam video and get way more than you bargained for. Great job.
Thank you
IKR this dude has the best mechanical vids on the Tube and just down to earth cool as they come.
@GPtwo welcome to the PF community, we're glad you could join us.
I expect nothing less from Project Farm
That poor old lawnmower engine has had everything thrown at it.
lol. Yes, you are right!
Always wondering if he uses anything to lube the threads. He has taken it apart so many times!
how about "will an engine run on nitroglycerin?"
Good thing it's not a Ford engine
@@jason22talley Ford Engines are the best engeenered engines
How in the world can anyone give this guy a thumbs down!!?? Are ya kidding me 98 people?? This dudes videos are more than helpful and goes outta his way to give real heads up quality tests that are priceless to us as consumers. Farm dude keep up the great videos I appreciate your time and awesome effort put into them! A big Thanks from some dude in the capital city of Des Moines Iowa
Thank you very much!!
I know right!! Besides the great testing just the fact that he can talk like a cartoon character with lungs full of helium is worth the thumbs up. I think he's the next Mel Blanc.
project farm, please never leave us and stay the same!
Thank you!
So, for those in the know, E85 is a preferred fuel for boosted engines, because ethanol has such a high octane rating compared to substantially lower octane gasoline(even higher than some racing gasoline, but much more affordable). Boost can be cranked way up with E85, without the fear of pre-igniton, all be it, at the cost of using a lot more fuel.
For those not in the know, E85's draw is the lower cost per volume, which is really not a lower cost, since mileage suffers so much when it's run in low compression or non-boosted engines.
My suggestion is to try and get one of the Briggs up to like 14:1 or higher compression, and compare how much power can be made vs regular gas which can only be run, in a lower compression motor.
So basically see if you can measure the efficiency increase in the higher compression motor.
Great point. Thank you
God idea. I think it would be cool to see a high compression engine used in your tests for comparison. You can take a belt sander and shave the cylinder head down a few thousandths or use a thinner headgasket. I think you'd have interesting results since some of the fuels you've run through them would cause them to run better or go pop.
jimsiggy, the problem with a flathead (side valve) engine is clearance for the valves. Because of the design of the engine, compression is very limited due to valve clearance issues. Raising compression can logically be done only on overhead valve engines. A side-valve engine can never make it to the compression ratio you suggest.
@@ProjectFarm what about trying different experiments on 2 cycle chainsaw engines? Unfortunately, most chainsaw engines from an old McCulloch or Homelite to a brand new Husqvarna 372XP (all obviously not computerized carburetors) typically do not like ethanol because of the carb's rubber diaphragms and fuel lines, crank seals etc. Some of the fuel lines could be replaced with tygon fuel lines though, or if you're really good an old McCulloch's fuel lines can be replaced. It will be the carb's rubber internals, gas tank gasket, crank seals and any other rubber parts in contact with the ethanol fuel mix that will eventually suffer. Maybe even the cast aluminum and magnesium will too. The good news is that the old McCulloch carburetors are fully adjustable. I typically use only 91 octane gas with absolutely no ethanol because if any ethanol blend gas (which I have used 87 octane 10% ethanol blend) will quickly plug up a chainsaw carburetor if left sitting in storage for any length of time, maybe even a month.
@@ProjectFarm a computerized carburetor chainsaw as an example would be the Husqvarna 562XP or the new 572XP which is the replacement for both the older 372XP and the 576. The 372 technically had 2 different generations dating back into the late 1980's or for sure the early 1990's.
1:55 The car didn't run out of power, it hit the speed limiter. I own one of those and in 3rd gear, 5,000 rpm is over the 99 mph speed limiter.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, HPtuners or similar could easily take care of that and you can command 3rd gear for dyno runs.
You sir are a hero. Another video I've been waiting for!
Thank you!
My own personal results. I used Torque, and Bluetooth OBD2 adapter. I ran both a stretch of Highway, about 20 miles to a reststop where I would turn around and come back and fuel. I also compared my normal day to day driving. I ran both Standard Gasoline and E85. I could not tell the difference by driveability, but I consistently got 30% poorer MPG on E85. My conclusion was that E85, only made sense if there was a greater then 30% difference in price, which was very seldom the case.
Great information. Thank you
Good point. What if you did the calculations based on cost per mile? Do you think you could get a better sense of cost?
In Brazil usually on E100 people give similar advice 1/3 cheaper go with E100 otherwise E25 (only form of petrol/gasoline available there), but there is a clear price difference and higher performance on E100 plus cleaner engine. Though keep in mind being south america they have some serious issues with fuel quality so either you have to pay a lot more to get premium fuel that will be less adulterated or go with regular and you'll end up with clogged injectors and all sorts of issues very soon, sometimes car will not even start due to the bad fuel having a really high flashpoint (like trying to start on kerosene) engine just can't do it and going with E100 can be a lot less of a hassle overall and cheaper. Yes i did live there for a bit so I know XD I once had a sample of 100LL Avgas that wasn't pure either, I sure wouldn't like being the one pumping bad avgas into my airplane.
I did something similar but with pen/paper in my work van which I constantly drive throughout the week. I noticed the exact same results. Only use e85 if the prices make sense.
It really only helps when you're limited by knock, such as forced induction or high compression. It can make triple-digit improvements on the dyno for some sub-1000hp cars, in most cases eclipsing 116-oct leaded race gas.
Is there a way you could test different windshield wiper blade brands for durability, longevity, price, effectiveness, etc.? Love your channel keep up the good work!
Great video idea! Thank you
Hard to age them genuinely (which is where they break down), but there's a bigger idea in here: how about some long running projects set up in the field or something.
Look up PIAA Blades. I've had a set (but not of the snow/winter variety; those seem much more fragile) on my 99 Suburban since October/November 2016. Granted I parked it in the garage about 2 years later and it's been sitting since then but I went over a year and a half easily on the one set.
Silicone blades are built to last but i haven't had a pair yet its my next pick i think rain x sells them if anyone here has a warning that my next choose
Get them out trash can at auto part store on Ice day. Warm them up. Wd40 them like new most time ve mine I replace mine when they crack.
