Long-term effects of E85

[Pat]

Originally Posted by DarkSideFRS

Ok...lots of conflicting info here.... Assuming an N/A setup (prob with aftermarket headers), is it safe to run e85?

Pat says no with no evident proof, and some swear there are no issues at all in relation to the health of the fuel system and motor...

There is a difference between me not being able to provide proof and it not existing. That said, it is good to have a healthy dose of skepticism for things read in forums, so I understand where you're coming from.

[fika84]

Originally Posted by Pat

There is a difference between me not being able to provide proof and it not existing. That said, it is good to have a healthy dose of skepticism for things read in forums, so I understand where you're coming from.

I can back up @Pat here. I know the shop and person he's referring to and have seen the internals of some of the engines that were torn apart after ~15k miles of running "e85"... One of my understandings of the issue is the range of quality in the gas. I put e85 in quotes because the fuel that comes from the pumps is dirty garbage and that's what primarily causes the crap build up inside the engines. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the quality of e85 differs across state lines as well! Maybe some areas are better than others.

I would be more apt to finding 5-20 gallon drums of VP or Sunoco quality race gas instead of running the e85 from the pump. Just my 2 cents

[why?]

Originally Posted by ROFL it's Waffle

10% ethanol in most pump gas is the "norm" and should be fine.
85% ethanol is a different story https://fuelandfriction.com/weekend-...less-you-know/

that guy is selling something, so you cannot believe a word he says.

In general I've seen people say to run a tank of 93 every month, or every 4 or 5 fill ups, or people run a gallon of 93 every time they fill to cancel out the vast majority of issues e85 can cause.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by fika84

I can back up @Pat here. I know the shop and person he's referring to and have seen the internals of some of the engines that were torn apart after ~15k miles of running "e85"... One of my understandings of the issue is the range of quality in the gas. I put e85 in quotes because the fuel that comes from the pumps is dirty garbage and that's what primarily causes the crap build up inside the engines. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the quality of e85 differs across state lines as well! Maybe some areas are better than others.

I would be more apt to finding 5-20 gallon drums of VP or Sunoco quality race gas instead of running the e85 from the pump. Just my 2 cents

Was it black gunk buildup on injectors that you saw?

[fika84]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Was it black gunk buildup on injectors that you saw?

It was a ton of black gunk on top of the pistons. But I have to imagine it was elsewhere too!

[Lantanafrs2]

Drag reducing agents in the fuel.

[Lantanafrs2]

I think it has more to do with who is supplying the fuel.

[why?]

Originally Posted by Lantanafrs2

I think it has more to do with who is supplying the fuel.

and if the gas station has ever cleaned anything internally. I can imagine after a decade or two the crap that can build up in those pumps and tanks is pretty horrific.

[KurtFehl]

Originally Posted by Surok

http://www.vpracing.com.au/product/vp-m2c try about 300ML in 1 tank of E85

Sorry to post on an old thread but I have to +1 this.

I am currently having to replace my engine with about 25,000-30,000 miles on primarily E85 due to scoring/pitting to the cylinder walls and damage to the piston rings, only making about 30psi average of compression across the cylinders.

I was also dealing with a prolonged issue with my OCV's and the exhaust cam phaser on the right side of the engine, so that's not to say that running E85 was the only cause of the issue. However my tuner and a Subaru master tech came to the conclusion that the damage to the cylinders and rings was most likely caused by a lack of lubrication from using E85 without a lubrication additive.

I have a AVO turbo and was at 350whp and 280fl/lbs on 12PSI at the time but after this loss I am going to use pump gas until I can come up with a more permanent solution.

I know it's just a story and "anecdotal evidence" but for what its worth, just throwing it out there.

[Lantanafrs2]

^ I think the boost was the bigger problem. I appreciate your post but many have gone 6 figures or close to it on ethanol. I've never read about boosted cars lasting that long.

[NoHaveMSG]

Looks like not enough ring gap to me

[alphasaur]

Back in my mazdaspeed 3/6 days when we were experimenting with ethanol we would run into an issue called "black death". Effectively what would happen was engine oil would mix with some fuel in the HPFP and cause a black sludge to develop on the HPFP internals and prevent the HPFP from working. The HPFP would function again after cleaning. This issue only presented in high concentrations of eth and could be completely avoided by running a 30-50% blend. 30-50% was also a sufficient amount eth to hit MBT so running higher percentages provided minimal benefit.

Just some food for thought.

[Frankz54]

I'm now 20k miles on my 2019 86 and no issues what so ever. Have never gone back to octane 93.

[Grady]

My AVO kit went on at 5k miles, just over 30k now and still running strong 90+% E85. I track at 6 to 7psi and play at 9 to 10psi.