I was reading a forum that deals with Volvos and E-85 at this site: http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=73061

It occured to me that the RTEK2.1 would be ideal, or close to it, for converting to E-85. In the article above, from what I gleaned from it, to convert to E-85 you need about 39% higher fuel flow. And the capabilities of the RTEK2.1 seem well fitted to do something like that.

Just a rambling thought. I'm really not a big fan of ethanol since it's based on corn in this country and is subsidised at 50 cents a gallon and there is a prohibition of importing it from Brazil or any other place. And celluolistic ethanol is still a pipe dream after more than a decade (read :straw grass to make ethonal).

Still, if they insist on making it available at most every gas station, then a person could take advantage of it. And it would be a good selling point of the RTEK2.1 for Mazdas RX.

LIke if you had a stock turbo car, you could install the 720's, and use E-85 by adjusting the fuel percentage. But leaving the Palm setting on 550's and not set on 720's.

And if E-85 isn't available, then switch the fuel maps to one that supports gasoline instead of the fuel map that is for ethanol.

 

I LOVE it a Flex-fuel RX

 

Also worth noting, since you have to use more fuel you also lower charge temps considerably.

There is a very worthy future for E85 in our cars. I have already heard that if it is tuned right then the power output is VERY nice with a higher detonation threshold.

I am going to try to tune on it in a 1G DSM sometime this week to see what kind of improvements I can pull out of it.

 

I'm also interested in the ability to use E85 in my 7. I've already got the RTEK 2.0, though changing the fuel maps might be the easy part (just add the additional fuel across the board then tune to perfection).

I think there might be more difficulty with the idle fueling and closed-loop operation than under boost or high throttle, as there's not too much you can change there on the RTEK 2.0 outside what the stock ECU provided...

A bit off topic: but does anyone know how well the seals in our fuel pumps hold up to being submerged in mostly ethanol? Fuel lines can be changed... pump seals not so easily.

 

A 50/50 mix, ethonal/gas, with an across the band plus 22percent is working for me. The idle fuel is increased just a bit more, especially around ???8hg in the 0 rpm and 500 areas. In fact it idles smoother and at a higher afr than stock gasoline.

Using gas I usually set the idle afr to 13-13.3 afr so it will idle smoother. With ethonal I can up that to 13.5-13.6 afr

I can get a closed loop at the 22% range. If set leaner the closed loop goes .......crummy. Not enough headroom I suspect for the injectors.

I KNOW I could go all ethonal using these: http://www.racetronix.com/3145FM.html The queston is, is it worth it or not. Ethonal is $2.28 last Sunday and gasoline is $2.86.

EDIT: The answer is NO. It isn't worth the price of four injectors.

 

Hailers, that 50/50 mix would be called E50. Just a fyi.

 

umm 50 gas 50 percent of 85 percent ethonal and 15 percent gas

hes actually running 42.5 eth/ 57.5 gas.... just to b exact

 

I'm planning on going E-85 soon and will probably use the 2.1 to manage it.

I was even thinking crazy and trying to find some 720's(maybe something near 750 to be a little safe) for primaries and 1000cc secondaries in my 1.7 and see where the AFR's were.

The big benefit from E85 is the extra timing you can work and the cooler temps.

It's awesome that only some injectors and a chip are all I need to go E-85.

 

you may want to look into what the e85 does to your fuel lines and pump. I know that flex fuel vehicles have different fuel lines that hold up to the e85 better.

 

^already gone over in alternative fuel section and I know a few locals running fully stock fuel systems in 240sx's.

 

Yeah. You and the guy just above your post are right. I agree I should word things right if I'm going to type. By the way, I had no idea we had a Alternative Fuel forum on this site. That said, the TURBOBRICK forum seems to me to be more useful/informative.

 

I was watching fronline lastnight, like every other "green" solution ethonal is screwed up. Raises food costs for the poor, causes people to cut down rain forest to grow food cause we are not. AHAHHAHAHAHA
Now if its cheaper I say go for it.

Of course all RX7s kill the planet

 

it gets tough because of the amount of fuel you need to make power, although you do get the added safety of a higher octane rating. Read through some threads in the single turbo section about E85 setups.