I've used E85 over the last year and have about a 15-20% drop in my fuel mileage in the city (Ford also states that E85 should boost HP by about 5%). There are articles from GM, EPA, and others that say vehicles optimized to run E85 have only a 5-7% drop in mileage, and Saab has a turbo car that has an increase of 30HP and improved mileage from using E85 over gas. My question: what needs to be done to the engine to optimize it to run on E85?

I would assume the timing and combustion ratio would need to be tweaked. What are ways you could do that to improve mileage and maybe get even more HP from running E85?

You are correct, Sir!

You can't "tweak" your compression ratio, it has to be mechanically altered. It is an internal thing.

Smallest to largest gain:
You can raise compression by using thinner head gaskets (not available), shaving the cylinder heads, bore the cylinders oversized and the grand-daddy: longer rods/increased stroke/overbore.

This is my next major project, a 10.5:1 compression supercharged corn burner.

I'm sure you could give Doug a call or e-mail about a BamaChip Tuner. It's custom-programmed according to your vehicle, so I'm sure he could do something for you, as far as timing and "tweaks" go. It'll need to be like an E85-specific program though, so as long as you have the programming in your ECU, you'll need to run the E85, and if you want to switch back to regular gas, you'll need to re-program your ECU with one of the other 2 programs that will come with your tuner. Like BOSS said, you can't really do anything about the compression ratio unless you open up the engine or use thinner headgaskets.
This is my next major project, a 10.5:1 compression supercharged corn burner.
BOSS, that's going to be so sweet! :thumbsup: :drool: Can't wait!

I've been working with/writing key people in the State to lobby for E85. Even my term paper for last quarter was on E85's benefits and implementation. It's only available at two government fuel stations in WA and that's it. Once it's available, I'll begin the madness... :nuts:

the only place its offered here is the airforce base and i dont think anyone can just pull up and fill...really wish they would start selling it here..question when you go from gas to e85 do you have to empty your tank and then start running it or just start running it or what

I'm a little pi$$ed that I purchased my truck new in 03 and I have yet to find a place that sells e85 in Kentucky. How hard is it to put in one tank at a gas station for people that don't want to put $ into the middle east.

I've been working with/writing key people in the State to lobby for E85. Even my term paper for last quarter was on E85's benefits and implementation. It's only available at two government fuel stations in WA and that's it. Once it's available, I'll begin the madness... :nuts:
Good Job!
I was dissapointed when I found out the military was hording all the E85 in washington. That would be sweet if they started selling it at regular stations.

This is my next major project, a 10.5:1 compression supercharged corn burner.


now compared to regular 93-octane and the compression #s you have given, what kind of power #s are we expecting? what are the major/minor differences in gasoline and E-85 i don't know really doesn't matter my 94 cant use it any way.

isnt E85 a mixture of gas and corn fuel? if so either way youll be giving money to the middle east :( when i got my truck i didnt even know you could use something other than pump gas lol i found out when i opened the gas door and seen "Use Ethanol or Unleaded gasoline only" sticker

I'm a little pi$$ed that I purchased my truck new in 03 and I have yet to find a place that sells e85 in Kentucky. How hard is it to put in one tank at a gas station for people that don't want to put $ into the middle east.

http://www.e85fuel.com/database/search.php

It's not that its hard. It's because there is no demand because there is a lack of knowledge about Ethanol. Also, there are no underground fuel lines carrying Ethanol as there are for Petroleum. This makes it more difficult to for some stations to get it. It will take some time for things to develop, but it looks like Ethanol as well as Biodiesel is increasingly catching on. I'm waiting on a station nearby as well.

isnt E85 a mixture of gas and corn fuel? if so either way youll be giving money to the middle east :( when i got my truck i didnt even know you could use something other than pump gas lol i found out when i opened the gas door and seen "Use Ethanol or Unleaded gasoline only" sticker

I would rather that 15% of my fuel cost go to the Middle East than 100%. I'd rather pay an American hard working farmer, than some dude who use to have a mud hut on top of a huge oil reserve.

ther are two stations by my house in las vegas that i know of.

Good Job!
I was dissapointed when I found out the military was hording all the E85 in washington. That would be sweet if they started selling it at regular stations.

...it's not that they are hording it, Federal regulations state that a certain percentage of all government vehicles MUST run on E85. They just had to find a way to fuel them.