Church Automotive Testing is now tuning for E85 and other alternative fuels. While there is a debate about how good ethanol is for the environment, there is no debate about how good E85 is for making power on your car. Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru – you name it and we can probably set it up to run on E85. Forced induction cars especially love E85 and can easily realize power gains of 10% or more.
Please keep in mind that ethanol does have some drawbacks, especially on older cars. It can loosen deposits in your fuel system and clog fuel filters or injectors. It can also be corrosive to some types of fuel lines and fuel pumps. It is up to you to ensure your vehicle can handle ethanol in the tank. In our experience, most cars made after 2000 seem to handle E85 without difficulty, but we cannot guarantee that. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call and discuss your application. We can make recommendations and suggestions to help get you started. A few things to keep in mind:
1. You will probably need bigger injectors. E85 fueled cars require an increase in fuel delivery of about 35-40%
2. You will probably need to upgrade your fuel pump, for the same reasons you will need to upgrade your injectors
3. You will need a source of E85. Pumps aren’t too common in Southern California, so be aware of that. Some people choose to run engine management systems that allow them to change from E85 to gasoline maps with a simple switch.
And don’t forget, there are many other possibilities beyond E85. Methanol (not recommended for street use), Hydrogen, Propane/NG (especially on diesels) are all supported by Church Automotive Testing.
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