Really enjoy your work. Very informative and you are detail oriented. Thanks for the entertaining and creative topics.
I love e85 in my boosted 78 Pontiac 400. It’s like a wonder elixir that can do no wrong. Getting 800 hp out of a motor designed for 180 has been extremely gratifying on a home built motor…Easily develops 21 lbs of boost using 1970 cast iron heads…
WOW! Ever since you started the channel, it's really improved. Keep it up!
Thanks for the feedback!
try e85 (with 2 stroke oil) in a 2 stroke engine
Great video idea!
@@MaFTB soap
There is a LARGE problem with ethanol
added fuel, in a 2 stroke.
You see the simple test to measure the
ethanol amount? Let's consider doing that
with 2 stroke oil mixed gas. It again will
separate into 2 different mixes. Gas and
oil, on the top, and water and ethanol on
the bottom. See if you can guess which
one will DESTROY your engine. Yep, the
water alcohol mixture. The gas and oil
mix, however, will foul your plug, since
it has a high concentration of oil.
Another thing, America is burning their
food supply, making ethanol. I've seen
a study that says it takes more than a
gallon of fuel, to make a gallon of alcohol.
Ethanol, (the kind of alcohol in your beer)
is made exactly the same way whiskey is
made, for fuel.
steve
It is need special 2-stroke oil! Normal 2-stroke oil not mixed with etanol
@@steveskouson9620 and if the engine is DESTROYED it would be fun to watch (at least forme, I think)
Found your channel not too long ago and I really like it. I know I'm late to the party regarding this test, but unless I missed it in the comments, it is important to point out that the flex fuel ECU calibration that GM uses on this generation of LS V8s is not designed to optimize power while on ethanol.. It only adds 2-4 degrees of timing at full throttle between 3500 and 5000 rpm and the engine typically wants more than that to get to optimal torque (might have something to do with the fragile 4L60E transmission that most of these trucks used). There is a lot more timing added below 2500 rpm and above 5000 rpm, but you really didn't get to test that. With proper tuning you'll typically see 6-8% minimum power/torque gains across most of the rpm range on E85 vs. 87 octane tuned. Other higher performance engines will naturally do even better (supercharged GM V8's converted to flex fuel will gain 80-100 hp on corn vs. 91-92 octane).
This is great information! Thank you
I liked my 4L60e a lot, it took everything that was thrown at it and had 285,000 miles when i sold it and it still ran down the road perfect. I think it's all on how you maintain it, and don't be doing burnouts constantly. I know tuning can go a long way, but only so far without a shift kit or new torque converter. I suppose id have a whole different outlook if i ever owned a 4L80e. I only said this because you said it was fragile, and mine was anything but. But some are built better than others i suppose.
@@johnanderson5500 They have made improvements over the years. Anything in the trucks from 2002 and earlier was very weak. Lots of failures of the sprag and the sun gear. I lost 2 in 100k miles on my 02 and we didn't even tow with that one. 03 got some improvements with some parts from the Corvette and there may have been some running changes along the way. But its just not a good design for truck/suv use.
Lp
Thank you very much for reminding/teaching/summarizing the basic issues around this.
Thank you!
Great video! In my own experience, E85 works wonders in most situations. However, in sub-zero temperatures, it can be difficult to ignite E85 without mixing it with gasoline. Don't make the same mistake as me, the coldest days of the year are not when you want to be forced to use a bicycle!
Great feedback. Thank you
Excellent tests.....As usual. :-)
Thank you very much! Thanks for the GREAT videos you're doing! That 1000 AMP melter video was interesting!
I think you meant "Entertaining" tests.
Because this was one of the worst tests he has done.
He literally only showed 2 things.
1. Lower energy density (Needed more fuel. Less 'efficiency.)
2. Ethanol is a solvent, and will dissolve parts of a fuel system that is not designed to handle it.
(Holy crap STOP saying corrosive! That is NOT what that word means. It doesn't make you look smart. It makes people who DO know cringe...)****
Further: He doesn't seem to understand the difference between...
"Designed not to break when fueled with E85"
and
"Designed to take advantage of the things E85 is better at".
This TOTALLY sidesteps the actual (situational) advantages of E85
1. Much cooler intake charge.
2. WAY higher octane rating. Which it is why it is used in engines with forced induction pressures that would immediately destroy a normal gasoline one.
Conclusion: This test is utterly meaningless. Unless it is trying to answer the question "If I put E85 in my car, will it go faster?" Which the answer is OBVIOUSLY "NO".
**** Solvents break down things WITHOUT making chemical changes. Water dissolves table salt. But the salt is still SALT.
Corrosives break things down BY making chemical changes. Vinegar corrodes sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) by changing the molecules.
@Overwatch I find it highly amusing when viewers with zero content on their YT channel mouth off. If you're so smart and know so much, then make a video. LOL
@@Prophes0r Tecnically ethanol contains water into it. So it could cause corrosion in a normal gasoline engine not prepared to handle ethanol. Its actually a normal issue with old fiat tempras wich had a jerryrrigged computer to be able to burn ethanol instead of gasoline, the infamous 'converted to alcohol fiat tempras'.
Possibly its that what he is talking about.
@@Prophes0r no need to be rude bud.
The pool pump motor repair guy approved ! that was good info farm man
Beautiful video again keep them coming sir!!!
Thanks, will do!
I've been watching you for a minute. Good show. I have a Silverado that is e85. I squeeze 15.0 mpg. the first couple of months i had it. Then went to a cold air intake, stage 2 chip, 180 thermostat and 3 in. real dual exhaust plus e85. Ran like a real good. And I mean real good. Started to get 10.1 mpg. I switch back! Ran real good though! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for sharing!
E85 was introduced as a cleaner alternative to normal gasoline. Ethanol has an octane rating of around 110, by adding it to gasoline we can increase the octane by several points. Originally they were going to introduce the fuel as straight ethanol, but for fear of people pumping and drinking it they added gasoline to make it toxic to drink. And as you said E85 takes about 30% more fuel to achieve the same air fuel ratio as E10 gasoline. However if you purpose built an engine to run off of E85 only, you would see a significant increase in horsepower and toque, and you would see an improvement on fuel economy. If I remember correctly the suburban's 5.3 has a compression ratio of around 10:1, if you changed the pistons and bumped that to 13:1 and only ran E85 you would see a decent increase in engine output, however you wouldn't be able to run the engine off of E10 without adding an octane booster due to excessive engine knock. I went to school for GM, and was ASE certified before I left the shop.
