Ethanol Fuels

[Grumpy Bear]

As the season cools I've started blending back the alcohol concentration to increase RVP (vapor pressure easing cranking times. 

 

Evening temps have hit the mid 20F mark which had dampened her eagerness to wake up from her slumber. Never acted like it wouldn't start but did increase crank time to start. Now at 55% and waiting for next colder period. Pretty warm here last 4 days. Unseasonably so.

 

I am VERY happy with E-85. Time will tell if I remain so. Seems it will be a long cold winter.   

[Grumpy Bear]

Ethanol experience to date:

11/8/22

 

These two graphs run together in time. 

 

 

 

 

As ethanol increased to 75%, milage leveled out around 22 mpg. As the season cooled milage suffered as did cold start cranking times so I backed down to around 53%. [blue line in the right graph and a great correlation I believe] Cranking time shortened and milage sneaked back up to about 22 mpg. This is a pretty easy blend. Local supply is almost always 75% so I blend 1/3 E-10 to 2/3 E-85. 

 

This messes with my Linear Logic II's calibration a bit which requires some adjustment and some early good guess's as to the amount needed for a fill. I get a handle pretty quick now that I've used this instrument for several years. 

 

Pricing has remained favorable. Performance is good. Cleanliness is really good. Early testing, I did getting her on alky let me know I can blend back to 30% before there is a hint of spark knock r e t a r d which is still enough to give a great combustion dynamic. 

 

Now that I have some targets seasonal mpg volatility should abate. This is a really great fuel I wish all my vehicles could use. 

Edited November 8, 2022 by Grumpy Bear

[customboss]

Continuous 86 octane E15 with a spike of 91 octane premium here or E85 at half that 5 gallons of 91 and I am in hog heaven with the 2.7L L3B. 

 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

Per usual @customboss rattles my chain and I just have to look. Squirrel! 

 

Like most things such there are allot of information and misinformation sources and every one of them has a 'slant'. Written in a way that pits What is there to know against what, as the writer of the information, wish you to know. What can I say that aligns your thinking, actions and $$$$ with my agenda. 

 

In defense of my sanity and in interest of maintaining a balanced view, I must read many HUMAN sources to separate the slant from the information. Sad stuff that. 

 

Given each sources slant, the choice in ethanol source is obvious; To them.  Picture changes significantly when you put all slants in a pot and stir with discernment. A trick I have not mastered. 

 

I am so glad to be a user of ethanol and not a decider of policy. I live in a world of 235 plus nations, eight BILLION people and in one that accounts for but a fraction of the total population of this planet. Every one of them has its own agenda and its own weight in this world. What IS, is determined way above my pay grade. 

 

So instead of considering such things that I have zero impact on; I will consider only those things that I have influence over. My choices affect my equipment. These things are only slightly less complicated to know. 

[swathdiver]

 

Here's my version of your calculator that you showed us a few pages back.

 

I put mine back on E85 about a month ago.  My truck just did a 2-way average of 15.3 mpg on 80% running up to Jacksonville and back to visit the USS Orleck.  Engine runs so much nicer on this stuff.  Prices in my area have fallen nearly a dollar since I made that calculation too.  

[customboss]

I am going to drop the crappy Kroeger 91 octane mix for the winter ( unless it messes up anything I can measure) and introduce fuel additives from RLI and Amsoil.  I will run Amsoil PI ~ about every 4000 miles to clean deeply, and Amsoil UCL every tank to see if on 86 avg octane min E15 my MPG increase, it runs better subjectively etc.  In the cold up here it should be interesting. Note the L3B calls for 87 octane avg min so the E15 we get here has a min of 86 avg so clean operation will be critical not to get a LSPI event with this turbo 4.  I have never seen any evidence of detonation at all on this unit so feel I am safe.  The tech engineer at Maverik  assured me that most of the E15 = 87 avg octane but he could not guarantee it because of Colorado allowing lower octane from days of yore.  Pump button that meets CO tech specs is 86 min.  I ran on hwy today to Walsenburg downhill with a 40 mph tailwind after crossing over 10,000'+ LaVeta pass then turned around and drove back up it all at 60 mph indicated using cruise control.  Avg MPG was 25.15 using a min 86 octane E15 and RLI BIOPLUS that is probably 5 years old and treated at about 1.5 ounces per 24 gallons of E15.  I am happy with that performance. Havoline 5w30 PRO-RS is working great even on cold start at 19F. It shows lower oil pressure than Amsoil, Mobil1, and QS full syn.   

