Modify 2.5L Subie engine to run on E-85 ?

[James M]

Wondering if anyone knows of any aftermarket or experimental or
Subaru OEM conversions to make the standard 2.5L Outback
(non-turbo) engine run on E-85 blend of 85% ethanol and
15% gasoline, besides regular gasoline also....(?)

In other words, has anyone successfully
modified a standard Subaru 2.5 or 3.0
Engine for Flex-Fuel service?

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html

 

[QX]

Wondering if anyone knows of any aftermarket or experimental or
Subaru OEM conversions to make the standard 2.5L Outback
(non-turbo) engine run on E-85 blend of 85% ethanol and
15% gasoline, besides regular gasoline also....(?)

In other words, has anyone successfully
modified a standard Subaru 2.5 or 3.0
Engine for Flex-Fuel service?

Try this article for starters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85

Then check out this item re: more on EPA certifications
http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/conversion.php

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Wondering if anyone knows of any aftermarket or experimental or
Subaru OEM conversions to make the standard 2.5L Outback
(non-turbo) engine run on E-85 blend of 85% ethanol and
15% gasoline, besides regular gasoline also....(?)

In other words, has anyone successfully
modified a standard Subaru 2.5 or 3.0
Engine for Flex-Fuel service?

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html

I did read where someone did that. Search around at www.nasioc.com .

Carl

 

[QX]

Wondering if anyone knows of any aftermarket or experimental or
Subaru OEM conversions to make the standard 2.5L Outback
(non-turbo) engine run on E-85 blend of 85% ethanol and
15% gasoline, besides regular gasoline also....(?)

In other words, has anyone successfully
modified a standard Subaru 2.5 or 3.0
Engine for Flex-Fuel service?

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html

This months Consumer Reports has a great article on E-85, particularly
fuel mileage and costs. It appears it may not be as good an
alternative fuel as it seems (depending on the vehicle).
It may be worth the investment to read about their research.
Read here:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/ethanol-10-06/overview/1006_ethanol_ov1_1.htm

or the shorter version:
http://tinyurl.com/eopk8

 

[Ragnar]

Wondering if anyone knows of any aftermarket or experimental or
Subaru OEM conversions to make the standard 2.5L Outback
(non-turbo) engine run on E-85 blend of 85% ethanol and
15% gasoline, besides regular gasoline also....(?)

In other words, has anyone successfully
modified a standard Subaru 2.5 or 3.0
Engine for Flex-Fuel service?

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html

Why would you want to convert it? You'll get lower mileage, and unless
you live in Iowa, E85 isn't price competitive with gasoline.

 

[Kevin Hall]

Ethanol mixed fuels are a dumb idea, in spite of what the tree-huggers and
politicians would have us believe. Engineers have known since the early
1900s that a given quantity of alcohol will yield only about 50% the amount
of energy as the same amount of gasoline. What that means, of course, is
that you have to burn more of it to go the same distance.

Alcohol fuels are used in some race engines mainly because they run cooler,
not because they produce good mileage or power. Those engines run main
jets with holes the size of your thumb in order to get enough fuel into the
engine to give the performance the builders are looking for.

It takes more energy to produce the alcohol than the stuff yields, so the
best that can be said for it is that E85 and similar fuel programmes may be
disguised subsidy systems for farmers. They are not the answer to our fuel
problem.

KH