Thank you
I bumped my engine and use E85 and LPG. The engine works much better
I always thought that pump gas is added to ethanol for better engine start up process as pure ethanol wouldn't ignite below 52 degrees Fahrenheit which is a problem in cold time of the year.
U don’t need to change compression. Timing is all that is needed
It depends on particular application. For instance on 2.2 NA Honda engine we bumped up CR 2 points since it's running on E85
Interesting results. I hired a 2019 GMC Yukon last Sept in Florida for 3 weeks and done 3000 miles total. The first 1500 miles, I used Reg Unleaded at $2.44 per Gal and returned 18.5mpg. The last 1500 miles, I used e85 at $2.56 per Gal (quite hard to find) and returned 14.5mpg. Almost the same difference as your test with e85 around 30% less efficient as regular unleaded. The SUV did run slightly better on the e85.
Great information! Thank you
Amazing video as always. This one was great
Thank you
Thank you for this video. I recently spent 5 years working at an ethanol facility in eastern SD. This was corn based ethanol we produced. 60 million gallons per year! I have many views on ethanol. It has its place in this world, but im not sure where. The product that left our facility was denatured (with the lowest possibe grade gasoline, less than 80 octane.) It was around 198 proof. The other 2% was a recirc water that needed to leace the plant. This is why I avoid ethanol at all possible. I will run E10 if it is the only product available. If you have any more questions please to ask. I really enjoyed this video and have alot of knowledge in ethanol. I enjoy all of your videos and tests, keep it up!
Thank you for the feedback!
I have a 2008 c300 Mercedes-Benz.... thoughts on if I should use this, car seems to like it alot but I can smell a funny smell under my hood 120,000 miles so far ..........
I have never heard of E85 gas, but I think if you use that gas all of the time you will end up spending a lot more money live you said. As always I like to say that you did a good job making this video. I think you do all of the testing the best and fairest way possible. I watch your video series everyday. I like to re-watch them as a great pass time for me. I know that you have fun making the videos and I know for a fact that you put hard work and time into making the videos. I have been watching your channel now for about two months or more. I would like to see you test supper unleaded gas to see if you get excellent fuel millage or not. I just want to say one last ting, thank-you for being in the service!
Thank you very much! Great point regarding the increased cost over time using E85. Great test idea on the super unleaded fuel efficiency test too.
You would think so, and if it weren’t for subsidies, you’d be right. Just did a comparison on my ‘14 Silverado. Pump gas in the city was around 18 MPG. E85 is around 14.5. Sounds like regular gas would be a lot cheaper, right? The difference is that E85 is around 25% cheaper because of government subsidies to farmers, ethanol producers, etc. According to my math, it costs me $0.013 less/mile to drive on ethanol and it keeps the motor a little cleaner.
@@BabyGators also helps with emissions and will give a little performance just like higher grade gas does but it wont be noticeable in newer vehicles. I own 2 90s vehicles and when I started using 93 it made a big difference and I used to mix about 5 dollars of e85 to help clean it out and get a little more perfomance and it helped a lot more, but I dont really do it very much during the winter unless I know for sure that I'm not going to let it sit in the tank. E85 probably should be the next step instead of electric cars. Itll be cheaper to do but figuring put how to mass produce it will be hard. But I have studied about algy being used as engine oil and used as a bio diesel. Electric cars seem to be far from perfect for there price and inconvenience and they dont really last very long since there batters will wear out really fast being charged constantly. And electronics arent very good either. I personally think bio fuels would be the answer since e85 alone can easily cut emissions by over 50 percent sometimes higher
I love E85. Some of my oldest videos are about a car I took a stock N/A engine that barely made 150hp at the crank, turbo’d it and converted to E85. I made 265whp! Man that thing was soooo fast.
Impressive!
Thanks for all the fine videos that you make. I always enjoy watching them. Years ago lawn mower engines used a carburetor that actually had an adjustable fuel mixture screw located under the float bowl. Have you thought about replacing the carburetor on your mower with one of these older carburetors? It could help you in some of your test videos. E85 also produces different byproduct gases that end up in your oil which can be bad on an engine over time.
That's a great recommendation! I'll have to see if I can find one.
Project Farm tinkering and testing.
I am jealous!
Looks like fun.
Thank you!
*I LOVE* just how American this channel is in everything, including the cars owned and tested by the chap. This all looks quite exotic for basically all other countries worldwide.
Thanks for the feedback.
Great video! Might have been better to just plug in a scanner and look at the fuel trims on the tahoe vs. the dyno.
Great point! Thank you
I love your videos! You provide the best content on TH-cam. I think a great video would be testing Mobil Synergy Supreme+ premium gasoline vs standard premium fuel or just standard fuel.
Thank you!
My small manufacturing company just bought a 2015 Chevy 2500 Flex Fuel. I have never used E85 and was concerned it would cause more maintenance issues down the road. Thanks for the non - biased info!
You are welcome!
Please buy a cheap $50 ebay NOS kit and try it out
Thanks for the video idea!
He does! And it's very impressive
@@mathewmue5547 link?
While at it test one of those cheap chinese turbo kits.
REDVETTExxx Cleetus McFarland installed one of those electric turbos on one of his cars and lost about 30rwhp.
It sounds like a good maintenance run to do a tank of e85 every so often to keep the cylinder and fuel pump clean
Thanks for the feedback!
Was thinking the same thing. Might be a better value than a can of whatever sort of fuel system and carbon removing cleaner you could purchase.
Crap I posted that same question. Should of read first.... Such a lazy ass.
If your seals and gaskets and tubes are ok with ethanol, of course.
