Caltex Eflex v's United E85

[Kabnine]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

So can you start filling with E85, then top off with 98 without having to pay for the E85 1st?

I'm pretty sure for convenience sakes I will fill with united 98 (there's a BP about 10 mins away though where potentially I could fill up)

I start with the P100 first then top of with E85 sine I am mixing E70. The two bowsers are right next to each other since our E85 bowser is a stand alone one at the end.

Then I just going in and they put through both items on the one transaction.

[BMWhoarder]

This is a log i just did today with dry roads.
This is running e50, 13.5 degree advance.

everything is fairly clean. afrs, timing, lpfp, hpfp etc all good. not quite holding boost in the upper revs, which i'll look into.
Trims trended up a bit more than usual, but not concerning.

i'd upload the csv, but it seems the forum doesnt allow it...

[JB4-335]

Log looks good. Can you post this log with all cylinders displayed?

[BMWhoarder]

Originally Posted by JB4-335

Log looks good. Can you post this log with all cylinders displayed?

uploaded. no noise on any cylinders

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by Kabnine

I start with the P100 first then top of with E85 sine I am mixing E70. The two bowsers are right next to each other since our E85 bowser is a stand alone one at the end.

Then I just going in and they put through both items on the one transaction.

I do this, fill with P100 then fill with e85. My local United servo expects it. One time I was just topping up with e85 he asked me why I wasn't mixing as everyone with BMWs mixes the fuel there haha.

[froop]

Definitely go E85 Shane. Wouldn't worry about the water absorption, especially if you're driving it regularly. I broke my arm recently and couldn't drive my car for over 2 months and it started like a champ even though I'm running E50. Had to jump the car but fueling wise it was fine.

I used to fill up at United with a mix of P100 and E85 but they don't even sell P100 or 98 anymore, only 91 so I just go to BP first and then drive down to the United to fill up the rest. Vice versa shouldn't matter either. Just remember not to go hard on the car between the two petrol stations but also give it maybe a few minutes of driving after mixing it before going WOT as what is in the lines may not yet be what you've mixed in the tank.

I have a couple 20L jerry cans that I also fill up when I go to United so that if I run out of fuel and I'm not around the United I can just fill up at any petrol station. Trying to figure out if you've poured out exactly 9L from a 20L can is not exactly the most accurate thing so I'll just fill up 20L of E85 from my jerry followed by whatever is required of 98 in order to make it E50. Might not fill up the tank completely, but it keeps the mix accurate which is the most important part.

Still on my stock clutch at almost 60,000kms too btw. Haven't actually had it slip yet even though I'm running 21psi on RBs. Thinking of going a PTF twin disc spec but I kind of want to hear how bad a SMFW actually is in person before I commit. I've heard conflicting reports.

[rac]

Originally Posted by Nugget

I do this, fill with P100 then fill with e85. My local United servo expects it. One time I was just topping up with e85 he asked me why I wasn't mixing as everyone with BMWs mixes the fuel there haha.

classic. is this osborne park?

[rac]

uploaded. no noise on any cylinders

sold, i need to be doing this! soon as my new water pump is in...

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by rac

classic. is this osborne park?

Yep.

[DR-JEKL]

Originally Posted by froop

Definitely go E85 Shane. Wouldn't worry about the water absorption, especially if you're driving it regularly. I broke my arm recently and couldn't drive my car for over 2 months and it started like a champ even though I'm running E50. Had to jump the car but fueling wise it was fine.

I used to fill up at United with a mix of P100 and E85 but they don't even sell P100 or 98 anymore, only 91 so I just go to BP first and then drive down to the United to fill up the rest. Vice versa shouldn't matter either. Just remember not to go hard on the car between the two petrol stations but also give it maybe a few minutes of driving after mixing it before going WOT as what is in the lines may not yet be what you've mixed in the tank.

I have a couple 20L jerry cans that I also fill up when I go to United so that if I run out of fuel and I'm not around the United I can just fill up at any petrol station. Trying to figure out if you've poured out exactly 9L from a 20L can is not exactly the most accurate thing so I'll just fill up 20L of E85 from my jerry followed by whatever is required of 98 in order to make it E50. Might not fill up the tank completely, but it keeps the mix accurate which is the most important part.

Still on my stock clutch at almost 60,000kms too btw. Haven't actually had it slip yet even though I'm running 21psi on RBs. Thinking of going a PTF twin disc spec but I kind of want to hear how bad a SMFW actually is in person before I commit. I've heard conflicting reports.

Yeah I'm definately going with a E85 setup Alex, just wanted to clarify a few things before doing so with some feedback from some other users.

