Engine wear and E85

24861 Views 64 Replies 21 Participants Last post by Radcannon, Nov 18, 2008

Eric68

Discussion Starter · Oct 9, 2008

Thought you guys would like to see this. After two seasons on E85 I took the heads off and started to disassemble for inspection before it gets sold.

Engine is SBC 4.145" bore x 3.800" stroke with SRP forged flat top pistons. This is a solid roller cammed engine that is 11.4:1 compression and has been run almost exclusively on E85 since spring 2007. It did have 6 months run time on gasoline before the switch. I was surprised at how clean everything is -- I have NEVER seen pistons this clean after 2 years of use.

There was no ridge at the top of the cylinders, and no scoring or other signs of a lubrication problem in the bores. Engine has 250+ quarter mile passes on it and 15,000 street miles. I cruise on the freeway at 3400-3600 RPM and do NOT take it easy on this thing.

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BigBlock1969RS

· #2 · Oct 9, 2008

Oh pretty nice, I been thinking about converting to E85 (and maybe a small little super charger :secret: since I can run a lot more compression).

Good to know how well your motor ran. Were you running EFI or Carb? If Carb which one? I should have all the components for e85 (fuel system is set) except the carb.

pdq67

· #3 · Oct 9, 2008

That's b/c of the -OH in it that turn's to steam once it burns!

pdq67

Eric68

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 9, 2008

LOL PDQ -- it apparently turns to something other than carbon.

BibBlock69RS -- I use an AED 850cfm Holley based E85 carb. Mine was one of the early designs and I have since seen later models that were much closer out of the box (mine needed tweaking -- make sure whatever carb you buy has the idle/transition fuel coming from the main well, NOT the float bowl). Can you get E85 in California now?

BigBlock1969RS

· #5 · Oct 9, 2008

If I look really hard there are a few places around. I just figured my fuel system is all stainless and the pump will be e85 compatible might as well consider it as an option.

Eric68

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 9, 2008

I think it would be a VERY good option for a blower car because of the evaporative cooling effect. With alcohol fuels you have your own natural innercooler.

AH32

· #7 · Oct 9, 2008

Eric

That is the cleanest engine I ever seen with that kind of use on it. Very impressive. Keep up your good work!

camaroman7d

· #8 · Oct 10, 2008

Looks good Eric.

Ed, I don't know about your area but, there is no E85 up here in NorCal. If there is I haven't been able to find it. I have been waiting for it's arrival. When it is finally readily available here the fun will begin.

pdq67

· #9 · Oct 10, 2008

C2H6O is ethanol.

Notice that when ethanol's chemical formula is written like it really is, it turns into CH3CH2OH and the "OH" is what turn's into steam! As in H2O!!

And if you really want to get into this, this is why good old MMO cleans combustion chambers so good b/c it's esters also have the "OH" in them! Same w/ Soy Bio-Diesel.

H*ll, I darn near half Chemist by education and what I don't know about this simple stuff, my "Mic" Buddy Murphy at work knows b/c he is a ChE.

He, He!!

pdq67

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novaderrik

· #10 · Oct 10, 2008

Eric68 said:
Thought you guys would like to see this. After two seasons on E85 I took the heads off and started to disassemble for inspection before it gets sold.

Engine is SBC 4.145" bore x 3.800" stroke with SRP forged flat top pistons. This is a solid roller cammed engine that is 11.4:1 compression and has been run almost exclusively on E85 since spring 2007. It did have 6 months run time on gasoline before the switch. I was surprised at how clean everything is -- I have NEVER seen pistons this clean after 2 years of use.

There was no ridge at the top of the cylinders, and no scoring or other signs of a lubrication problem in the bores. Engine has 250+ quarter mile passes on it and 15,000 street miles. I cruise on the freeway at 3400-3600 RPM and do NOT take it easy on this thing.

i suppose the next thing you are gonna say is that your gas tank didn't rot away and your fuel lines are still in on piece..
as everyone (that's never actually tried it for themselves) knows, all this- and much, much more bad stuff- is guaranteed to happen if you run that crappy alcohol gas.

Everett#2390

· #11 · Oct 10, 2008

Eric68 said:
I think it would be a VERY good option for a blower car because of the evaporative cooling effect. With alcohol fuels you have your own natural innercooler.

Just the Latent heat of vaporization, changing of its state from a liquid to a vapor, it cools by 50°F-60°F.

A blower or turbocharger(s) would be an excellent power adder. My choice would be the turbocharger(s). But then, you do have those cool one-of-a-kind homemade headers, and would have to make another set to accommodate.........

Have you ever temp gun'd the headers for exhaust heat?

Eric68

Discussion Starter · #12 · Oct 10, 2008

Never did the temp gun thing. I must be a masochist or something because I decided that I need a new set of headers for the 427. Go figure. LOL

Derek, funny you should mention that but ironically, my gas tank and fuel lines haven't rotted out yet. Should I be worried?