Don’t do it unless you have a flex fuel vehicle
I've been experimenting with E85 in my '91 Silverado and '97 Regal LS. They both run fine on the E85. I did add one quart of Naphtha to each vehicle on the first fill up to lower the octane a little. The Regal is more sensitive and will set a lean code. Lots of people with various brand name "Flex Fuel" cars and trucks have complained about the same lean engine code popping up if they use E85. No codes on regular 87 octane gasoline or E10.
Thanks for sharing.
Man I love this content. A person could learn a lot off you man. Like not to use fram oil filters, how to work on small engines, all the dirty tricks. Etc.
Thanks so much! Thanks for sharing.
Great video! Here in Brazil we have E100. Regular gas is E27. Today, about 80% of the cars here are flex fuel. Our rule of thumb is if regular gas' prices are over 30% above ethanol prices, is better to use ethanol.
Besides keeping the engine cleaner, ethanol is much less susceptible to knocking than gasoline. I myself drive a car with 22psi of boost and no intercooler, that's only possible with ethanol or methanol.
Thank you
After having to rebuild a chainsaw last year that had its fuel lines deteriorate, it makes me wonder how fast fuel lines would deteriorate if placed in a jar of e85.
Edit For clarity: the chainsaw was used with reglaur (10% ethanol fuel, plus 2cycle oil). I just wonder the time scale that it would take for e85 to make the lines brittle. Days, weeks, months?
Great point. I'm about to begin a long-term test to find out.
Depends on if the fuel system is designed around it.
Yup e85 is known to eat standard fuel lines that aren’t designed for it.
@@bryand6094 Right, the older 2cycle lines definitely weren't and from what I've read the replacement lines still aren't perfect at handling even the 10% ethanol.
I run E10 on my car and no problem what so ever, but It was also designed for it and yes It Is french.
Thanks for doing this test
Thank you
Very interesting and informative, thanks!!
Thanks and you are welcome!
i can tell a pretty noticeable performance boost when i run e85 in my F150.. but the mileage is definitely worse, if its cheap enough i will run it
Think its cheap enough now?
@@dang8973 87 is $5.10 where im at and E85 is $4.70 🤷🏻♂️ $0.40 discount isn’t terrible
@@dang8973 is this a trick question?
Gas mileage on my F150 tanks when I use E85, but I can tell a difference in power. I run a tank every now and then to clean out the cylinders. But because of the price per gallon, and the hit to fuel economy it almost never works out that E85 is actually cheaper to run than standard gasoline.
Great point! It would cost me a lot more money to run E85 compared to 87 octane.
You are forgetting about the environment. You used less gas. Al though the farmers had to waste tons of water, fertilizer and top soil to grow and process the corn/ethanol and tons of diesel and electricity (that comes from coal).....
Yeah I feel like it's a wash in terms of environmentalism. All the corn that gets produced for ethanol certainly can't be better for the environment than burning the oil. Also it feels wrong using our capacity to grow food for fuel. But that's corn subsidies for you I guess? I'm torn weather or not those are good or bad considering how they have changed our foods to contain so much corn.
It’s because your ecu can increase timing with e85 thus more power. I’m going to assume you have ecoboost.
If your truck isn’t designed for e85 it’s going to eat your fuel lines and I wouldn’t do that.
@@ProjectFarm at Germany the "worst" fuel is 95 octane and the "best" 102 octane
Love your channel and love your pleased with 15 to the gallon. Currently my 21000 mile average is 62,7 mpg and I still can’t really afford to run my car in the Uk ! Keep up the great work 😀
Thank you!
What car do you own?
@@michaelweems679 bmw 320ed. Mostly motorway miles ... It’s a nice car but it has no soul 😉
Thanks for the video!
Down here Ethanol is a lot cheaper than gas since it’s made out of sugar cane instead of corn. I just don’t like the idea of using it because of the oxidation that takes place in the long run, but sure looks cleaner!
I’ll give it a try for about 5~7 tanks to compare prices and fuel efficiency and see if it’s worth it.
Keep up the good work!
👍🏽
Great point! Thank you
Here in Brazil we have a slightly different ethanol, it is made of 90 ~ 93% ethanol, between 4% to 7% water and 3% gasoline. But it costs way less than our gasoline, which is also different, made of 73% of gasoline and 27% of pure ethanol (without water). Even with the difference in range, ethanol is cheaper to run almost all the time.
Thank you for this information!
Antonio Gabriel but you drive 1967 VW
Im seriously jealous of brazilian fuel choices. I wish e30~ was our standard fuel. And id would do anything to have he90 available at the pump. I have to make up my own batches of hydrous ethanol for track days (the little bit of water does wonders for cooling. But obviously dont leave water loaded fuels in nonprepared tanks for any period of time)
They use E because it's cheaper to make than buying oil from other countries.
3% gas so you can't drink it..😀
Now that you've shown that E85 burns cleaner than straight gasoline, how about a test of E85 vs Seafoam for cleaning valves and combustion chambers ?
Seconded^
Id watch this
Great video idea!
@tdidan I used some leftover, year old E85 to clean the carbon/gunk off the intake manifold on my engine (while I had it appart not running) and it did an amazing job! The alcohol is a great solvent!
You would likely see similar effects from just running a normal product through your engine. E85 at maximum concentration can and will reduce some carbon deposits. I've seen this consistently in engines that are 85 compatible where the owner regularly runs E85. I bought a truck a few years back that was E85 compatible, an 05 Suburban with the 5.3L. It got about 12MPG combined across my driving for the first few months. I then switched to E85 when gas prices skyrocketed and my gas mileage dropped into the mid single digits, which was to be expected. However, after running several tanks of E85 through it, then going back to gasoline, it got better gas mileage by about 2MPG. Alternating E85 and regular gas over a span of months got my combined mileage on regular gas up to about 15-16MPG. It WILL clean some buildup, but only if the engine can take it as a fuel, and it won't clean everything, there are better products to clean the engine if that is your only goal.