[customboss]

PS never went above 203F trans temp. Coolant temp 212F via analog LaVeta Pass will stress a transmission....Amsoil ATF is awesome. 

[swathdiver]

Our vehicles are so large and well insulated that it is near impossible to detect knocking and pinging anymore with our ears.  It is best to measure such using the engine's sensors.

 

Down here, E15 is listed as being 88 octane.  I have taken on E15 before and measured less than 15% alcohol so the octane rating would be less as well.

[customboss]

8 hours ago, swathdiver said:

Our vehicles are so large and well insulated that it is near impossible to detect knocking and pinging anymore with our ears.  It is best to measure such using the engine's sensors.

 

Down here, E15 is listed as being 88 octane.  I have taken on E15 before and measured less than 15% alcohol so the octane rating would be less as well.

Absolutely true. LSPI you won't hear until it destroys a piston and its scratching and rocking in the bore. 

[Grumpy Bear]

Usage Notes: 

 

Approaching 6K miles on Pepper running alcohol. There allot of handles with this fuel toward fuel economy and alcohol concentration is a sledgehammer. As it turns out, as large as seasonal weather swings or road speed. Each mark is not the average. It is the result. Miles / gallons over roughly 2,000 miles per point. Something I started doing with Dizzy on her short OCI's. Dampens the tank to tank. A bit more practice and I can dial a fuel number matching percent load with season and load.  

 

When I stopped for fuel night last, I pulled the dipstick and went faint for a second thinking there wasn't any oil on it. Turns out it is a clean and as hard to read at nearly 2K miles as it is fresh. She's full. 

 

 

 

[customboss]

https://www.nxtbook.com/smg/sae/23UPD02/index.php?startid=2#/p/2

 

E20-E30 reduces GHG's and improves octane and overall combustion cleanliness and we can do it NOW.  

 

Allows our modern engines to operate better with higher octane fuels. 

[Black02Silverado]

On 1/11/2023 at 4:53 PM, Grumpy Bear said:

Usage Notes: 

 

Approaching 6K miles on Pepper running alcohol. There allot of handles with this fuel toward fuel economy and alcohol concentration is a sledgehammer. As it turns out, as large as seasonal weather swings or road speed. Each mark is not the average. It is the result. Miles / gallons over roughly 2,000 miles per point. Something I started doing with Dizzy on her short OCI's. Dampens the tank to tank. A bit more practice and I can dial a fuel number matching percent load with season and load.  

 

When I stopped for fuel night last, I pulled the dipstick and went faint for a second thinking there wasn't any oil on it. Turns out it is a clean and as hard to read at nearly 2K miles as it is fresh. She's full. 

 

 

 

I wish there was more availability of E85 around here.  Only one place and the pump is tucked back beside the building and hard to get to.  Since I plan on keeping my Silverado, I just might have to fork over the $$$$ to convert it to FF.  The Suburban already is and loves it.

[Grumpy Bear]

3 hours ago, customboss said:

https://www.nxtbook.com/smg/sae/23UPD02/index.php?startid=2#/p/2

 

E20-E30 reduces GHG's and improves octane and overall combustion cleanliness and we can do it NOW.  

 

Allows our modern engines to operate better with higher octane fuels. 

 

Loved the octane curve in that link. 

[customboss]

When congress agrees on something its important and unusual but getting a NATIONAL octane standard and stop this ridiculous low octane levels at higher altitude places like where I live will help a lot. 

[diyer2]

I thought 85 was acceptable because we have less oxygen.