PDQ -- Organic chemistry is one class that I actually tried and studied during high school and when good old Mr Brush got into alcohols my eyes just glazed over. Just couldn't comprehend how all those different alcohols could be made out of the same O's and H's and yet be so different. LOL

ace's68

· #13 · Oct 10, 2008 (Edited)

Then just run a plastic fuel cell...
I have had a bottle of alcohol in a plastic container for years and it still hasn't rotted out!
Besides the negativity, that motor looks great.
Wish things went that easy for me!

77wolf10.85

· #14 · Oct 10, 2008

That is exceptional Eric. I like it.

COMP

· #15 · Oct 12, 2008

wow :thumbsup:

novaderrik

· #16 · Oct 12, 2008

ace's68 said:
Then just run a plastic fuel cell...
I have had a bottle of alcohol in a plastic container for years and it still hasn't rotted out!
Besides the negativity, that motor looks great.
Wish things went that easy for me!

i haven't seen any negativity in this thread... but everyone (that has never used it) knows with 100% certainty that E85 will cause your car to fall apart. they did, after all, read a few posts on the internet by some guy that heard it from some guy at the bar who had it happen to their cousin's brother in law.

pdq67

· #17 · Oct 13, 2008

Eric,

Good old MMO added to both the oil and the gas tank will do the same thing and that's why I use it every so often at oil change.

It's a combination of esters that contain the -OH radical that turn's to steam upon combustion.

Soy Diesel is made up of at least 6 esters and that is why it has such GOOD lubricity when a small amount of 100 percent pure is added to an oil change that I keep talking about just like MMO.

Soy Diesel is used as a lube in I figure E85 but I would have to really dig deep to back it up.. It's at work somewhere?

pdq67

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camaroman7d

· #18 · Oct 13, 2008

novaderrik said:
i haven't seen any negativity in this thread... but everyone (that has never used it) knows with 100% certainty that E85 will cause your car to fall apart. they did, after all, read a few posts on the internet by some guy that heard it from some guy at the bar who had it happen to their cousin's brother in law.

If you build your fuel system like an alcohol fuel system you shouldn't have any problems. This means no rubber, no plain steel, no bare aluminum, etc... If you use stainless lines, fittings, teflon line hoses, etc.. there shouldn't be any issues. I can see where people that just pumped this stuff into a "regular" fuel system would have issues with it. Alcohol will attack/corrode aluminum, dry out rubber parts, attract water, etc... Just plan for these things and you should be fine. I would be all over it if I had it in my area. The positives far outweigh the negative from a performance perspective (IMO).

Vintage 68

· #19 · Oct 15, 2008 (Edited)

camaroman7d said:
Looks good Eric.

Ed, I don't know about your area but, there is no E85 up here in NorCal. If there is I haven't been able to find it. I have been waiting for it's arrival. When it is finally readily available here the fun will begin.

Royce:
I only know of three (3) E85 stations in this area - the closest one you might use is off Willow Pass Road @Hwy 4 in Concord.
They are all owned by the same distributor and their plans are to have over 30 stations open by next year. I know of @12 under construction now - closest one to you is in Sac. They are shouting for location very close to major routes (Freeways) at 'off-ramp' type locations.
Be on the look-out for any large "Chevron" branded stations being built in your area - I'd put money on them being one of the E85 ones

We have a couple cars with 'Flex' capability. The few times I've used it I really didn't notice any great difference in performance or mileage - but this is far from scientific

BTW - Dan Lemons asked how your car was coming along and said to say 'Hi' :thumbsup:

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camaroman7d

· #20 · Oct 15, 2008

Vintage 68 said:
Royce:
I only know of three (3) E85 stations in this area - the closest one you might use is off Willow Pass Road @Hwy 4 in Concord.
They are all owned by the same distributor and their plans are to have over 30 stations open by next year. I know of @12 under construction now - closest one to you is in Sac. They are shouting for location very close to major routes (Freeways) at 'off-ramp' type locations.
Be on the look-out for any large "Chevron" branded stations being built in your area - I'd put money on them being one of the E85 ones
We have a couple cars with 'Flex' capability. The few times I've used it I really didn't notice any great difference in performance or mileage - but this is far from scientific

BTW - Dan Lemons asked how your car was coming along and said to say 'Hi' :thumbsup:

Hey John,
Glad to see E-85 is making it out this way. I will need a station closer than Sacramento or Concord, I would have just about enough fuel for a round trip back to the station to fill up, lol. I will keep an eye out for it, thanks for the heads up. I see the flex fuel vehicles around so, I figured it had to be coming.

Did you run into Dan, or do you know him? I think he's a great guy from my dealings with him. I am shocked he remembered me or my car, that's cool. He really liked it when I had it down at his shop. If you talk to him tell him I said Hi and that it will be done by spring. I will be sure to take a trip down to see him.

Sorry for the momentary thread hijack Eric.

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