As far as putting it in any vehicle not rated for E85. Don't, the vehicle won't run right if at all. All E85 vehicles have a fuel type sensor that can tell between E85 and regular fuel, when it detects that change, it dumps a lot more fuel into the engine to run properly. To do this, the vehicle needs to come equipped with injectors that have a higher lb/min rating for fuel injection, otherwise the vehicle will run lean. A regular car does not have this sensor, and does not know it needs to inject more fuel. E85 will not cause severe damage to seals in the vehicle's fuel system, they are all the same between E85 and regular gas, over time the seals will dry out faster than if they were just exposed to gas, but the time this takes is no different on an E85 vehicle than a regular one. That being said, you can convert your vehicle to run on E85 with larger injectors and a tuner to up the injection time, maybe a fuel pump if the stock one cant maintain fuel pressure (as E85 is slightly thicker than gasoline).
@@2009dudeman I´ve mixed E85 60% with E10 at 40%, engine is pure gasoline engines [Impreza, Taurus Vulcan, Corolla and Civic (all non flex)]. And it doesn't mind at all. The only thing I notice is that they take just 1/2 second more to cold start.
I know this is an older video but since i just found it, my truck is designed for e85. I noticed when i use it every so often it runs much smoother with no hesitations. I believe using it a couple times a year has kept the combination area clean.
Thanks for the feedback.
Another fine video 😁
Ty.
Thanks and you are welcome!
I have a supercharged 6.8 liter V8 in my car, 12.5:1 compression ratio and meant to run specifically on E85 but still tuned to run 91 octane in an emergency. E85 made 101 MORE hp than gasoline (645 vs 544). The gasoline tune couldn't run much timing and sacrificed tons of power and mpg because of this. E85 gets me 9mpg and 91 gets me 10 mpg. But e85 costs $1 less than 91 in my area so ethanol is still much more economical and significantly more fun!
Wow! That's a lot of HP under the hood!
the Koenigsegg Agera, one of the most powerfull car in the world, gets its full power (near a thousand HP) only with E85.
@@Damien.D I recommended to Project Farm that he ride a dirt bike with a 450 cc 4 stroke engine. These engines are built with compression ratios at or above 12:1.
The Agera RS makes 1341HP on E85
Me Laughs with 50mpg
The biggest advantage with E85 would be its octane rating combined with a better cooling effect. With E85 you can push much more performance out of your engine as you avoid pre ignition and run cooler. That said, without any kind of forced induction E85 have little advantages other than you becomes a little greener as the ethanol side of things are carbon neutral.
E85 are kind of the middleground between petrol and methanol fuel. Its cheaper than methanol, more available and easier to convert to. If you have a flex fuel sensor you could also be driving on any mix between E5 and E100 you like and if you had a small tuned 4 banger I can promise, you would feel the difference between filling petrol and E85. Around a 200hp difference at least dependent on build :D
I would like to see more of your single cylinder diesel engine and diesel engine generally. If you are going to try and run it on more alternatives fuels you should heat up the fuel first before it reaches the injection pump. It will lower the viscosity and make it ignite more easily. Had you pre heated the crud oil you used it would have run much better, hell you can even run it on heated and filtered lard and butter if you want. Just don't let it cool down with any of that still in the system :D
Dependent on what fuel or fat you run it on you could also mix in regular diesel or even some petrol to lower the viscosity and make it auto ignite a little bit easier.
Oh, and a heavy breathing naturally aspirating diesel engine always love some forced induction action :D Good luck! :D :D
Great point. Thank you
I would have to argue that Ethanol is NOT carbon neutral. If you take into consideration that a crop had to be seeded = machinery to work the land, plant the crop + harvest the crop + the transportation of the seeds to the farm and then the transportation of the crop to the ethanol plant. You also have to keep in mind that fertilizer production requires the use of a lot of hydrocarbons. you need a lot of energy to transform crop mash into ethanol as well. Even if you are synthesize alcohol from cellulose fibres, you still have a lot of energy going into the ethanol making process.
@@gman7640 In that regard no fuel/power source is carbon neutral. Not any electric vehicle nor horse and carriage.
I drive a factory fitted E85 Volkswagen Golf TSI (Called Multifuel), 1.4 liter, 125 horse power, 200 Nm torque. absolutely love it. Great fuel efficiency about 29Mpg. And the fuel here in France is about 0.6€ per liter. Couldn't be more happy
What?? I've never heard of fuel being cheaper than at least 1 euro anywhere in europe, arent diesel prices like 1.50 euros in france as well?
Love the see through engine... nice touch
Thanks!
I would very much enjoy seeing you test some oil filters. There is a large price difference when it comes to oil filters, but do you get better filtration with that extra money???
Great video idea!
I use e85 in my "fun car." The extra octane and cooling capacity it has is nice when I turn the boost up.
Thank you! Great point on the extra octane!
I love your videos!
I used e85 in my 2010 Ford crown Victoria it was a flex fuel vehicle. I noticed that in only city driving my gas mileage was amazing for stop and go...but highway driving it really burned up the fuel. Nice to say for that large V8 engine. It passed emissions test flawlessly and never blew smoke and always stayed clean. I hope this is informative for you and Thank you for your videos. Take care Dana.
Thank you for the feedback
Have you done any testing on small engines using non-ethanol gas compared to ethanol gas for deposits/gunk ?
That video is coming on Monday. Nice timing!
Nice video, but he overlooks some issues. By definition, E85 has significantly lower energy content....as he states. I have found that the break-even point for E85 usage as regards fuel efficiency is 21%....that means if E85 is priced less than 21% down from E10 ("regular unleaded"), you will save money on fuel economy. If you pay more than 21% below the cost of E10, it will be as he says...it will cost you more to drive with it. If you can buy it 'right', it will save you money, and it's easier on the engine overall, if the engine is a flex-fuel engine. I've put 155,000 miles on a Yukon running nearly exclusive E85, and saved significant fuel costs. Yes, I stop more for fuel, but I'm an old man and I pee a lot and have to stop anyway! :)
It's cheaper compared to premium 91 or 93 fuel, not 87 regular, that's where the savings are. E85 is awesome.
Love the test man. I have been binge watching all your videos!! Can you please test if it's better to mix engine coolant with water or leave it concentrated.
