FINALLY got my drum for e85 setup and in use! no more gas cans being hauled around in the trunk etc etc! lol was so excited about my self service pump i had to share lol. I used heater hose, an adapter, and gravity to save the cost of a pump. Who says they don't have it on pump here

 

Nice! I was looking to do the same but actually was thinking of using one of those cast iron hand pumps. Your way is definitely cheaper but I have no way of lifting it that high. Are those containers E85 compatible?

 

Not sure lol im making it that way though lol. Its been outside for a few days now and no pressure build up i think it ran me right at 100$ to get it here with the fitting on the bottom. Metal just scares me for some reason more than plastic idk why. It was 97* here yesterday with no swelling on the barrel at all. Im pleased lol. 3/4" heater hose with a 5/8-1/2 adapter on the end to set right into the tank like a gas pump just turn the valve and it flows really well.

It is stored at our shop so i had a forklift handy haha that is the kicker i suppose.

 

How much does that hold?

 

pretty sure thats a 55 gal drum

 

Its a 55 Gallon drum I filled it to about 52 gallons which is where the breather line is on the barrel.

 

I spoke to a manufacturer of those types of drums today and he said it was not suitable for storing E85. I assume the drum you're using is made from HDPE? He goes on to say the only containers for E85 should be stainless steel containers...but those are pricey! I forgot to ask about the regular plastic gas containers and why those are ok. My guess would be maybe it's because it's for regular use and not for long term storage?

Let me know if you have any issues down the line. I'm sure anyone who's on E85 will go through a drum pretty quickly anyways .

Anyone with any inputs on this please share. Thanks.

 

How did you transport 52 gallons of E-85 in a drum? Did you use the Evo?

 

Borrowed my buddies truck and just strapped her down on the bed on a pallet and four ratchet straps.

Im sure for liability purposes they will say they are not suitable just so thats one less thing they would be responsible for. On a side note i'm sure they aren't produced for such things but I don't know what kind of issue there could be. I know it could break down the barrel but it seems to be a high quality container. If i have any issues with it i will be sure to let you guys know! I just couldn't get over the scare of the metal heating the fuel up since i have to store it outside. The blue plastic doesn't really get very hot at all from what i have no noticed and there has been zero pressure build up thus far although i'm still keeping a close eye on it. Its far better than dragging gas cans around!!! With the adapters and everything there is no mess and no trouble.

 

One drum at a time isn't too bad for me the pump is only about 50 miles a way in Franklin Kentucky. If it were alot father i would just get 2-3 drums lol. Hoping it will be a 5-6 week supply. Looking good thus far.

 

Devotion

 

I heard the shelf life for E85 is about 20 days as it starts to absorb water without the proper ventilation and moisture recovery(don't quote me on that as I'm sure it's different for everybody). If you don't already, before you fill up... you might want to test it before hand. should do it anyways with the inconsistent Ethanol variable from tank to tank.

 

I had this SAME exact idea lined up. Now to complete my car.

For those wondering, that's an HPDE grade drum used to handle chemicals, food, and other things.

 

Yeah i have a tester and i used to test every batch i bought which i kept for a bout 3 weeks and never seen a drop of ethanol content. I plant to test this once a week to see if it drops off any. The last test i checked was right at 70% which is what my pump has been i'm expecting the switch back to true 85 anytime now. When i did a tune at Mellon many months ago i recall him having e85 in his garage in steel barrels. Im not sure on his ventilation set up if any but he commented on keeping it for awhile.

 

Im looking at doing something like this, But I dont have a friend with a pickup to transport a drum. So MY SOLUTION was going to be---

http://www.amazon.com/Moeller-DuraMa.../dp/B000MT94QA

And five 6 gallon jugs, all filled with e-85 at the station thats 27 miles away from my town. Its the only way I could figure on getting so much e-85 in my evo at once. So on the final tank when im about a 1/4 down, Ill run to the house, grab the caddy and jugs, drive to the town (benson NC), fill up the jugs, fill up the evo, fill up the caddy, and go home.

Let me know how the jug holds up, your alternative is a little cheaper than mine! Id just have to figure out a way to transport the jug and such.