Quality E85 stations
 

Hey guys, I know that the quality of E85 can vary greatly between stations so I was wondering which station around the Norfolk/VA beach area has the most consistency in providing exactly E85? I guess you can base it off of the Zeitronix E85 analyzer lol Thanks :)

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

Do you have a tester? Just keep a mason jar handy and test it before each fill up.

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

what he said, Ive had friends get it from all over with mixed results

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

oceana was the most consistent

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

Thanks for the responses guys :)

Aside from variable ethanol content, are there high levels of contaminants within the E85 fuel stations around here? I've heard a few guys in the area having to pull their injectors out on a monthly basis to clean out the debris/contaminants from using the E85 in the 757 area.

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

Ethanol content isn't standardized, it's a range for the ASTM E85 standard. There is no requirement to be exactly a certain percentage of ethanol, as long as it's within that range of roughly 30% (50-something % to 80-something %, can't remember exact numbers). Because of that, there's no requirement for consistency either as long as you're within that range. That's also one of the important reasons that OEM flex fuel cars have mixture sensors in them. Mixing gas and E85 in the same car tank is no different than getting E85 from different gas stations.

Generally speaking, water bound in ethanol can cause corrosion problems, which is one of the big problems with ethanol tank storage at the gas station and in your car depending on the tank materials and condition, etc. This can get compounded if stations are using one of their older existing tanks for E85, and also because of the relatively small turnover rate of E85 versus gasoline. A storage tank of E85 at the gas station tends to hang around a lot longer. That means there could be corrosion-based debris, scale, etc., in the storage tanks or pumping system.

As far as the debris goes, a particle of whatever micron size is the same whether it's contained in gasoline or E85. So if people are getting debris from the E85, the fuel filter is obviously not doing its job adequately. This doesn't mean you should stop using E85, it means you should get a better fuel filter. Changing gas stations is a really bad substitute for proper fuel filtration. Unless the debris is actually coming from your fuel system with non-compatible components...?



So I didn't really add anything important about finding stations in the 757, sorry. :p

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

thank you for your insight!

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

I can say that the E85 at Oceana doesn't sit for long periods like it might elsewhere. I was trekking out there for E every week and there were several times they were either sold out or had the truck there delivering. I would say they ran out every 1-2 months.

I never tested it for exactly how much ethanol it consisted of, but I did have a wide band and way to monitor af's and knock and with roughly 20% of their E/80% Shall 93 the car (Mazdaspeed 3) was able to make 40 more hp than my straight 93 time with zero knock or issues. The only people I know who had issues with gunked up injectors or fuel pumps were guys running more like 50% or more ratio. There are known issues though with a speed 3 fuel pump running too high a concentration of A. I ran on 20% for a year with zero problems though.

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

Cool. Now go get E10 and leave that shit in your lawnmower or carbed muscle car over the winter. Let us know how that turns out.

Re: Quality E85 stations
 

Never though about it, but the black and yellow sticker on the pump says "up to 85% ethanol" so things can vary but I never noticed how my Z71 did on E85 from one place vs another.