Considering getting into e85 with my saab 9-3. There are a few stations right around the corner from me that sell it, and of course I would like to get more power! Mileage is not a concern.
For me personally, I would be looking to keep this in the challenge budget. I have the power to tune the car (the software i have even has an e85 'wizard' to get you to a starting point), and I think I can 'decap' some stock injectors for 2-2.5x the standard flow. I have a second stock fuel pump that I got cheap that I think I could run in parallel to the existing one to double up on flow capacity while keeping pressure the same. Are there any good reading materials for basics of e85 conversions? Like how do I know what materials will just randomly dissolve in e85 if I don't upgrade them (like fuel pump impellers)? Also, do I need different o2 sensors? an e85 specific wideband?
Maybe my questions show how much of a newbie I am.
Add 30-35% above the fuel flow of gas, advance the ignition (like seriously a ton), and enjoy the extra power.
Nothing is going to dissolve, however, you will likely need to shorten your oil change intervals.
Depends on the car. Some cars have completely e85 compatible fuel systems (I know the Volvo 2/7/9xx series don't require any new seals or anything), while some cars require replacement of everything that touches fuel and isn't metal. The newer the car, the better your odds that e85 won't dissolve the fuel system.
O2 sensors are the same for e85. Since the O2 sensor just measures how much oxygen is remaining in the exhaust, the O2 sensor doesn't care what kind of fuel you're burning (you can even use them on a diesel, though this is less useful).
The actual thing that the O2 sensor measures is the lambda ratio, which is the ratio to stoichiometric (~zero air remaining). If lambda = 1, you're running at stoich, which for gasoline means an AFR of 14.7:1. If running stoichiometric with E85, it will still read a lambda of 1, but the actual AFR will be 9.8:1, since e85 requires more fuel per air to burn completely.
Here's where it gets weird: If the gauge is indicating AFR, and you switch to e85, it will be showing gasoline AFRs, calculated from the lambda ratio. If you're running an actual AFR of 9.8:1 with a gauge setup for gasoline, the gauge will read 14.7. Some gauges let you set which fuel you're using, so the gauge will display the correct AFR. Some gauges can display lambda, which will be correct for any fuel.
Very interesting on the O2 sensors!
Thanks all. Might just have to go fill up on e85 and give er a go!
