E85

[Kracka]

A gallon of gasoline contains more energy than a gallon of ethanol, this is basic information. Ethanol is also very caustic to rubber and aluminum; again this is fact, not opinion.

Oxygenated fuels act as a knock-quench which is why they'll make more power on a turbo car, but this does not change the fact that non-oxy fuels contain more energy.

[cmspaz]

Originally Posted by Kracka

A gallon of gasoline contains more energy than a gallon of ethanol, this is basic information. Ethanol is also very caustic to rubber and aluminum; again this is fact, not opinion.

Oxygenated fuels act as a knock-quench which is why they'll make more power on a turbo car, but this does not change the fact that non-oxy fuels contain more energy.

And all of that is fine and dandy...

But we're on a Mitsu board, and the involvement of a turbo is implied in context, making non-oxy a non-option for everyone else, as I'm assuming you had your s2k at this point?

[goodhart]

Originally Posted by Kracka

A gallon of gasoline contains more energy than a gallon of ethanol, this is basic information. Ethanol is also very caustic to rubber and aluminum; again this is fact, not opinion.

Oxygenated fuels act as a knock-quench which is why they'll make more power on a turbo car, but this does not change the fact that non-oxy fuels contain more energy.

And yet people can still run it in their 20 year old DSM's without their rubber fuel lines and aluminum fuel rails falling apart. Must not be that bad.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by goodhart

And yet people can still run it in their 20 year old DSM's without their rubber fuel lines and aluminum fuel rails falling apart. Must not be that bad.

Someone should do a quick test. Grab a bunch of rubber o rings and aluminum and some e-85. Drop the pieces in a Beaker (yeah i said beaker) and let them sit there. see how much damage it actually does to rubber o rings and aluminum over time.

[Jed]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

Someone should do a quick test. Grab a bunch of rubber o rings and aluminum and some e-85. Drop the pieces in a Beaker (yeah i said beaker) and let them sit there. see how much damage it actually does to rubber o rings and aluminum over time.

I did do this back in the day actually. I filled a pan with E85 and put a piece of stock DSM (91 era) rubber fuel hose, brass fittings, aluminum, DSM bolt, AN fitting and probably a couple other things I can't think of now and sealed it up with a cover on it. It sat for 2 years until I opened it back up and nothing in there was significantly damaged. Not a very scientific test but it was enough to convince me that it wasn't going to annihilate anything in my fuel system as the internet would have you believe.

[Tachyon]

Originally Posted by goodhart

And yet people can still run it in their 20 year old DSM's without their rubber fuel lines and aluminum fuel rails falling apart. Must not be that bad.

Going on 6 years of continuous use in my 21 year old car.

Contextual truth perhaps, but there are many types of synthetic rubber compounds and aluminum alloys and ethanol blends. Modern pump ethanol has drying agents to keep an actually 100% neutral substance (read, non-caustic) from interacting with impurities of gas (cheifly water) and starting a corrosive reaction.

Can ethanol cause minor oxidation on raw aluminum under certain conditions, sure. Does this really apply to the context of our common hobby? Well, the proof is in the pudding.