I have an 86 Ford Ranger with a 2.9 and I have a 07 Ranger with a 3.0 Can these trucks run E85? Or do I have to do some kind of upgrade to them so they can run E85?

Thank you

 

no and no....

 

The 07 should but make sure it is a flex fuel. It should have a emblem on the tailgate that looks like a road with a leaf on it. As for the 86 I've never tried to use it in something that old. But I do know so far they are making the gaskets and seals to be resistant to alcohol because of E-85. It may run, but long term effects could be harmful to your engine on the 86.

 

[quote=CrazyMiracleMan;10331269]I have an 86 Ford Ranger with a 2.9 and I have a 07 Ranger with a 3.0 Can these trucks run E85? Or do I have to do some kind of upgrade to them so they can run E85?


......................E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline , neither vehicle will operate on E85 ! In Tx we have E10 to~E15 , which is 10% too 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline , my 2008 Ranger seems too run just fine on these percentages of ethanol although my fuel milage is LESS than it would be on 100% gasoline . Both your vehicles should operate OK on E10 or even E15 as far as I can Tell ! , rb

 

Like everyone else has said. NO to the '86 and ONLY if the '07 was made for it.

 

We have had E10 here in Colorado since about 1995. Actually it was either E10 or MTBE at the stations until the late 90s when "they" banned MTBE and just went with E10. Now they are trying to up the limits to E15.

You have to wonder just how much it lowers emissions when in the long run you burn more of the watered down E10/E15 than running straight gasoline.

Colorado tried to do the E85 thing in 2007 and 2008 but failed miserably, very few stations around here (Northern Colorado) even have it anymore.

Josh

 

Short answer, no. E85 can only be used in vehicles specifically made to run on the stuff, these are labeled as "Flex-Fuel" vehicles.

Long answer, yes it *can* be done. It requires a lot of special parts, including different injectors and O2 sensor(s). It's not a cheap conversion by any means. The MPG will be 30-50% lower on E85 than on gasoline, so the cheaper price per gallon is offset by the loss in MPG. Typically, it costs about the same per mile for E85 or gasoline.
There are reasons for people to convert a non flex fuel vehicle to run on E85. Typically, it involves an engine that has been highly modified and runs high boost levels. If you're only going after HP/Torque numbers, the rather high octane level of E85 makes for a rather nice lower cost "race" fuel. In fact, it's possible to get higher HP/Torque on E85 than on 100+ octane unleaded. The cost of the high octane unleaded is about 2-3 times that of E85, and is very limited in availability, making E85 become a favorable alternative.

My opinion, ethanol shouldn't be added to any motor fuel in lower than the 85% content of E85, and then it should only be used in racing applications......

 

I just got to thinking about something as I have this leaf logo on my tailgate.

If I have my facts straight - If the logo is by itself (with no text) then, that designates that vehicle as an NZEV (Near Zero Emissions Vehicle.) That does not automatically make it Flex-Fuel or E-85 capable, however... I have no tags, stickers, or any other markings on my Ranger indicating it is Flex-Fuel/E-85 capable... Not sure what the NZEV thing is all about, then...

They also use this logo for Hybrids...

It's kinda like Microsoft with that Windows symbol - it gets slapped on everything, but nobody really knows what it's there for...

 

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Josh

 

Also try your owners manual to see what it says about running ethanol, for the trucks with the flex fuel symbol.