Experiences with E85/bioethanol?

[valtteri]

Tomorrow ST1, a Finnish franchise of gas stations, will equip three of their gas stations with RE85, a Finnish equivalent of E85. As luck would have it, one of these stations is located just a half kilometer away from me. Also, I haven't yet built my engine and as soon as I discovered the news about RE85, thoughts started pouring into mind...

I have understood that you other lucky scandinavians have had the pleasure of using E85 for quite some time now. I would really appreciate some real-life experiences with the stuff.

My fuel system consists of a Holley blue pump, Holley regulator, 8mm braided line and IDAs. Ignition is all MSD. I was going to go for about 11.5:1 CR, but with RE85, I really would like to push it up! As far as the purpose of the engine is concerned, it's going to see some cruising but maximal output is pretty much the goal here as I have a couple of bets in Finland and SCC that need to be taken care of! =)

Anyway, here are the simple questions:
*Will the float bowls/needles/something need modifications to compensate for the added fuel comsumption?
*Will the rest of the fuel system be sufficient?
*How much bump in CR have you guys had luck with?
*Does E85 require a different ignition advance or other modification of ignition system?
And most importantly:
*Would YOU recommend "making the switch"?

Guys, it would be really cool to hear about the pros and cons of E85 before I build the engine, so any comments are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Valtteri
 

[Roman]

I ran it with my old engine  with just over 12 in compression.
A rule of thumb for the jetting: Main Jet= venturi size x 5.
Run approx 65 or so idles.
No change in timing.

You don't need any special equipment, but remember to change the oil more often.
I had Berg carbs and they have bigger float bowls, but I know Petter Carlberg has normal IDA's and haven't heard him complaining of any fuel starvation.

Performance wise, this is what I have heard from people, but I can't confirm it since I havent tested both at the same engine:
With turbos you can squeeze out a couple of more ponies than pump gas.
With N/A you have the same or slightly lower power, but a cooling effect that is extreme. On the other hand you will have more wear on a E85 engine.

It is a matter of taste, you have both pro's and cons.

[Tom G.]

I ran it with my old engine  with just over 12 in compression.
A rule of thumb for the jetting: Main Jet= venturi size x 5.
Run approx 65 or so idles.
No change in timing.

You don't need any special equipment, but remember to change the oil more often.
I had Berg carbs and they have bigger float bowls, but I know Petter Carlberg has normal IDA's and haven't heard him complaining of any fuel starvation.

Performance wise, this is what I have heard from people, but I can't confirm it since I havent tested both at the same engine:
With turbos you can squeeze out a couple of more ponies than pump gas.
With N/A you have the same or slightly lower power, but a cooling effect that is extreme. On the other hand you will have more wear on a E85 engine.

It is a matter of taste, you have both pro's and cons.

why you have more wear with E85? Because of more compression or??I am thinking also to use E85 for my Street-Eli head Engine (92(thick wall)x76, 44x37)

Bye

[Airspeed]

why you have more wear with E85? Because of more compression or??

Bye

I think because 'they' run a far richer mixture and a rich mixture tends to dilute the oil a bit more, in extreme cases washes down the bores of your cylinders. Just eggagerating (sp?) in order to explain what I am trying to say 
Maybe Roman can say if that is correct or not.

[Roman]

I don't know why exactly, but that might be a reason. Another reason imight be that alcohol does't evaporate as good as gas so. If you see the oil level rise you can be sure you have alcohol in your oil.