Thanks for the video idea.
wondering how I missed this video until today. Great video. I find that E85 only makes sense to use in states where it is subsidized and thus much cheaper (at least 10%, but preferably 20% or more) than "regular" gas. It is interesting how well it cleans though... maybe worth running one tankful every couple months.
Thank you!
I was literally just wondering when you would have another video.
Thank you! Hope you enjoy this one!
Every Monday afternoon!
He usually uploads every monday
You should test adding hho to an engine, and see does it improve performance and mpg
Great video idea!
Project Farm yes
HHO? How about DHMO?
dhmo.org/
Hydrogen Hydroxide?
steve
@@steveskouson9620 lol. I use that on my bad knee. Pure solvent though.
Which one?
DHMO, HHO or Hydrogen Hydroxide?
You may be referring to DMSO.
If you can taste garlic, after applying
it to your knee, it is DMSO, and NOT
a participant in this discussion.
Of course, YMMV. (Your Mileage May
Vary.) :D
My post above, was VERY MUCH tongue
in cheek. HHO, DHMO and Hydrogen
Hydroxide, are ALL nature's first solvent.
(And, the primary ingredient in Beer,
Wine, Tequila, Rum, Brandy, Vodka, and
Whiskey. Under 100 proof, of course.
Gin is flavored Vodka.)
steve
mixed e85 in a 1993 olds with a 3800 v6 engine in it to try it. blended it at 50%. worked well for a non e85 burner but did drop mileage two miles per gallon. My opinion to really get the most out of e85 a purpose built engine with proper compression and other things like cam etc would be the way to go. A car that can burn both is just a compromise. Was going to try that at one time but never got to it. Thanks for the great video.
You are welcome! Thanks for sharing.
I have been watching a lot of youre content lately great job!!
With my experience running E85. what I have gathered is my tuner can throw a LOT more timing at the car safely so on pump 93 my car can safely make 1090 hp where on Ignite red E90 we can push it out to 1300 wheel blower only no nitrous so to me the gain is being able to throw more timing I definitely do burn alot more of it and the car does not like to start if it’s 30 degrees but the gains make it worth it I run ignite E85 and and ignite red E90
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
Have you tried “Engine restore” on an engine to see if it works? I used it once in an 1989 accord and it felt like it gave me more horse power. What do you think about that stuff?
Yes, I tested it on a diesel tractor and it does work. Great product!
Could you please test which two stroke oil works best. I have a two-stroke dirt bike and I like to use a brand called klotz and I use either the super techniplate or the r 50, I used to run the Walmart brand of 2-stroke oil but I feel as if I did not get enough lubrication because the bike had actually seized up and I had to rebuild it. Lots of my friends who also have 2 stroke dirt bikes used other brands. I would like to know what is truly the best lubricant. Also if I had to have one brand that I would really like to see tested it would be Amsoil saber because people run that oil in their dirt bikes at a much leaner ratio than they would any other oil and it seems to outperform everything else.
Thanks for the video idea!
Im also very interested in the 2 stroke oil test
Amsoil and Echo red armor are the best at lubricating. Have to be careful though, that oil sticks, even at 50:1 mix.
Cool tests! I love E85. I run E70 in my STI when I autocross and want more fun on a daily drive. I have it set up to run pump and e85 and the computer will figure out the tune per what ethanol percent is running to the fuel rails. I do lose about 30-40% fuel efficiency when at full e85 but I go from 370whp (on pump) and 450whp with e72.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
Another great video. I ran across this when I started looking into the new E15 EPA push. Call me skeptical at best.
Thanks!
try different radiator clean/flush brands to find which is the most effective at removing gunk from a radiator. like so he can see
Great video idea!
For those looking for more HP on E85, the best results come from an engine that has forced induction. E85 power is more substantial when there is a power adder such as a turbo or supercharger, naturally aspirated cars just don't benefit except getting worse fuel milage and maybe being a little more green.
Thanks for the feedback.
I definitely notice a performance increase in my 5.0L V8 F150 on E-85. It's nothing crazy, but it feels a little sharper to respond to throttle input and more eager vs using unleaded. It does eat into milage though like you said.
hey great videos keep them coming. I have a 2016 Silverado 4.3L V6 that is a flex fuel vehicle. I primarily use E85. I find that while yes it does burn faster and the mpg goes down, besides the extra power and torque, I believe it is a financial savings. The reason I say that is for example current gas prices here in NY is about $1.75 for E85 and about $2.30 for regular. The window sticker on my truck estimates that I should get 300 miles per tank on E85 and 400 on regular. So for me to fill up my car it costs me about $35-37 on E85 where as it would be about $55-57- about $20 more per tank. Now I know what your going to say, “your getting another 100 miles out of the tank: that is true. But if you were to say “how many miles can I get on $50 worth of either E85 or regular, the answer would be in the favor of E85. On my car, I wouldn’t be able to get the full $50 into the tank on 1 shot on E85. And on gasoline I wouldn’t have completely filled the tank. So I estimate that while I have to go back to the pump for more E85, I will actually get further on the addition $15-ish of E85 as apposed to what I got on (almost) a full tank of regular gasoline.
Thank you
Used E85 in my 2014 Chrysler Town and Country Van...once. Gas mileage tanked. Performance wasn't a big difference but with the poor gas mileage I didn't believe it was worth it. Perhaps a tank full, or even a mix, once in a while would be a good idea to clean out the carbon and other deposits from the 87 octane. Interesting video. I'm enjoying your experiments. Thanks for your work.
Thank you!
I love this stuff. Thanks. (fyi.. retired nuclear operations engineer, 40 years)
Thank you very much! Sounds like a very interesting career!
I'll give you one of my Transmissions when your 2003 suburban's unit goes out.
I'll give it to you for free.
Keep up the good work.
3346504533
9am-6pm
@@garyrobinson3735 you got a 6 speed manual for a miata?
@@abadibi I do not. But I can rebuild your unit for less than you might think.
@@garyrobinson3735 where is your shop located
@@1stock4Point6 Phenix City Al
Not gonna lie, you're the kinda nerdy friend I'd tease a lot. However, you're also the kinda friend 'd have such a good time with. Keep up the work and your videos are great. You deserve all the subs you've earned
Thank you very much!
