Pros and Cons of going E85
 

im looking to go E85 for my first tune on a stock turbo, stock cams and lots of bolt ons on my evo 9 with 59k miles.

from what i've read and gathered is that E85 is CLEANER then regular gasoline, CHEAPER than gasoline per gallon that is, it burns faster, colder and with less effort, gas mileage is diminished by 30% on E85 and finally it produces more power. i've read all types of things about E85 but i cant seem to find any cons to this type of fuel. is it because there isnt any??

I need someone to break down all the pros and cons to going E85 like how will this affect the life of my motor compared to staying on pump gas. will i start to get build up gunk/gum on the valves or on the injectors from E85. will e85 rust the fuel tank or fuel lines if the car sits without being used for more than a week at a time. thank you in advanced :)

You layed it out. Basically the only con is gas mileage which equates to a 200 mile range max if you aren't gassing it. Other than that, it is better. Because of the gas mileage you do end up paying slightly more than you would if you used regular gas, but it's not that much more.

The only thing that you said that is technically wrong is that it produces more power. It actually produces less power which is why you have to burn 30% more of it to get the same power out of it. I am assuming you meant it resists knock, allowing you to run more boost and make more power.

E85 is harder to burn than petrol. It requires a strong spark. With your mods you will be fine with the stock coils though. X2 on the crappy fuel mileage.

I've heard that when converting a car to ethanol, it eats away the residue that gasoline leaves over time and will clog your fuel filter "quickly". So if/when you do, I'd change your fuel filters shortly after.

But with gas prices going up like they are, it's gonna be cheaper to run e85 than it is for gasoline here soon.

thanks for clarifying that. thats exactly what i meant {thumbup}

Definitely do it!! you get used to the diminished gas mileage pretty quick. I have basic bolt ons, 1000cc injectors and am running at 28psi. I made 382 HP and 420 TQ on the corn!! Car feels awesome.
The only other downside I have is hot starts. Sometimes it's a little difficult to start when the car is already warmed up (like driving to the store and starting it again after coming out).

All in all the switch is worth it, my car picked up over 40 whp from the switch and it smells AWESOME!

My hot starts are awesome, but when its extemely cold out the car may take a try or two but again its worth it!

can you explain to me why does this happen. is it a e85 thing?

wouldnt be really safe to take a road trip in the evo after that.. unless you map out a route based on where there are e85 stations lol.. so you might have to start trailering the evo to events or getting a big drum or something

I went e85 and the only down side is cold starting..but its not a big deal

I can carry 55 Gallons in the trunk so range is not an issue!
https://img855.imageshack.us/img855/9316/22806220.jpg

that's my trunk filled up for a track day.

I had that issue with cold starts on e-85 but Tom at VR-Speed fixed it, he said there's a setting for it that was wrong and when he fixed it works like a charm :)

haha this is awesome {thumbup}
how bad are your cold starts tho?
and wouldnt e85 retain water if its kept without use for long periods of time?
thanks!

so in other words cold and hot starts can be fixed with a good tuner then?

E85 is very Hydroscopic! Draws moisture, and therefore not recommended for storage over 30days or more. Not to worry tho, it burns so fast you'll be filling her up every week!!! The new found power is addictive!!!! I have't run anything else int 3 years!!!