this is several of the posts we had on this subject in another forum:
Alcohol must be a good oxidizer. I had a load of E85, 85% ehtanol 15%gasoline in my multifuel 03 Suburban and it had super low emissionswhen tested. When I had my 91 tested I had a little less than a half tank and added about 4 gallons of E85, drove it a mile to the test station and passed with the best numbers I've ever had. Drove directly to the gas station afterward and filled up with gasoline to dillute the alcohol concentration.
E-85 is 85% Ethanol, pure corn bred. Around St. Louis there are only two stations that have it. I think its 105 Octane but it has something like 15% less BTU's of energy per pound of fuel, so your mileage is less when you are using it. Slightly higher fuel flow for a given power setting. My Suburban gets 10 mpg on E85 and 13 mpg on gasoline in mixed driving. I was using it because it was 40 cents a gallon cheaper than gas but now its only 20 cents less and when you figure cents per mile cost it costs you more to use it now. There are quite a few vehicles that are flexible fuel capable, but my suburban was a rare bear around the local dealership. Don't try it in a non FFV though, because it may royally screw it up after only a short time. Thats why I dilluted it right away after passing my emissions test. I only drove it about 3 miles with the 40% alky mix.
Correct, E85 is 85% Ethanol and 15% 87 octane gasoline. I manufacture ethanol and biodiesel on a regular basis. I run nothing but biodiesel in my Ford super duty and I also run pure ethanol in my modified fuel injected Suzuki GSXR 1000. The alcohol is heavenly as the octane is 104, cools the engine, completely cleans the whole fuel system, and burns clean enough to be considered an alternatively powered vehicle. Downfall, as stated, is fuel mileage. I average an 8% drop in economy compared to gasoline. The drop is lower than 15% only because I advanced the timing and tuned the injection to take advantage of the higher octane rating. I sell ethanol back to my employer for 99 cents a gallon, corn stalk is VERY cheap in my area. It's made in America, burns far cleaner and has a stable low price. No oil needed! I am in the process of adapting my 86 L98 Vette to run on both fuels with a dual burn adjustable chip and a few other mods. Contact me if you're interested in conversion details. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL REGULARLY IN A GASOLINE-ONLY VEHICLE!!!!!!! Short bursts for emmisions is dangerous, but does work (not for CO2, though).
