What are all these types of fuel (E30, E85, Regular Gas)

[Hypergram]

Thinking about getting a tune soon and have seen a lot of talk about E30. I know it's a blend of gas and ethanol (30%), but how does it work mechanically, and where can I get it? Do I mix it myself at the pump or are the E30 specific pumps? And how does E85 play into it? What is a WMI? Thank you.

 

[HBEcoBeaST]

E30 means 30% ethanol (70% gasoline). E85 also called Flex Fuel is the ethanol available at certain gas stations and it is (up to) 85% ethanol. You mix e85 and gasoline in specific ratios to get your target E30 ratio.

I run an E30 tune and when my empty light comes on I fill with at least 3gallons e85 and the rest of the tank (~7gallobs) with premium gasoline. I usually go slightly heavier on the e85 since it's cheaper. My stratified E30 tune adjusts automatically so I don't have to worry about an exact 30% ratio as long as it's ballpark range

 

[Hypergram]

E30 means 30% ethanol (70% gasoline). E85 also called Flex Fuel is the ethanol available at certain gas stations and it is (up to) 85% ethanol. You mix e85 and gasoline in specific ratios to get your target E30 ratio.

I run an E30 tune and when my empty light comes on I fill with at least 3gallons e85 and the rest of the tank (~7gallobs) with premium gasoline. I usually go slightly heavier on the e85 since it's cheaper. My stratified E30 tune adjusts automatically so I don't have to worry about an exact 30% ratio as long as it's ballpark range

Alright cool. Thank you. I've never come across a pure E30 pump, and only a few E85 pumps so I was just wondering. And why would you use this over regular gas (besides it being cheaper)?

 

[HBEcoBeaST]

A chemical explanation is ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, but lower energy density. Adding ethanol to your mix effectively raises your octane but the lower energy density requires the motor to need more VOLUME of fuel. This is why we run E30 vs filling with pure E85 because our fuel pumps can't pump enough volume to run pure E85.

 

[Hypergram]

A chemical explanation is ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, but lower energy density. Adding ethanol to your mix effectively raises your octane but the lower energy density requires the motor to need more VOLUME of fuel. This is why we run E30 vs filling with pure E85 because our fuel pumps can't pump enough volume to run pure E85.

Thank you again. Just a few more questions (sorry). What are the performance gains of running E30? I've seen some people run with pure E85 tunes. Which is better?

 

[HBEcoBeaST]

Mostly you get more power. A lot more, especially down low. I only have an intake and E30 tune and will run circles around a fully bolted stage 3 car running 93. It's also good for your motor since it runs a little cooler and cleaner.

With just an intake and tune I dynoed at 210-215ish hp and 260-280ft lbs of torque on the stock turbo.

You do take a slight mpg hit but the cheaper gas makes up for it.

 

[Hypergram]

Mostly you get more power. A lot more, especially down low. I only have an intake and E30 tune and will run circles around a fully bolted stage 3 car running 93. It's also good for your motor since it runs a little cooler and cleaner.

With just an intake and tune I dynoed at 210-215ish hp and 260-280ft lbs of torque on the stock turbo.

You do take a slight mpg hit but the cheaper gas makes up for it.

Thank you very much for your help!

 

[HBEcoBeaST]

Without some serious fuel pump upgrades and aux fuel we can't run pure E85 on our cars.

 

[Hypergram]

Without some serious fuel pump upgrades and aux fuel we can't run pure E85 on our cars.

Since ethanol is harmful to engine components, isn't it harmful to run an E30? Or does the tune somehow fix that?

 

[HBEcoBeaST]

Since ethanol is harmful to engine components, isn't it harmful to run an E30? Or does the tune somehow fix that?

It's only harmful on older cars. Since all fuel (most states) has some ethanol in it the cars now are built to physically handle it. You just need a tune to take advantage of the power. The fuel pump output is what limits us in how high concentration we can run.

If you have e85 easily accessible to you there shouldn't be a question about the E30 tune. Nothing short of a turbo upgrade will net you more gains. I've been running my tune over a year. If I'm traveling and can't find e85 I just switch back to my 91 tune. But trust me, you'll never want to go back after making the switch