Seeing you wizz by in a go kart just makes my day
Thank you!
I've had my car modified to run on E85, and I have about a 15% increase in fuel consumption.
In France, where i live, E85 is 0.6€ per litre and classic fuel is around 1.5€ per litre.
So the savings are quite impressive, I now pay half the price I used to.
"fuel economy" c'est la "consommation en carburant" la bas 😉
@@bastienrehm oups 😅
@@MrBayazz j'avoue que leurs expressions peuvent porter à confusion aussi...
Impressive! That'll save a lot of money
Quentin, did you do the math.
How much more gas do you have to burn in order to go the same distance?
2 x 0.6 = 1.20. Its still cheaper by Liter in your case if you had to burn 2 liters to compete with one.
Your saving, just not 2x :O
E85 nets lower efficiency in any engine designed to run E15 or less. Simple chemistry and physics. Ethanol adds anti knock which means you can run higher compressions, either through displacement design or through forced induction. This makes up for it's far lower chemical energy. But without those two things and I don't known many/any engines that can change combustion chamber compression ratio on the fly you get less efficiency and power. Though you can recoup the power some by being able to advance the timing more for more mechanical advantage.
Natural gas is the same. You can take a standard engine and run it on CNG with some modifications but without changing the compression ratios you end up with poor efficiency per unit of fuel. However if you design an engine with higher compression ratios to begin with it's very efficient and smells like a laundry mat dryer, or at least the exhaust does XD.
Great point. Thank you
Exactly...
Nissan/Infinity make a variable compression engine but I don't think PF will be willing to buy/test/destroy one :P
So new flex fuel vehicles generally have higher compression engines that require or strongly suggest running 91-93. On some (like the F150) you CAN run 87 but the engine will detune strongly and Ford warns of worse performance in hot environments
I love this channel! Definitely nice to see these products held accountable for sure. Can you test Mobil gas vs other brands since they claim it will last longer/deliver more fuel economy with their formula? It would be interesting to see which brand lasts the longest!
Thanks for the video idea.
@@ProjectFarm Thanks for the videos!
Because I have never owned or driven a flex-fuel or E85 vehicle, I know very little about it. For some reason, I thought that E85 was 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol. I have learned many other things also by watching your videos. They are well made, fast-paced and a lot of fun. Thanks.
Thank you
We all know that you can buy unpick-able, unbreakable, so on and so forth locks for frankly outrageous amounts of money, but a though has been bugging me. What about the less expensive locks? I was wondering if you could do a test on the toughest affordable locks, and what if any could be a reliable substitute for the high dollar locks.
Great video idea! Thank you
In general, avoid Master locks and you'll be fine. Any pick with even basic knowledge can quickly defeat those things.
Watch LockPickingLawyer. I ended up watching PF because of a recommendation from one of his videos.
I quit using it because the fuel economy was so bad in my Yukon. Like you said, it would cost me so much more every year to run E85.
Great feedback on E85
Been using it on our v6 audi trailer puller, to get it past the emissions tests, since its mostly runs short drives around the farm and drive to city, it gets clog up over time, so couple times on the highway to get it burn most of the crud on the engine and if that does not help, then 10 liters of E85 to 20 liters of 95 octane to properly clean everything and get it under emissions limit. This model is not flex fuel, so there is chance of casing some gasket damage, but in this format not anything we have noted so far, since after emissions test is passed we fuel it up full tank to lean it even further and drive the e85 mix out of the system.
Great info.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video, You explained this in a way that someone who is not into cars understood perfectly well. lol Loved the golf cart btw.
Thank you
Try running an engine with liquid rocket propellant. A 50/50 mix of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen is the most powerful type.
Thanks for the video idea!
Dustin 2/3 H and 1/3 O. This ratio would probably fry the engine.
There are some dragsters which runs on hydrazine. Wich is insane because that thing is self-igniting and poisonous.
Lol. That would be a bomb...
e85 needs turbos or superchargers to get most efficiency out of it
Thank you for the feedback
Ya, ethanol is at a performance disadvantage in flex fuel vehicles. If you increase the compression (different heads, gasket, pistons or rods) it should increase the power and efficiency quite a bit. But you will no longer be able to use regular unleaded of course.
And knock detectors.
You will still get a power increase naturally aspirated if tuned correctly. Your statement goes for gas too.
A few years back I converted a 273V8 plymouth Barracuda to run on E85. I did it because I didn't like the performance & the amount of smoke from the exhaust.
I re-jetted my Carb, changed the rubber fuel hoses to FUEL INJECTION spec hoses, & installed a new Alcohol rated fuel pump (Holley, I recall) to better utilize the E85.
Also, when I had built the engine earlier, I increased the compression - that was always an issue with the 87 Octane fuel.
Once I did the E85 upgrades, the car ran soooo much smoother, made great power & smelled a whole lot better (like hard-cider vs. smog).
I was able to register the Barracuda as an Alt-Fuel vehicle & got the AFV Tag which allowed me to use the HOV lane. I often got dirty looks from Prius drivers &the Tesla-rati. Note: I actually like Priuses & am interested in trying out an EV someday. However, the irony was fun.
The down side of the E85 Conversion was that once I let the fuel sit for about 4 months when I went overseas on a deployment, the fuel clogged up the carb because it had absorbed too much moisture. After that, if I knew that the car was gonna sit for even a couple of weeks, I aded Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer. That solved the moisture problem, but it is definitely something to address.
The 2nd downside was the fuel efficiency - at the time, I got about 20% lower mpg. As the price diff was +/-10% at the time, I did pay more to fill up the tank.
Since I did this in a 'fun', hobby car, this wasn't done as an economic exercise. However, I would (& will) do it again based on the driveability, performance & emissions.
And yes...to use the HOV lane, LOL.
Thanks for sharing.
My flex fuel 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee had similar fuel economy numbers to yours. Somewhere around 12-13mpg on E85 and 17-18mpg on E15. Wasn't worth the cost per gallon savings but good to know it was probably helping clean the engine.
Thanks for sharing.
