hey i'm thinking about getting a 93-95 flareside w a 5.0 and then converting it to E85. I've been reading the other threads about E85 and can see that it really isn't as cost-benneficial as the government is trying to say. I also noticed that people have been saying that you need to follow the heavy duty schedule, but isn't E85 easier on the enginge since it doesn't leave any carbon deposits(I understand u should replace the fuel lines because the ethanol can release crud in lines clogging the fuel filter) . And does anybody now a cheaper way to take advantage of the higher octane rating allowing for a higher compresion other than changin the cylinder heads? Any help would be great thanks.

 

Keep in mind that you will not get near the mpg. With 10% ethanol, i lost about 10% of my mpg. Also, the e85 causes deterioration of all rubber parts in the fuel system. Gaskets, etc.

 

There is absolutely no cost/benefit ratio here. To completely redo the system is not cheap, and the gas mileage will probably be in the single digits.

 

Yeah I know that my gas would decrease, and i would need to replace the rubber. but thanks, for the info kinda reinforced what i was starting to think... that E85 isn't worth it

 

There CAN be major benefits gotten from E85....if you have a reliable, steady supply and are aware that it is the ONLY fuel you will be able to run in the engine. Just pop the compression ratio to 12:1 via popup pistons. You won't be able to run 87 octane or expect major damage. Fuel mileage will increase, not decrease. Power will be up considerably. You'll also have to have the PCM remapped to take advantage of the aggressive timing curve that is now available.The problem with E85 is that the current engines on the street are not built for it. But if MacDaddy has anything to say about it, that is about to change. Ford and others have already been testing on the streets E85 and E100 only engines and the results have been fabulous. Problem is like always, changing fuels and having people realize that they must use that particular fuel and nothing else. Then there is also getting dealers to put in more tanks for it.

While I made this sound real easy, there's more to building an engine for E85 or E100 but the advantages are there if you have the interest. FWIW, the new GF-5 motor oils will be formulated to handle the E85 and E100 fuels. It's coming to yer neighborhood and soon.

 

I understand that i would need to only run E85, but would the piston change increase the mileage back to where it was when it was running on gas? and how much would those pistons cost? I'm a poor college kid lol, but i do like the idea of running a v8 on e85, and not relying on foreign oil. And would I need to do anything with the fuel injectors or should the conversion kit automatically make the injectors use more fuel?

 

Also instead of buying domed pistons, why not just cut the deck height and get a smaller gasket?