<VV> Ethanol in Corvairs

[Eric Prosise]

Fran is planning on presenting a tech session at the 2010 convention in Iowa.  I know that he has larger jets, and different gaskets in the carbs.  His tank is lined, by a local shop, I think, and I know he has an oxygen sensor, and monitors that...
 
I cant speak to everything, but in his daily driver67 4 door (driven every day), he gets about 26mpg and runs E85.
 
Eric


From: FrankCB at aol.comDate: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:00:22 -0400Subject: Re: <VV> Ethanol in CorvairsTo: ronh at owt.com; eprosise at hotmail.com; virtualvairs at corvair.org


Ron and Eric,
    Since E-85 has only about 70% of the energy (per gallon) as regular gasoline, it's hard to believe that "little modification to the stock set-up is sufficient" and "good fuel mileage" results.  Also E-85 vehicles require considerable mods as far as materials are concerned.  That high a % of ethanol will attack the coating on the stock LM Corvair fuel tank, for example.  Flex fuel vehicles (from GM and others) now on the roads have lots of changes from gasoline only vehicles.  One, of course, is a sensor that analyzes the fuel flowing to the engine and adjusts the A/F ratio depending on whether straight gasoline or E-85 is flowing or ANYTHING between those two extremes.  This is necessary since it takes a LARGER flow of E-85 to make the same power as gasoline.  So it's hard to understand how switching to E-85 will NOT produce WORSE fuel mileage than regular gasoline.  Of course, you could significantly raise the compression ratio to take advantage of the much higher octane rating of the E-85.  Or, you could allow your turbo to make higher boost pressure with the higher octane E-85.
    But I don't see that these changes are "minor" ones from stock.
    Frank "prefers to pay our farmers than terrorist nations" Burkhard  
 
In a message dated 10/15/2007 9:18:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, ronh at owt.com writes:
Let's see an article on what he did.  Do the stock hoses in the fuel system hold up OK?RonH----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Prosise" <eprosise at hotmail.com>To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 6:14 PMSubject: <VV> Ethanol in Corvairs>> All->> Fran Schmitt in Minnesota (St. Louis Park) is running E-85 (85% ethanol) > in both his '67 4-door (110hp, automatic), and '64 Convertible (95hp? > auto, with A/C).  I dont know about his 140hp Rampside, but possibly.  He > reports good fuel mileage, and little modification to the stock set-up.>> Eric Prosise> Corvair Minnesota

 


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