[SOCAL.M6.ZLE]

Hey There... Looking for feedback from existing E85 users here in So Cal.
Looking to hear PRO's and CON's so I can make a better decision.



Questions I have...


1. How much gain to the wheels are we talking?
2. Any set-backs?
3. Is it really as easy as it sounds to switch on the fly?
4. Any issues finding it locally?



Thanks in Advance.

[Robster]

I'm running a flex fuel sensor on my ZL1 with a bluetooth connected App that tells me the % ethanol. Due to the high side pump flow rate limitations of the LT4 I can only run up to 60% ethanol but my tuner said to keep it to 50% to be safe... I've run it up to 60% without issues.

1. How much gain to the wheels are we talking?
90 WHP at the wheels backed up by dyno plots for my 2017 ZL1.


2. Any set-backs?
You'll need to fill up more frequently because ethanol is less energy dense... said another way your fuel efficiency mileage will drop, but then again E85 is cheaper than 91 pump gasoline. The other hassle, having to fill up with two pumps.... usually I do half E85, and the balance with 91 octane. Also, the % ethanol in the E85 at the pump varies (by source and by the seasons... less ethanol in the winter).


3. Is it really as easy as it sounds to switch on the fly?
Switch on the fly? The car does it automatically... I can mix all I want depending on access to fuel. I don't think about it, there's nothing to switch.


4. Any issues finding it locally? I use an App called Gasbuddy to help me find E85 stations. No issues in SoCal finding E85.

I used to routinely bump the octane of the fuel in my ZL1 with 100 octane pump because the car ran much better with about 94 to 95 octane than the crappy 91 octane California gas but at $10/gallon for 100 octane the flex fuel sensor will pay itself off relatively quickly considering how much $10 gasoline i was going through. I've also run a few track days with ethanol and the car has been solidly reliable and super strong.

[serper3]

Originally Posted by Robster

I'm running a flex fuel sensor on my ZL1 with a bluetooth connected App that tells me the % ethanol. Due to the high side pump flow rate limitations of the LT4 I can only run up to 60% ethanol but my tuner said to keep it to 50% to be safe... I've run it up to 60% without issues.

1. How much gain to the wheels are we talking?
90 WHP at the wheels backed up by dyno plots for my 2017 ZL1.


2. Any set-backs?
You'll need to fill up more frequently because ethanol is less energy dense... said another way your fuel efficiency mileage will drop, but then again E85 is cheaper than 91 pump gasoline. The other hassle, having to fill up with two pumps.... usually I do half E85, and the balance with 91 octane. Also, the % ethanol in the E85 at the pump varies (by source and by the seasons... less ethanol in the winter).


3. Is it really as easy as it sounds to switch on the fly?
Switch on the fly? The car does it automatically... I can mix all I want depending on access to fuel. I don't think about it, there's nothing to switch.


4. Any issues finding it locally? I use an App called Gasbuddy to help me find E85 stations. No issues in SoCal finding E85.

I used to routinely bump the octane of the fuel in my ZL1 with 100 octane pump because the car ran much better with about 94 to 95 octane than the crappy 91 octane California gas but at $10/gallon for 100 octane the flex fuel sensor will pay itself off relatively quickly considering how much $10 gasoline i was going through. I've also run a few track days with ethanol and the car has been solidly reliable and super strong.

I am not the OP, but also want to go down this route. do you have anything else done to the car besides the flex fuel sensor and tune? who tuned the car? how is partial throttle response and drive-ability?

90 WHP seems kinda high for just flex fuel alone if you are stock, comparing to the janetty flex package right? His kit i think is around 670 whp and you need to do voltage booster, intake, tb, and long tubes i think?

[Robster]

Originally Posted by serper3

I am not the OP, but also want to go down this route. do you have anything else done to the car besides the flex fuel sensor and tune? who tuned the car? how is partial throttle response and drive-ability?

90 WHP seems kinda high for just flex fuel alone if you are stock, comparing to the janetty flex package right? His kit i think is around 670 whp and you need to do voltage booster, intake, tb, and long tubes i think?

Baseline numbers for my car with a Soler Performance ported throttle body on ~92 octane was 573 WHP. It put down those numbers on 6/10/2020. [Side Note: The 551 number was when the computer pulled back the timing after repeated pulls.]



and then when I went back for the flex fuel work on 11/9/2020. After the flex fuel sensor installed by JEP Performance in Hemet and tuned by BRC Raceworks the car pulled 660 WHP. [Run 1 is baseline, run 2 is a calibrated tune to 91 octane, and run 3 is with 55% Ethanol]


Everything else besides the ported throttle body (air filter and box, fuel system, exhaust, electrical, etc.) is stock. Driveability is completely transparent and feels completely OEM. The Soler ported throttle body is there to improve tip-in and mild part throttle response which I found to be a little touchy with the manual transmission (making soft launches sometimes jerky). There are other little things the tune did like turn on fans sooner and faster when you "get on it" to keep temps down as well as deletion of the 1st-4th skip shift feature on the manuals.

