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E85?

philbilly20

By philbilly20
in Engines & Drivetrain

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kstruckcountry Senior Enthusiast

kstruckcountry

Posted
Posted

There is still more energy placed in creating the end product, than the energy you receive from it. The amount of diesel burnt to prep, plant, harvest a bushel of corn is more than the energy that bushel of corn yields. The only reason it is cheaper than gasoline is that it is subsidized. This is a well known fact and has been documented many times.

 

We should be looking at a different biomass than corn...switch grass, sugar beets, etc.. Isn't Venezuala making all their own fuel from sugar beets at this point? I know the local farms grow a lot of switcn grass for ethanol.

In Brazil they are getting around 8:1 return with sugar cane. You will not see that come here very quickly, the farm lobby wants CORN. And even those liars will only claim a 2:1 return with it.

 

BUT Brazil weaned a whole city off ethanol and back on, and found that the smog levels were actually lower with non-ethanol fuel.

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sdeeter19555 Senior Enthusiast

sdeeter19555

Posted
Posted

As for the mileage...isn't it a wash? Use more fuel, but better power or usd less fuel and get poorer power. I would assume making more power would make it easier to move the vehicle, which would net better mileage? Has anyone did hand calculated before/after?

 

I'm basing this off a deal I did a long time ago...dropped a decent 440 into a truck that had a 318...went from 13mpg to 16mpg driving sensibly.

austingta Enthusiast

austingta

Posted
Posted

This is a good conversation.

 

If you take everything into consideration, I'd rather be using e85 than Dino gas from the Middle East.

mjj Enthusiast

mjj

Posted
Posted

As for the mileage...isn't it a wash? Use more fuel, but better power or usd less fuel and get poorer power. I would assume making more power would make it easier to move the vehicle, which would net better mileage? Has anyone did hand calculated before/after?

 

I'm basing this off a deal I did a long time ago...dropped a decent 440 into a truck that had a 318...went from 13mpg to 16mpg driving sensibly.

I've kept track of mine. Got the truck in mid December so its all been winter blend here in MI. Probably 60/40 freeway/city driving with some 4x4 hi and auto 4x4 usage. First 1200 miles was 87 and I averaged 15.2 mpg hand calculated. The last 900 miles has been E85 (probably actually E75) and I've averaged 14.0 mpg hand calculated. That's only 8% less fuel economy with an average of 19-20% less cost at the pump (40 cent/gal cheaper for E85). From what I've noticed with E85 it stays in V4 much longer probably helping out the fuel economy.
WendysOrBust Enthusiast

WendysOrBust

Posted
Posted

As for the mileage...isn't it a wash? Use more fuel, but better power or usd less fuel and get poorer power. I would assume making more power would make it easier to move the vehicle, which would net better mileage? Has anyone did hand calculated before/after?

 

I'm basing this off a deal I did a long time ago...dropped a decent 440 into a truck that had a 318...went from 13mpg to 16mpg driving sensibly.

No, the engine uses considerable more e85 compared to gas per spark. In comparison I can average 17.5 on 91 city/highway. On e85 its like 13.8 doing similar driving. The best e85 milage I've got is 14.5 doing mostly highway.

 

If I was driving as much I was a few years ago, ~600+ miles a week. I could never justify e85 since its harder to find, and the cost per mile is more compared to 91. But I'm barely driving 300 miles a week now and there is a e85 fuel station 5 minutes from my house. Debating contacting Black Bear and having them do a 91 and an e85 tune.

KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
Posted

AS I posted before I lose 3 mpg on the hwy and an average of 2.5 in town on E85. But I would run mid grade or 93 gas when I cant get E85. Im not going to lie I like the way my truck runs on it, so if it cost me a little more no big deal.

KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
Posted

Are those hand calculated numbers or the lie-o-meter?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Tapatalk

I expect it to be off a few, I was just for the differents between the two fuels.
WendysOrBust Enthusiast

WendysOrBust

Posted
Posted

Are those hand calculated numbers or the lie-o-meter?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Tapatalk

I don't know about you guys but I've found the trip meter to be pretty accurate. I've double checked it a few times and its always within .5mpg.

glcbn Enthusiast

glcbn

Posted
Posted

I don't know about you guys but I've found the trip meter to be pretty accurate. I've double checked it a few times and its always within .5mpg.

 

Yep. It's pretty darn accurate.

mjj Enthusiast

mjj

Posted
Posted

Same here. About a half a mpg on the high side.

patriot Enthusiast

patriot

Posted
Posted

I'd run E85 in the truck if I could get it here, and the price gave me equal or better fuel cost per mile.

Of course, the only reason it's this cheap is the .gov subsidy on ethanol fuel.

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