So I converted to E85 two years ago...

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Wanted to post this for all the naysayers.

2005 Saturn Ion Redline 2.0 liter LSJ with factory m62 supercharger and water/air intercooler.

The car came from the factory with 36 lb injectors and a 3.35" pulley . When I bought the car it had 50 lb. injectors and a 2.9" pulley. I bought 80 lb. injectors, a 2.7" pulley and a supercharger spacer.

Drove to the tuner with as little fuel in the tank as possible. We installed the injectors, he flashed a tune for the 80's on 93, then we drove to a gas station near there and I filled up on E85 as he flashed the E85 base tune. We did some driving, some pulls, etc. to get the tune set. I was also running water/methanol, so it wasn't a simple copy and paste from similar cars. Car was running near 100% duty cycle on the 50s, and is now much safer with a real tune and headroom.

Problems so far

Dead 02 sensor. Didn't look like it had been changed at 125K miles, so not worried.

Less MPG. 93 is 60-110 cents more per gallon depending on season, so not worried.



Stock fuel pump, stock lines, stock seals. Injectors rebuilt by Deatschwerks in OKC before installing. I changed the fuel filter after a few hundred miles, but only because I was "supposed to". Car runs good at anything off idle, and holds mid 10's to low 11's when near WOT.
 
Tis. Not fast by any means. Tuner thinks 280ish. Blower sounds good at 18 psi. Like my old Daihatsu Move Turbo. Not fast, but will put a smile on your face.
 
Fast enough on cheap fuel
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Lots of guys are spending $4~6 gallon for low grade race gas. Real race fuel is now at $8+/gal around here. So, to handle your boost they'd need 110 octane, and aluminum heads, and very tight quench, and a LOT of good machine work - which is big $$ ...

All, so they can fire it up, run a bit, shut it off and sit at the curb so their wallet does not take too big a hit ...

I think E-85 is the way to go. The Greens plans to save the planet have saved real hot rodding instead
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Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Stock fuel pump?!



Originally Posted By: Shaman

Stock fuel pump, stock lines, stock seals.


Yes, only the 2004s supposedly had issues flowing enough.

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
I think E-85 is the way to go. The Greens plans to save the planet have saved real hot rodding instead
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Yep. The last two times I have filled up there have been GTRs filling up as well. One was on a road trip from Missouri to Virginia I think having just been purchased. Car was taped up with blue tape on any surface that would possibly take a rock hit. Said he had a map he was following to make sure that he could get E85. Said it made 1200 hp.

For this car and it's cousin the Cobalt SS/SC, it's a pretty basic "advanced" mod. I think most LSJs that are modded in my area and tuned by Rakes Performance Tuning are on E85.
 
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Been running pretty much only E85 in the Silverado for the last 5 years. Bought my wife a Mercedes ML350 this spring with ~32,000 miles and it has since been on a diet of 100% E85 as well. Both vehicles require premium, so the gap in price is huge (usually around $1 per gallon) and both vehicles offer better performance and throttle response on the corn juice. I may never buy another non-E85 vehicle again.
 
That is what most non-users don't understand. E85 vs Regular is what most people are looking at, but don't understand that because of the octane, the E85 vs. premium comparison is where the discussion needs to be. My next car will be at the very least able to run E85 wtih modification, if not Flexfuel or Flexfuel convertible.
 
My old vette feels and sounds angrier on e85. And I haven't even changed the secondary metering rods yet. There needs to be more than 4 stations in all of mass.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Move up here, one station in all of Canada.
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If I ever moved to Canada, I wouldn't be driving a gasser.
 
Diesel fluctuates above and below the price of gas, or vice versa, depending on your perspective.
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What would you drive? Natural gas is hard to find, and propane unfortunately has jumped the shark here.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Diesel fluctuates above and below the price of gas, or vice versa, depending on your perspective.
wink.gif
What would you drive? Natural gas is hard to find, and propane unfortunately has jumped the shark here.


I would work my way through most diesel small trucks and SUVs.
 
I have no problem with diesels, generally speaking, but don't do enough driving or work a vehicle hard enough to make a modern diesel (i.e. DBF or DEF type) worthwhile. Of course, I really use all the power of a G37, too, right?
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