<VV> Re2: Re: Corvair running on E-85 - Y Knot E100?

[Werp Knarly]

here in a town soon to get an ethonal plant,

we were told 15% gas is added so no one could drink it.... neither the pro's 
or the con's seemed to dispute that here



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Burkhard" <burkhard at rochester.rr.com>
To: <fastvair at yahoogroups.com>
Cc: <VirtualVairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 10:15 PM
Subject: <VV> Re2: Re: Corvair running on E-85


> Paul Fox wrote:
>> Jim,
>>        I've heard the gloom and doom stuff before.
>
> Heh, heh ... I *often* hear it from my wife who is a fuel injector design 
> engineer that actually has to design stuff to survive the durability tests 
> under ethanol.  Nasty stuff.
>
> >  But what the hey, the
>> car's an old beater that sat all summer I might as well do something with 
>> it.
>
> Well, as long as you know the risks going in.  For safety's sake, please 
> keep an eye on and rubber fuel lines sections and the mechanical fuel pump 
> (if you have one).  E85 will turn most rubbers to jello over time. I was 
> serious about the fire extinguisher too...
>
>>         It did sit for about a week with the E-85 fuel in it before I 
>> made the mods to the carbs. Everything inside the carbs looked good when 
>> I took them apart.
>
> It will probably take longer than that. How long, I dunno. Like I said, it 
> will be interesting to hear from you on it :-)
>
>>         One thing I wonder about is what kind of spark plug color should 
>> I have.And weather the carbon build-up will reduce over time.
>
> Carbon buildup on the plugs? I would *guess* that the plugs will stay 
> cleaner than on a gasoline engine, but if your plugs are carbony from oil 
> (and not gasoline) it's not going to matter too much. You said it was an 
> old and beat engine so if high oil consumption and oil-fouled plugs are a 
> problem, this might help a little, but won't be a cure all.
>
>>Is cold weather start up going to be a problem? It has been unseasonly 
>>warm around here. Time should tell.
>
> Yeah, cold starting will probably be more difficult. That's a normal 
> byproduct of alcohol fuel (methanol as well).  In fact, cold startability 
> is the main reason what they sell is E85 (85% ethanol) instead of E100 
> (100% ethanol). In Brazil, new E100 cars are commonly sold, but they have 
> a small (washer bottle sized) gasoline fuel minitank underhood, that is 
> just used for starting. Once the car is started, the ECM quickly switches 
> the injectors to fuel from the main (E100) tank.  And there's a second 
> reason that E85 is the "standard" in the US rather than E100 ... when 
> there is a fire, you can see the flames much more eaisly than with E100, 
> which burns nearly invisibly. Ever see a methanol fuel pit fire in auto 
> racing?  That's about the same deal with E100. the 15% gasoline in E85 
> gives the flame a little more luminosity.  The main reason is cold weather 
> starting, though.
>
> Keep us posted, Paul!
>
> Jim Burkhard
>
>>                   Paul Fox
>>
>
>
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