Okay my truck is just about due for an overhaul. It's a 77 with the 300 and I was curious if it could be converted to run on E85. I would like to save 50 cents a gallon as much as the next guy and was wandering if this is feasible. There are two stations in my area and I haven't heard anyone say what a conversion would take. I'm also considering converting to propane, but ethanol is a little more available for me and my boss can help me convert to propane if necessary. Any info on an ethanol conversion would be appreciated .

 

One thing you need to keep in mind is heat. I have a 78 and the stock fuel lines run over the middle of the engine to the carb and this causes it to vapor-lock like a SOB. I could drive all day but as soon as i shut it off i was screwed for about 90 minutes until the fuel cooled. So i havent had a chance to re-route the lines but I wrapped the line that hung over the engine in tin foil and i havent had a problem since. This was just running on Iowa's 10% blend. You will also need to make sure everything is sealed because ethonol is alcohol and evaporates easily. I dont know anything about kits because E85 isnt easy for me to get and cost wise it doesnt seem effective until they get better/more efficient at producing it.

 

Basic problem is that you have a carburetor, which can be modified to run on E85 (bigger jets, basically) , but makes it almost impossible to switch between gas and E85.

I used to race Karts on mixes of fuel from straight gas, to straight Methanol, to Methanol/Nitromethane, using the same carb, but I had to switch jets. Don't know if the stock 300 carb (Carter YF) can be modified by simple jet changes, or if some of the critical passages/jets are not jetted, per se, but drilled to certain sizes, for which you may have to overdrill and put jets in to dial in the proper mixture.

There are other considerations, though. E85 will eat some metals and plastics that work OK with gas. Plus it's a good fuel system cleaner, which sometimes isn't good as it can remove deposits and let them clog up stuff elsewhere. Also, it's heavier than gas, so the float needs to be readjusted as well.

There are many carb shops still out there that know how to set up carbs for racing fuels, of which Methanol is very common. Methanol and E85 are not too far apart for jetting purposes. (different corrosive properties, though) Do a google search; should be able to find a carb shop to help you out.

Jeff

 

That'll give me something to think about. As for prices, e85 right now is at about 2.10 a gallon while straight petroleum is 2.60 a gallon(this is local SE Missouri I don't know the Ntl Avg). Also, would compression be an issue? I was under the impression it took a little higher compression, but I'm asking because I obviously don't know. I appreciate the replies

 

I use to burn the 10% stuff all the time, with no problems. That was in the eighties, when gas was 75 cents a gal. All of a sudden it was no longer available, untill recently the E-85 came out. I had no ill effects from the 10% stuff. I am still running the same engine. OH I have a 1979, 300 inline six. Of course it has a carburator.

 

If you have an aftermarket carb you should be able to get the alcohol safe gaskets and such with little problem, will just take some tuning to get the mix right. You'd also need an alcohol safe fuel pump and lines. Alcohol based fuels are here to stay. In another 10 years most US market vehicles will probably be "flex fuel" unless a miracle happens and gas goes back below $2.00/ gallon.

As someone else noted; since you can't just switch carb jets on the fly, you'll be limited to driving in your "home range" where E85 is available. Dump regular gas in it and you'll have such a rich mix you'll wind up with gas-wet cylinder walls and a messed up engine.

An option would be a basic "universal" TBI system that allowed you to switch between to different profiles. You'd probably spend $1000 on the conversion, but if fuel prices stay the way they are you'd make back your $$ in fairly short order.

 

Wow 2.60 a gallon. Now I'm 100% with out a doubt, posativily, abosolutly, convinced I am taking it up the wazoo. $3.05 was the cheapest I found yesterday, and don't even get me going on the diesel prices. The new trick for the stations out here in California is to charge two different prices, one for cash and one for credit(usualy about a 5-7 cent difference)! What a rip.

 

How did you like the 10 cent hike per day for over a week, thing they did? Still don't understand how they can do that one.

Also I think gasoline speculation should be illegal. If a crisis happens, let it affect prices when it happens. Not if it's going to happen, or whoops, the crisis didn't happen at all, but, hey we got more profit BS, they do.

I'm also very interested in flex fuel conversions, or propane conversions. California smog laws makes any such conversion very hard to do though, without red tape nightmares I'd think.

Anyone try to convert a california vehicle? Did the BAR have a fit?

 

If I had the alcohol lines, pump, and gaskets installed and had two different carbs for the truck could I just switch over whenever I felt like it? Also, what's this TBI system, I'm not familiar with it.

 

A little late for a reply for this, but I also wanted to acknowledge that if using E85, you may need to do a little homework on the type of oil that you use. Some vehicle manufactures, Ford and Chrysler used a synthetic oil, note that recently that Ford pulled it from their manuals no longer requiring synthetic, but that Chrysler Flex fuel vehicles still require the use of a synthetic motor oil, stating that, the properties of E85 are not well lubricating, that as the fuel is delivered in to the chamber, what can happen is that during the fire and the unburned fuel, can wash down the sides of wall, and backwash the cylinder wall, diluted the oil, and damaging the wall of the cylinder.

 

After all the costs and inconvenience, .50 per gallon is going to get eaten up right quick.

 

Check out the alternative fuels forum.
There are a lot of guys using E85 there.

 

E85 is expected to be more expensive than gas and it is starting to lose its flame, for this reason. It seems they figured out it would take alot of money and processing than it's worth. And people will not be as receptive to it because of the expense it will have because of processing. Read this on yahoo or MSN news page the other day. As ripley would say BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

 

That's the old news. Now with gasoline at three bucks it is no longer true. The proof is that a lot of people are investing in producing both ethanol and biodesiel.

The move to vegtable based fuels has to happen and it is happening. By using it we can become energy independant as a country. We can impoverish OPEC, who feel that they can control us through oil prices. We can create a boom in the American farming industry. We can create millions of new American jobs. We can go a long way in reducing our trade defecit. It is doable and important. The more quickly the American public start pushing for it the better off we all will be. It is happening anyway but it takes political will for it to happen quickly.

Check out the FTE alternative fuels forum. There is some pioneering going on right here among our ranks.

 

Hmmm. E85 at $2.10/gallon. Pump regular at $2.60/gallon. It takes 47% more E85 to generate a given power level. $2.10 times 1.47 is $3.08 to go the same distance $2.60 worth of gas would have taken you. Doesn't seem like a very good deal to me. There WAS recently a push to convert light aircraft to E85 and the above is what they found to be the problem. Operating cost per hour went up 20% and range was reduced by 1/3.