Author Topic: Ethanol Aided Pump gas  (Read 1636 times)

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Offline Clay Pitkin

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Ethanol Aided Pump gas
« on: October 06, 2010, 06:52:39 PM »
Hi all,
Ok I know the issues with ethanol aided fuel, the draw backs, how it benefits the economy, etc. Don't want to get into that.
My issue is my brother has a 08 mustang, street legal, has some minor modifications exhaust, chipped, K&N filter, etc. Nothing as far as balancing or heads has been touched from the factory. He does occaisonly drag race the car and he sometimes goes out to the local road racing Track. (Miller motorsports). He complains that running ethanol aided pump gas he is getting less power. So my question is this. What can be done to achieve more power, using pump gas, but not go to the extreme of maybe say a supercharger?

Any thoughts or ideas?
TIA

Clay

   
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Offline hotrod

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Re: Ethanol Aided Pump gas
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2010, 09:11:53 PM »
If he is losing power on ethanol added gasoline he needs to change his tune.
It is an oxygenate fuel and needs to be run a tad richer than straight gasoline to make power.


It is a tuning problem not a fuel problem. Normal ethanol added gasoline is oxygenated at about 3% oxygen so he needs to richen the mixture slightly more than that (ethanol has wider flammability limits than gasoline and likes richer mixtures).

Try increasing the fuel flow by 3-5% and see how the car likes it.

Larry (I live in Colorado and we have been running on ethanol added gasoline for about 30 years)
« Last Edit: October 06, 2010, 11:46:03 PM by hotrod »

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Ethanol Aided Pump gas
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2010, 10:48:48 PM »
The ethanol deadens the gasoline a little bit.  It is possible to use higher compression ratios and more spark advance, and as mentioned previously, a slightly richer mixture.  The problem we have is the wide variation in pump gas quality.  This has prevented me from taking advantage the good ethanol gas properties when I tune the streetmobile.

landracing

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Re: Ethanol Aided Pump gas
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2010, 07:54:11 PM »
With new laws going into effect of using 15% blend of ethanol over the 10% currently you will find more of it at the pumps real soon. 2007 and newer vehicles is what it is intended for. More compression and more spark advance. Older then 2007 - guess we may have four or five choices at the pump instead of three already which contain 10%.

Could be a severe problem for vehicles and choices of fuel lines - more so 2007 and earlier cars.
Just info.

JonAmo