What GM should do with C8 engines/fuel systems

[Milliwatt Rob]

They should make them E85 compatible, and program them to take advantage of the properties of an ethanol rich fuel. You can get a FlexFuel Malibu, but not a Corvette?

[Plasboy]

Better yet do away with E85 as it corrodes engine parts.

[Mobius]

They should make them E85 compatible, and program them to take advantage of the properties of an ethanol rich fuel.

I fully agree! E85 (105 octane) can definitely provide more power that premium (93 octane) fuel. https://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...html#post48602

The last time I crunched the numbers, E85 was also much cheaper than premium, even when accounting for the lower energy content per gallon in E85. https://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...tml#post307281

[Ripper]

I started running E85 in my Mercedes. The car is pretty fast as is but with E85 it's a completely different animal. E85 w/4Matic... launches like a Boss!

[Shepherd777]

If it was up to me, they would do away with liquid fuel altogether for the C8. I'm building such a C2 model myself.

I'm trying to get it done for SEMA in November.

[JB]

Had E85 been available in my area amd my corvette been properly fitted to use E85 I would have purchased E85 without question but E85 is not available around here.

i dont believe E85 will be an option for the c8 from the facotry.

jMO

[Frenzy36]

Problems with E85 Fuel

by Colby Stream


Ethanol has been seen by the general public as an alternative fuel with almost zero drawbacks. While E85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, does produce less pollution and is renewable through growing the corn used in its creation, it has some problems that anyone considering converting a vehicle to E85 or buying one that uses the fuel should consider.



Produces Less Energy

Ethanol produces about 25 to 30 percent less energy than gasoline, which means you get less miles to the gallon in the long run. While many people have already heard this, they haven't considered how it affects the amount of energy it takes to produce E85 in relation to the amount of energy it produces. The United States Department of Agriculture reported in 2010 that ethanol returns 1.42 energy by ratio than is put into it. This number, however, does not take into account secondary inputs. Secondary inputs are parts of the ethanol creation process, such as the machines that gather the corn. Given this and the varying report numbers, there is no definitive study that proves ethanol produces more or less energy than it takes to produce it. However, even if you assume that ethanol produces the same amount of energy it takes to produce it, you're still getting about 25 to 30 percent less energy than you would get with gasoline in your daily driving. Less Value

When you buy E85 at the pump, it does not cost more than gasoline. It costs less, but this is without taking into account how much energy you get out of E85 versus gasoline. You get about 25 to 30 percent less energy from ethanol. For example, to determine the comparative price of E85, with a purchase price of $2.49/gallon, you would divide this figure by .70 to get the true value of $3.56/gallon. The important factor here is to look at the numbers comparatively. Although E85 may look less expensive at a first glance, it's often not when you start doing the math and comparing the relative numbers. Corrosive

Ethanol corrodes a number of materials, including plastic, fiberglass and other parts of the engine. Corrosion will either contaminate the fuel or destroy parts of the engine, such as the fuel line. However, this doesn't apply to cars that are designed to run on E85. These vehicles are built with materials that ethanol won't corrode. That being said, it's a factor to consider if you plan to convert your own vehicle to E85. To complete the conversion process, you'll need to replace any plastic or rubber engine parts, such as seals and hose lines, that the E85 comes into contact with. Many of the seals you'll need to replace are part of the engine block itself, making the conversion both difficult and expensive.

[Milliwatt Rob]

"Ethanol corrodes a number of materials, including plastic, fiberglass and other parts of the engine. Corrosion will either contaminate the fuel or destroy parts of the engine, such as the fuel line. However, this doesn't apply to cars that are designed to run on E85. These vehicles are built with materials that ethanol won't corrode. "

That is what I am suggesting, that the car be E85 compliant from the factory.

I would note that diesel fuel has more BTU per gallon than pump gasoline yet nobody is saying we should have diesel Corvettes for better mileage. What I am proposing is that the car be designed from the factory to run on 105 octane (or better) E85 so we could use it to get a performance bump over gasoline, which the car could also run on..

[Frenzy36]

"Ethanol corrodes a number of materials, including plastic, fiberglass and other parts of the engine. Corrosion will either contaminate the fuel or destroy parts of the engine, such as the fuel line. However, this doesn't apply to cars that are designed to run on E85. These vehicles are built with materials that ethanol won't corrode. "

That is what I am suggesting, that the car be E85 compliant from the factory.

I would note that diesel fuel has more BTU per gallon than pump gasoline yet nobody is saying we should have diesel Corvettes for better mileage. What I am proposing is that the car be designed from the factory to run on 105 octane (or better) E85 so we could use it to get a performance bump over gasoline, which the car could also run on..

I feel the manufacturer would be looking at a much larger cost to properly design the vehicle that way. The corrosive properties would also cause more wear and tear on the rings, pistons, exhaust etc. NO thanks. My Cadillac can run on it and I tried it twice and didn't notice any improvement in performance, but I did notice it consumed more fuel quicker.
Twin Turbo Diesel Mid Engine Corvette would be interesting. HUMMmmmmm.

[Milliwatt Rob]

The torque of a twin turbo diesel Corvette would be amazing. And with AWD, you could put it to the ground.

[Bikerjulio]

I believe all modern cars can handle ethanol in the fuel. A lot of outdated info here.

For instance in Ontario the government requires 10% ethanol in all gas sold. Most suppliers keep to that for all three common blends sold here. Some mix it up with 15% in one grade and 10% and 5% in the others. Shell sells their premium ethanol-free, but ups the level in the 2 other blends.

So in other words, every car on the road in Ontario is capable of running at least some ethanol in the gas.

E85 is not available here but there are substantial benefits for high-HP engines, especially turbos. Octane is increased and the engine runs cooler than with gasoline. It's why Indy cars run ethanol.

[jsmatt]

Most gas stations in Ohio have a sign at the pump that says may contain up to 10% ethanol. Even the 93 Octane at the pump. There is basically no choice, and I've run this in my 66 L72 with additives for valve lubrication without problems.

E85 on the other hand would not be so friendly and are not recommended for the Corvette. I've seen lots of modified cars using it. E85 requires larger volume capable fuel system (pumps, injectors, tuning...) to make it all work well, especially on performance cars..

[Z_Rocks]

Better yet do away with E85 as it corrodes engine parts.

Exactly. It destroys everuthing in it's path. Rubber, metal, even some plastics get melted.

[Milliwatt Rob]

Ethanol corrodes a number of materials, including plastic, fiberglass and other parts of the engine. Corrosion will either contaminate the fuel or destroy parts of the engine, such as the fuel line. However, this doesn't apply to cars that are designed to run on E85. These vehicles are built with materials that ethanol won't corrode.

[Plasboy]

I believe all modern cars can handle ethanol in the fuel. A lot of outdated info here.

For instance in Ontario the government requires 10% ethanol in all gas sold. Most suppliers keep to that for all three common blends sold here. Some mix it up with 15% in one grade and 10% and 5% in the others. Shell sells their premium ethanol-free, but ups the level in the 2 other blends.

So in other words, every car on the road in Ontario is capable of running at least some ethanol in the gas.

E85 is not available here but there are substantial benefits for high-HP engines, especially turbos. Octane is increased and the engine runs cooler than with gasoline. It's why Indy cars run ethanol.

True they can handle it to some extent but the mechanics I’ve talked to say even vehicles designed to run on E85 show some problems with corrosion when disassembled.
Also from what I’ve read it is not really environmentally friendly as it takes huge amounts of water to produce.