[serper3]

Originally Posted by Robster

Baseline numbers for my car with a Soler Performance ported throttle body on ~92 octane was 573 WHP. It put down those numbers on 6/10/2020. [Side Note: The 551 number was when the computer pulled back the timing after repeated pulls.]



and then when I went back for the flex fuel work on 11/9/2020. After the flex fuel sensor installed by JEP Performance in Hemet and tuned by BRC Raceworks the car pulled 660 WHP. [Run 1 is baseline, run 2 is a calibrated tune to 91 octane, and run 3 is with 55% Ethanol]


Everything else besides the ported throttle body (air filter and box, fuel system, exhaust, electrical, etc.) is stock. Driveability is completely transparent and feels completely OEM. The Soler ported throttle body is there to improve tip-in and mild part throttle response which I found to be a little touchy with the manual transmission (making soft launches sometimes jerky). There are other little things the tune did like turn on fans sooner and faster when you "get on it" to keep temps down as well as deletion of the 1st-4th skip shift feature on the manuals.

wow that is awesome! Any idea how this dyno would compare to a dynojet?

I think I would probably also do a rotofab big gulp in addition to the ported tb as long as fuel will not be an issue. i would just pull everything off, go back to stock tune for smog.

no other fuel mods? no need to run a wideband guage, add a bung, etc since you tuned it locally? Not a huge deal of course but this was something i wanted to avoid if possible.

i am on the fence about doing it sooner or later since i have 1.5 years until my powertrain warranty expires and i am in in the problem area mfg date for the oil pump issue.

[SOCAL.M6.ZLE]

Originally Posted by serper3

wow that is awesome! Any idea how this dyno would compare to a dynojet?

I think I would probably also do a rotofab big gulp in addition to the ported tb as long as fuel will not be an issue. i would just pull everything off, go back to stock tune for smog.

no other fuel mods? no need to run a wideband guage, add a bung, etc since you tuned it locally? Not a huge deal of course but this was something i wanted to avoid if possible.

i am on the fence about doing it sooner or later since i have 1.5 years until my powertrain warranty expires and i am in in the problem area mfg date for the oil pump issue.

The last part about going back to a stock tune is the current issue right? Does anyone have a work around for the tuning issue?

[serper3]

Originally Posted by SOCAL.M6.ZLE

The last part about going back to a stock tune is the current issue right? Does anyone have a work around for the tuning issue?

I haven't heard any work around, besides putting the car back to stock, putting the stock tune back on the car, driving so all monitors are ready for smog, put all parts back on the car, and put tune back on the car.

ideally i will be able to put the car back to stock within several hours, drive it for several days, smog, and put the parts back on the car in several hours... I can live with that.

[SOCAL.M6.ZLE]

Originally Posted by serper3

I haven't heard any work around, besides putting the car back to stock, putting the stock tune back on the car, driving so all monitors are ready for smog, put all parts back on the car, and put tune back on the car.

ideally i will be able to put the car back to stock within several hours, drive it for several days, smog, and put the parts back on the car in several hours... I can live with that.

I agree, that would be worth it. I just need to make sure that when you put a “stock tune” back on that the CVN numbers match. Not sure if the dealers reflash will do that?

[SHE'Z 18]

So to be clear, some of you are running E85 without going to LT headers? Will / does E85 have a negative effect on the primary cats? I have an AWE catback (no secondaries) and am looking for a way to increase HP / TQ without going to headers. The car is loud enough!!

Thanks everyone

[serper3]

Originally Posted by SHE'Z 18

So to be clear, some of you are running E85 without going to LT headers? Will / does E85 have a negative effect on the primary cats? I have an AWE catback (no secondaries) and am looking for a way to increase HP / TQ without going to headers. The car is loud enough!!

Thanks everyone

e85 burns cleaner. i have never heard of it causing any issues with cats. bad tune though, and anything is possible

[SOCAL.M6.ZLE]

Originally Posted by SHE'Z 18

So to be clear, some of you are running E85 without going to LT headers? Will / does E85 have a negative effect on the primary cats? I have an AWE catback (no secondaries) and am looking for a way to increase HP / TQ without going to headers. The car is loud enough!!

Thanks everyone

I was looking at the AWE touring with resonators also... do you regret doing the secondary cat delete?

[SOCAL.M6.ZLE]

Anyone running the kit with a bluetooth app to check mixture vs. a normal gauge ?

[Robster]

Originally Posted by SOCAL.M6.ZLE

Anyone running the kit with a bluetooth app to check mixture vs. a normal gauge ?

I run the Proflex Commander Bluetooth app only. No gauge.

Originally Posted by SHE'Z 18

So to be clear, some of you are running E85 without going to LT headers? Will / does E85 have a negative effect on the primary cats? I have an AWE catback (no secondaries) and am looking for a way to increase HP / TQ without going to headers. The car is loud enough!!

Thanks everyone

I haven't had any issues with the cats or anything else (and everything is stock on the exhaust side) for over a year and a half now with street and track use. To be clear though, the LT4 CANNOT (with the stock high pressure fuel pump cam lobe) run above 60% ethanol. So, no e85... I run E55 tops (using the Bluetooth mixture app mentioned above) as directed by my tuner.

[SOCAL.M6.ZLE]

Originally Posted by Robster

I run the Proflex Commander Bluetooth app only. No gauge.





I haven't had any issues with the cats or anything else (and everything is stock on the exhaust side) for over a year and a half now with street and track use. To be clear though, the LT4 CANNOT (with the stock high pressure fuel pump cam lobe) run above 60% ethanol. So, no e85... I run E55 tops (using the Bluetooth mixture app mentioned above) as directed by my tuner.

Thanks for the feedback Robster... Ill have to check out that app... Can i ask who tuned your car, and if you would recommend them?