Pro and Cons of E85

Before I start, let me say this. I will never post info for someone else unless I know exactly what Im talking about. If I am a little uncertain, I will be up front and say so when I post.

Also, this is going to be a long post. Not because I'm a know it all, but because I want to help someone and give them all the info I can. I research things very hard befor making decisions, and I sometimes look for hours on the net wishing I could find a complete post with a lot of info.


I have two cars on E85 and can answer many questions about it. Let me say up front, not everyone may have the same opinion or practices that I do with it, but I dont have any trouble with any of my stuff.

To address the part about the fuel being inconsistent:

I have never found the percentage to be any higher than 83% at any of my local stations. In the winter time, it has been as low as 76%. What I have found is that it really doesnt matter a whole lot. I've run both ends and found that it is just as fast and consistent with 76% as it is 83%. There is still something about me that wants the higher percentage, even though I have proved to myself it doesnt matter. If you want the highest percentage, get the fuel in the middle of summer.

I get enough fuel to last me a full race season. I fill two 55 gallon drums, and this will last me all season. By doing it this way, the fuel you race on every week is the exact same percentage from week to week. Put it in plastic 55 gallon drums with sealed bungs. I use a manual pump that screws into the drum bungs to pump fuel into my jugs each week. Always keep the drums sealed up when not pumping. Metal drums will have condensation in them once the fuel level starts to go down. Some will call BS on that, but I challenge them to look inside the drums with a flash light during the right conditions and they will see water beading up inside the drum walls. Thats why I use plastic now, and have not seen an issue since going that route.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DRAIN E85 BETWEEN RACES. It will be fine and does no harm that I have seen. The most important thing is to add Lucas Ethanol Stabilizer to your drums. It acts as a sort of top lube and also conditions the ethanol, and stabilizes it. This is the green fluid that Lucas sells in walmart and all the major parts stores. It does not seperate from the fuel after a while the way others do.

The only thing that can sometimes give a problem, is metering blocks can sometimes get stopped up if the car sits for a few weeks at a time. The E85 will sometimes take on a vaseline texture, and stop up the metering block holes. You will know, because the car will not want to idle. At that point taking off the metering blocks and blowing through the holes with carb cleaner and air will do the trick, and it will run like a kitten when you put them back on. The only way I have found to eliminate this, is to crank the car up once a week and let it get to 190 degrees before shutting it down. You will have none of those problems if you do that.

When cranking the car, always let it get to 180-190 degrees before turning it off. This will keep your oil from getting milky. It does not let moisture enter the system because the heat keeps it evaporated or "steamed out" of the crank case. Ethanol is no different than methanol when it comes to water. It draws water or moisture to it, and thats what milks the oil. If the oil is hot when you cut the car off, any traces of fuel that may have went by the rings, will not be able to hold the moisture because of the heat.

As far as what you need to run it:

Carb, bypass fuel regulator rated for methanol, fuel pump rated for methanol, and a return line from the regulator to the fuel cell. I personally dont run a filter on my system. I do use a high micron filter in my fuel funnel, and any fuel that goes in the fuel cell has to go through that first. I have a 10an fitting in my fuel cell, with a 10an line feeding the fuel pump. After the pump, everything is 8an including the return line.

For me personally, E85 is the best thing Ive done for my bracket racing. The car runs cooler, it doesnt slow down much at all when the heat of summer comes, and it is absolutely dead nuts consistent. Both of my cars repeat numbers like clock work. I have so much trust in them, that I dont hold numbers, and play games that the other guys do in bracket racing. We have guys at our tracks that hold numbers and are really good at it. They dont do it very much anymore when they race me. I have run dead on many times against them, and they have learned that anything close at the finish line, and Im not going to lift. Thats not the driver, thats the E85.

The pro's outway the cons by far with using it in a race car. I wouldn't go back to race gas, if someone was going to buy it for me.

Two other things that help:

Never stage the car at less than 170 degrees.

Use a lean out valve to help build heat in the engine quicker. I use the large nipple on the rear of the carb. Hook a rubber hose to it, and run it through the firewall into the car. on the other end of the hose, use a ball valve. I have mine connected to the right hand side of my seat bracket, so that I can reach it even if im strapped in. If you need to build some heat in the engine, simply reach down and open the ball valve. This will lean the engine out at idle, and create more heat in the engine at a faster rate. when its at your desired temp, shut the ball valve off.

Hope all of this helps someone.