I have never used E85, but I am a chemical engineer. E85 will never be able to compete with gasoline in terms of cost or fuel efficiency (assuming a properly tuned engine) because it has far less energy (BTU) per unit volume, and the chemical processes (primarily separations) cost much more. We don't see all the costs at the pump because the government subsidizes it. Ethanol is sometimes used for racing/high power applications because it burns faster than gasoline. That's fine if you don't care about mileage.
Great point! Thank you!
bkm83442 solid oxide fuel cell -Nissan
Just a little question. Here in France one liter of E85 costs about 0.60€ instead of 1.35€ for the E10. Do you think this is worth it ?
I guess it is, since E85 consume about 30% more fuel but cost half less !
The oxygenation can be leveraged to burn heavier fuels. I bet mixing it with Kerosene would have great mpg snd power combined
@@Lyzrinnyou can increase Btu adding kerosene but octane will lower and not sure what kerosene costs in France. Diesel will not work however
Does he live in Mulvane Ks or is that just the only casey's i know of?
Thank you! I live near Kansas City, MO
@@ProjectFarm nice, hope you like it there i just moved from mulvane ks to Nevada
I am in the process of trying to remove a broken bolt from a cast aluminum outboard lower unit and don't know how I'm going to go about doing it yet. Would love to see you compare and test different broken bolt extractors and how well they work. Always great videos. Thanks
Thanks for the video idea.
Have a 17' GT350 (12 to 1 compression engine) with a procharger running around 6 pounds of boost, catted long tube headers, and 1300cc injectors. Switched the fuel to e85 due to the octane rating, cooler flame temp and being able to inject much more e85 thus cooling the cylinder even more and preventing pre-ignition. There are definite cons to using e85, such as the engine is now cold natured for the first few minutes when starting, fewer gas stations that have e85 at the pump, and the fuel economy dropping a ton but totally worth it to have some additional peace of mind that the engine will stay together.
Nice car!
To really make power with e85 you need to have forced induction so that you can push timing
Great point. Thank you!
It isn't the timing so much as it is the cooling effect the evaporating fuel has on the intake charge. Alcohol takes a lot more heat out than regular fuel.
Don't forget the extra octane of around 105.
Timing has nothing to do with forced injection making power. The octane rating makes it easier to run more timing with the dynamic compression of forced induction with less chance of detonation (which is what cracks pistons and generally causes a bad day).
Or a high compression ratio. Anything that is timing limited will make more power with e85.
The higher ethanol content will just "eat" aluminum parts alive if the alloy wasn't designed to cope with it. When I worked at an auto auction, I saw many times when older carburetors had holes eaten through their fuels bowls due to the use of the usual blend of gasoline & ethanol (5-10%) prevalent around that time. We had more than a few having to be pulled from the sale due to fuel leaks and others catch fire during the sale because the leak wasn't detected beforehand.
Thank you
It is more likely due to the fact that the cars sat around and the fuel absorbed water from the air and the water caused the corrosion.
Y-S-D,...Seeing the gasoline dripping from the bottom of the fuel bowl eliminated gaskets & hoses as the source.
65sohc,...These vehicles weren't ones that had been in storage. They were daily drivers that had been traded in at a dealer. The vehicles were sent to auction because that particular dealer didn't want it on their lot because of either age or mileage., but a smaller dealer would.
@@NOLL72 The fact that they were carbureted indicates they were built before automakers changed fuel system components to tolerate ethanol.
65sohc,...Isn't that what I said in my initial comment? Why is it some people comment without reading carefully first?
Great video. In Brazil, since 70's we have from E21 to E27 today and E100, there's no pure gasoline. I like the sweet smell of E100 from exhaust, the extra power too but is a bit hard to start on cold...
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
2014 F150 eb, I can tell you first hand that running a blend of e85 and 91 non oxy, your truck will LOVE it!!! Turbo engines love running a blend, I'm running an e20 blend. I also believe running e85 can help with LSPI.... good ole poor mans race fuel!!
Thank you!
I have a 15 3.5 f150 eb, what is the ratio on fill ups. 36 gallon tank. I want to try this.
Try to run a gasoline engine on diesel vapors.
Great video idea!
How to blow up 101
You can’t the diesel requires the fuel to be delivered and that’s why if you run out of diesel you have to fill the filter before it will run. That is unless they fixed that problem but I haven’t come across that yet.
@@performancemotoring3798 yeah you're right! You have to purge that bastard everytime you run out of fuel, or change your filter. But it would be nice if they came with a auto purge mode!
I use e85 on my truck I get a 2 mpg difference but with price of e85 being 80 cents cheaper than 87 it's definitely worth it and there is a bit of performance difference my truck runs better on e85
Thank you
I agree I have a flex fuel 2007 Suburban and only experience about a 2 mpg difference on the highway a bit more in the city. At 140k in mileage no problems with the engine. So for me saving the 80 cents sometimes more has paid off.
Ethanol attracts water.
What kinda truck and what motor?
My 2010 F150 gets 12 mph on E85 and 18.5 on 87. Hands down I run 87
Hey I love your videos and the raw information that you present to us. It's pretty uncommon to see that so I appreciate it. I also have a question. So I have had a motorized bicycle for a while and after removing the baffle cap I noticed it four stroking above 22 mph. Now I don't know whether if 4 stroked beforehand as well because the exhaust seemed to be too quiet to hear or I never noticed it. I now have an expansion chamber on it and it still 4 strokes. I know that even with the baffle cap on, completely stock, I seemed to have less power than most people reported from the same engine. I ordered some jets and according to different sources, four stroking is caused by a lot of things. Common causes often are incorrect timing, too rich of an A/F mix, exhaust gases not being able to leave the combustion chamber fast enough, or a mix of the listed above. I will be changing all of those variables one by one to find the cause, but I would be curious to hear your take on this problem. I know every engine can have a different cause for it, but I just want to know what'd you do. It would help me and be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the great videos!
Thank you!
I’ve only used E85 a couple of times in my Silverado and mileage was not very good, probably 25% lower. My concern is that E85 doesn’t have the same lubricating properties and over a long time engine wear will be higher. Have you ever done any testing like this or know of any test results? Love the channel 👍👍👍