Corey383
Member
Has anyone out there played around with aftermarket throttle bodies and E85? I’m looking to set a system up for a 440 in my truck?
E85. EFI
- Thread starter Corey383
- Start date
Have a friend who switched his beetle to E85, makes great power, but is hard to find locally. His beetle has a WRX Sti engine in it, really gets up and goes. Talk about a sleeper.
Would love to hear how you go with this. I know there are E85 carbs out there. Generally they use about 30% more fuel than the gas versions, so all the internal orifices are larger.
Would love to hear how you go with this. I know there are E85 carbs out there. Generally they use about 30% more fuel than the gas versions, so all the internal orifices are larger.
Corey383
Member
I have been researching an fitech throttle body. The video I watched on their website shows them setting up a unit on a 400 in a Charger. I saw that one of the things you can adjust is the amount of ethanol in the gas. Other forums just say to increase your displacement by 30% to 40%.
One of the problems with running E85 is that the ethanol content can be anything UP TO 85%. You will need a sensor, kind of like and Air/fuel sensor, to tell your engine management unit how much ethanol is present in the fuel.
My friend always fills up at the same joint, the ethanol content is rightt.in 85% every time. He has had other filling stations sell him E85 at as low as 60%. Obviously this will give you all kinds of issues with tunability.
Most of the EFI systems I've seen have programmable parameters that ask for fuel type also. The Fitech and Holley sniper self-learning units look to be the easiest to adapt to older models.
Hope this helps a little.
My friend always fills up at the same joint, the ethanol content is rightt.in 85% every time. He has had other filling stations sell him E85 at as low as 60%. Obviously this will give you all kinds of issues with tunability.
Most of the EFI systems I've seen have programmable parameters that ask for fuel type also. The Fitech and Holley sniper self-learning units look to be the easiest to adapt to older models.
Hope this helps a little.
Corey383
Member
I just noticed your location RKNRLR. Do they have E85 in Australia or is your friend in the states? The information is very helpful. I have completely tore my truck down and started fresh. It will be much better to have everything in place before I put the body back on. Thanks for the useful information.
7mopar
Well-Known Member
Unless you are planning on an open loop learn and backup power system this could become a huge head ack of constant tuning. There are systems out there, but they are still real expensive. My son is running a Fitech system not sure which number. It has some finicky electrical demand issues and requires constant power to maintain memory. Every time the battery comes out or runs down it needs to have perimeters installed and a new learn cycle. Not many remember early 80's EFI systems where only dealerships could do this. I know this has nothing to do with E85 fuel but something to consider. If driven all the time and constants fuel can be sourced, it may be worth the bother. Otherwise, it just adds further complications to the equation. He does like the performance the system provides but just doesn't drive it enough to keep the system in maintenance.
There is E85 here, but it's availability is very sporadic. Most guys running E85 know where the places are, so they make sure to fill up on time. My friend found a good place with regular 82-85% E85, so he goes there regularly.
On the tuning side, his computer controlling the engine and fuel has several tunes saved, incase he has to run pump gas, and the sensor for Ethanol percentage is tapped into this module to adjust mixes to allow for crappy E85 fuel.
E85 goes bad much faster than regular gas too, just something else to consider, especially if you're not gonna drive the car all the time, or very irregularly.
If you're running a boosted application - my friend is running the WRX motor with plenty of boost - then the E85 does wonders for the cylinder temps and keeps everything much cooler, primarily because it flows so much more fuel, and burns at a lower temp also. This would be the main reason most guys around here are running it, and mostly in big-boosted rice burners.
Corey383
Member
I’m right in the middle of Corn Country, so we can get it. My boy’s run it in there SRT-4’s, but they have never talked about the inconsistency of the mix. I hope I can drive it a lot, but depends on these gas prices. If something doesn’t change it may become a yard ornament. I’ll save that conversation for another forum. I’m just joking about the yard ornament
7Mopar. That is interesting about no battery back up. I would have figured the system had one.
7Mopar. That is interesting about no battery back up. I would have figured the system had one.
7mopar
Well-Known Member
I can ask but I don't think so. We messed with it this last winter and even installed a solar charger. The charger would keep the battery maintained but would not keep up with the EFI requirement. We were not very happy with the charge. He had a solid unit that had gotten damaged somehow and went with a flexible before finding out it was basically a maintainer.
His EFI had a detachable programmer box and I think perimeters could be stored on it. The fine tune it was capable during open loop. It was that fine tone that was lost every time battery voltage drop below a certain range. I think 12.3 volts. We also went from a 60 amp to 120-amp alternator so the battery and EFI requirements were being maintained at night. Did I mention it was an amperage hog? His truck is basically a big toy so it rarely gets driven. 67 Dodge D200 camper special 440 w/ 727 dana 60 full float with sure grip. Nothing stock and it's a runner. He wishes he had done more research before buying the 17 inch wheels and tires. Who would have guessed no one makes a tall profile performance street tire in 17 inch. the low profiles do nothing for road ability with 4:10 rear gears. Not sure what he will do there.
Good to know. My truck also came with 17's, and big 35" AT's. As it will be my daily driver, I'm looking for a decent road tire. Seeing as though I don't really love the current wheels all that much, it might be worth my while to change them out
65 sporty
Well-Known Member
There is a lot of stuff on you tube with guy's doing this. Factory flex fuel vehicles use a flex fuel sensor to detect alcohol content in the fuel. I don't know if the sniper computer can handle this input. Holley terminator and dominator multi port systems can handle the input of a flex sensor and adjust fuel curves. Open loop systems run a fixed program without adjustability. Closed loop will look at the program but can trim fuel maps as it sees fit. Closed loop operation will require more sensors than a open loop only system