E85Forum.com

novi200 · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 22

What type oil are you guys running with e85, and do you notice any changes in the consistency of your oil when running E85?

Thx,

Eric68 · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 331

Only change I noticed is that my oil stays cleaner than it did on gas. I use either Mobile 1 or Royal Purple 10w30
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E85 racer and E85 carb builder
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E85 powered 68 Camaro street car
Best ET on motor 9.96 @ 133 MPH, 5.92 on N2O in the 1/8th

Alcohol · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 634 Location: Central Wisconsin

In a Ford Taurus FFV oil will really fool you-- I have gotten too busy at times and let it go out to 8,000 miles, yet when you pull the stick the oil still looked new. The GM FFV's however will darken the oil at a rate just a little slower than when running on gas. I never looked into why- perhaps the Ford uses more iron and less aluminum? I do know the Ford runs a perfectly clean exhaust while the GM's show a bit of carbon. The Ford exhausts water far more visibly than the GMs. None of them "milk" the oil. I have run both synthetics and standard mineral oils.

novi200 · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 22

Thx,

I notice that oil seemed to be really thick on my last oil change, and notice condensation from my exhaust as you mentioned.

Alcohol · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 634 Location: Central Wisconsin

Novi- the first 150,000 or so miles on the Taurus was just Ford's 5w-20 which I have been told was synthetic. Since then I have run Shaeffer's 5w-30 in it. It has 214,500 miles on it now but does have a very light lifter tap which it has had for at least 40,000 miles. Nearly all but the first 19,000 miles has been on E85. Still runs strong- like when I first got it- and never needs oil between changes done before 4-5,000 miles.

skiracer · Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:59 pm Post subject:

look for posts from the user bzzbee2 as he's sent his oil in for analysis in his E85 powered Evo:

http://www.socalevo.net/forum/index.php?topic=64878.0
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'06 Evo IX Stage 1 by RRE,Walbro 255lph fuel pump,RC Engineering1000cc Injectors, AVO exhaust,RRE flash, (325whp @ 22PSI 91 octane, 353whp @ 25psi on 100 octane, 383whp @30psi on E85),Zeitronix wideband/Ethanol Content Analyzer, Defi gauges

Alcohol · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 634 Location: Central Wisconsin

Good info skiracer -- a friend of mine ran his old Ford Ranger 4 cyl out to 10,000 miles and sent the oil in for analysis and the report came back excellent also. His Ranger was totally unmodified but running E85 and his oil was only a heavy duty diesel type. Now of course none of that activity other than oil analysis is recommended of course Laughing

I really am amazed how few have used oil analysis-- a very nice tool to not only find proper drain intervals but to find a problem developing in an engine or transmission and fix it while it is still small and you have time to take it out of service. We once kept blowing Detroit 2 stroke diesels in one particular seasonal field unit-- while oil analysis did not keep us from blowing it the first time (or second)- it did help us to find the source. An air filter on an accessory air compressor which shared oil with the main engine sump. The filter would crack when we pressure washed the unit down each night- we never thought of it Crying or Very sad

skiracer · Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:37 pm Post subject:

Did the Ranger use synthetic oil or regular oil?
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'06 Evo IX Stage 1 by RRE,Walbro 255lph fuel pump,RC Engineering1000cc Injectors, AVO exhaust,RRE flash, (325whp @ 22PSI 91 octane, 353whp @ 25psi on 100 octane, 383whp @30psi on E85),Zeitronix wideband/Ethanol Content Analyzer, Defi gauges

novi200 · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 22

Thx gents,

this is some good information, I am going to have to change to a different oil for sure it was REALLY thick!! I also read that the engine operating temps can have an effect on the oil when running e85 as well.

skiracer · Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:17 pm Post subject:

I'm personally using Mobil 1 and from the oil analysis in the link above, seems to work decent up to 5K miles in a turbocharged car.
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'06 Evo IX Stage 1 by RRE,Walbro 255lph fuel pump,RC Engineering1000cc Injectors, AVO exhaust,RRE flash, (325whp @ 22PSI 91 octane, 353whp @ 25psi on 100 octane, 383whp @30psi on E85),Zeitronix wideband/Ethanol Content Analyzer, Defi gauges

Alcohol · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 634 Location: Central Wisconsin

Believe it or not Ski- the Ranger was using a heavy duty diesel standard mineral based oil. This engine had approx 300,000 miles on it at that time.
I do not have a copy of the analysis but the owner did show it to me and it was holding viscosity steady and wear metals were low. That particular engine (per the owner) was all iron and known to be a long life engine- it, of course as factory unmodified --was non-boosted/ low compression.