Question: i have been thinking about doing an E85 conversion for my 01 4.7 QC. Gas prices are continuing to go up and when running at 15-16 mpg, it is getting pretty expensive. I know that although it is cheaper, i has less energy per gallon than gas does (something like 20% less) but considering i am about to change out all my fluids for synthetic, i am sure that the mileage wont go down that far. i live in the west so it isnt hard to get e85 but my question is is it worth it? i have a friend with a 4.7 durango and he did it and he loves it. it works really well for him but i have also heard horror stories when it comes to these conversions. the conversion itself is about $500 but i plan on keeping this truck for a while and i can easily pay off my initial investment. Please let me know if you have done a conversion or hell even if you have a stock flex-fuel vehicle and how it runs on gas and how it runs on e85.

Thanks so much

keep in mind that it is a computer controller that plugs directly into the injector ports. this is not a STOCK option as it is an after-market controller. the website for the controller is : http://www.change2e85.com

 

I have a ranger thats flex and if I could Id put that stuff in as much as I could more throttle response and good idle andkeeps your engine cleanerbut still a weak 3.0L V6 so I plan to get the conversion kit for my 93

 

e85 is like 105 or 110 octane. Much cleaner too. It's also cheaper to make! Id go for it.

 

just thought i'd add... my truck destroyed a 3.0 ranger at the drag strip. anyway, i wonder if there are conversion kits for the 3.9. there is a gas station 2 blocks from my house that has e85 and i dont see the price of gas going down ever again.

 

I'm a huge proponent of E85, but your mileage will suffer dramatically. We had an '03 Grand Caravan that was a flex fuel van. Our mileage went from about 19-20 in town and 26-28 highway to about 12-14 in town and 20-22 on the highway. Synthetic fluids won't do a thing for your mileage.

It's not easy to properly convert your vehicle to run E85. Our Grand Caravan's engine hasa number of different parts from the factory, to include the injectors themselves, the entire fuel rail, the pressure regulator, etc. In my opinion, the kit referenced is a very poor conversion kit. It does not replace the injectors with larger-flow injectors. It does not replace any of the fuel lines. Regardless of what that website says, E85 DOES eat rubber. I am in the fuel tank business -- it costs a lot of money to change over dispensers and lines to remove all the rubber and aluminum components. All that conversion kit does is monkey with the reference signal to the injectors, and force them to feed more fuel through. That's not the right way to do a conversion kit! This kit does not talk to the factory PCM, so these two computers are working independent of each other trying to keep a correct A/F ratio.

If you really want to run E85, I would buy a flex fuel vehicle. Even as a huge fan and proponent of E85, I see nothing but trouble from these kits.

Edit: and don't count on the price of E85 staying low forever either. It's a commodity, just like gasoline. Government subsidies for the fuel won't last forever. If that fuel catches on in the mainstream, it'll be bought and sold and traded just like gasoline, and prices will begin to be affected by speculators and market traders, just as gasoline is.

 

I DO NOT recommend any use of E85. Because with the decrease in mpg, it will cost you more money than just buying gas. And, on top of that, it was recently announced that when the manufacturing of E85 is taken into consideration, it actually produces higher emissions than regular gas. I personally do NOT support any use of E85 or any purchase of a 'flexfuel' vehicle. E85 is NOT a solution to the gas/oil/global warming problem. And I think also that "Global Warming" is not as big of an issue as the tree huggers have made it out to be.

 

if gas keeps rising like it has been, then in all for doing an e85 swap. i can live with reduced fuel economy if i have to pay less than 3 dollars a gallon. cause even if you fill up once a week, its still gonna be cheaper than filling up every week and a half with regular.

 

i totally agree with this opinion...isnt the 15% made from corn? well i just saw on the news that farmers across the country are cutting back on corn crops which means that E85 will probably cost as much or more than gas in the future, plus the fact that it hurts mileage, and the cost of converting. the mileage loss washes out thelower cost of the fuel itself.it isnt worth it.

 

THANK YOU!!! [sm=thanx.gif]THANK YOU!!!

 

dragonmaster i think you're right, e85 isnt a real solution to the gas problem.