pcar928fan

I bet the knock sensor on the M3 is VERY, VERY good and was retarding the ignition even though it could not be picked up by anyone watching or listening...

BC

Ethanol? Its 108 or more octane. It cools the charge air. It allows advanced timing. You gain torque and power well into the "rich" zone which is down by 7:1 afr. Yes, you use more fuel, but the engine runs cooler, and a cooler engine is a happy one.

Boost wise, its very nearly (for hacker's sake, I say "nearly") knock-proof.

You could probably run it in a car with no cats and still pass at least the sniffer test (with no visual).

And its available at the pump (E85) and by the barrell (E98 - but haven't found a good cheap supplier)

BC

This is because you have winter. Get rid of winter and you will get a more consistent blend.

928SS

isnt' there an issue w/e85 and fuel system components? ie seals, etc?

BC

Yes, it eats rubber, has some galvanic action with dissimilar metals, dates your daughter, hits on your wife, and scratches your car.

The first two happen most often, but not quickly.

hacker-pschorr

That is what I originally thought too, but that's not the case. Right now there really isn't a required standard so the mix is iffy. I'm sure it will not take long to hammer these details out for general consumption. But right now it's not ready for prime time or my 928.

BC

Thats too bad. I haven't heard of any mix changes here in Sandy. My plan in the end is to do E98, but cost is a concern. Currenly at the pump, E85 is 3.50 a gallon and only about 9 miles away.

Gretch

This weekends update. The leaded race fuel I put in the shark finally ruined (or at least fouled) the O2 sensor. Maybe the cats too....... I have to get the car on the lift and start chacking things out. The car started cutting out half of the cylinders and now it does it within 30 seconds of starting it up. The F/A guage is pegged at stoich and not registering anything else.

I am hoping I just need to clean off the O2 sensor...... I have DR's hi-flow cats on the car...... I hope they aren't toast.

Hacker, can the O2 sensor be cleaned?

DAMN this was an expensive lesson to learn!!!!!!!

VehiGAZ

Hey Gretch, did you do this to yourself at Lime Rock also?

Based on the experience you are having, I have decided not to screw around anymore and have the tank drained. I have a new O2 sensor on order, which I'll throw in just for the halibut.

928SS

cost me $750 to R&R my bullet cats after I did that... hope you are luckier.

Gretch

IF the cats are toast, they are coming off the car......they are not going to get replaced. All I want to do is get my O2 sensor running so the 'puter goes back to knowing how to fuel the engine..........

928SS

bummer... it don't take much w/the HP cats. they are so small they just get coated w/just a whiff of lead and they are toast. wish I could've just dumped mine but the smog ***** would have me buring on a stake out in the desert.

Gretch

This weekend I pulled the cats, they looked fine. I pulled the O2 sensor and just cleaned the heating element..... Plugged it back in and viola! Everything is as it should be. I don't really know what happened. I wonder if it was something else and just rebooting the computer cleared it. Got to spend a rainy morning with the shark on the lift, so not all was lost!

No more leaded race gas for me, no matter what!

VehiGAZ

Goo job Gretch!!

Myself, I decided to just drive off the rest of my race-fuel blend. I was having no troubling symptoms after getting through 2/3 of the tank, so I figured I'll probably be OK. If not, I have an extra O2 sensor, and it's good to know that I can try cleaning the old one, too.

Still - no more leaded race fuels!!

VehiGAZ

Even ***** go to BM?!? Man, it really MUST be a freak-show!