I was tossing up between going with meth or ethanol, and ethanol seems to provide the best BFYB, plus it doesn't require an extra tank, lines pump etc associated with a meth setup (the ethanol is a fuss free setup in comparison with similiar if not bigger HP gains)

Thanks for your response mate, that helps me with a few things. I'm at 80k kays now, but 95% was with an oem 'untuned' setup and if your car is still holding up at 60k kays it goes to show it's a relatively strong setup (from what I've seen the clutches themselves are fine its the pressure plate which fails)

That's odd you mentioned united no longer sell the P100 or 98, I will have to check out a few united servos myself in my area.

E50 is what I was thinking of running, purely for simplicity sakes, does anyone know if going to an E60 or E70 how much further power is gained over E50?

[Kabnine]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

Yeah I'm definately going with a E85 setup Alex, just wanted to clarify a few things before doing so with some feedback from some other users.

I was tossing up between going with meth or ethanol, and ethanol seems to provide the best BFYB, plus it doesn't require an extra tank, lines pump etc associated with a meth setup (the ethanol is a fuss free setup in comparison with similiar if not bigger HP gains)

Thanks for your response mate, that helps me with a few things. I'm at 80k kays now, but 95% was with an oem 'untuned' setup and if your car is still holding up at 60k kays it goes to show it's a relatively strong setup (from what I've seen the clutches themselves are fine its the pressure plate which fails)

That's odd you mentioned united no longer sell the P100 or 98, I will have to check out a few united servos myself in my area.

E50 is what I was thinking of running, purely for simplicity sakes, does anyone know if going to an E60 or E70 how much further power is gained over E50?

Yes. I gradually went from 0% to 70% via E20, 30, 50, 60 and 70. Each time was a proportional increase in power. Having said that, it could also just be the way the flex tune is setup.

[JB4-335]

Originally Posted by ba114

uploaded. no noise on any cylinders

Is this a dyno log or road log?

[BMWhoarder]

Originally Posted by JB4-335

Is this a dyno log or road log?

Ummm closed road, 4th gear pull. BMS normally say do 3rd gear, but i prefer 4th as its higher load for longer.

[JB4-335]

Originally Posted by ba114

Ummm closed road, 4th gear pull. BMS normally say do 3rd gear, but i prefer 4th as its higher load for longer.

What's your OL set to? You should up your scaler a touch.

[BMWhoarder]

Originally Posted by JB4-335

What's your OL set to? You should up your scaler a touch.

yeah i spent some time last night adjusting timing, fuel tables and scalars. leaned out the fueling slightly for the e50 and increased scalar slightly.

not sure if i'll flash it today before i go away for the weekend though...

[JB4-335]

Originally Posted by ba114

yeah i spent some time last night adjusting timing, fuel tables and scalars. leaned out the fueling slightly for the e50 and increased scalar slightly.

not sure if i'll flash it today before i go away for the weekend though...

Sounds good. I'd like to see the logs, good or bad.

[BMWhoarder]

Originally Posted by JB4-335

Sounds good. I'd like to see the logs, good or bad.

Graph attached. Cleaner trims however some overboosting in the lower revs to try sort out.

backed the timing out slightly, however looks like its coping fine so might add a little back in. AFRs are solid for e50.

[JB4-335]

Originally Posted by ba114

Graph attached. Cleaner trims however some overboosting in the lower revs to try sort out.

backed the timing out slightly, however looks like its coping fine so might add a little back in. AFRs are solid for e50.

Trims, AFR and timing look good. Your overboosting is causing that huge throttle closure. What is your FF set to? Also you should try a 3rd gear log and wind it out to say 6400rpm. Normally higher up in the rev range is where you may experience some knock activity.

[froop]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

Yeah I'm definately going with a E85 setup Alex, just wanted to clarify a few things before doing so with some feedback from some other users.

I was tossing up between going with meth or ethanol, and ethanol seems to provide the best BFYB, plus it doesn't require an extra tank, lines pump etc associated with a meth setup (the ethanol is a fuss free setup in comparison with similiar if not bigger HP gains)

Thanks for your response mate, that helps me with a few things. I'm at 80k kays now, but 95% was with an oem 'untuned' setup and if your car is still holding up at 60k kays it goes to show it's a relatively strong setup (from what I've seen the clutches themselves are fine its the pressure plate which fails)

That's odd you mentioned united no longer sell the P100 or 98, I will have to check out a few united servos myself in my area.

E50 is what I was thinking of running, purely for simplicity sakes, does anyone know if going to an E60 or E70 how much further power is gained over E50?

If you haven't gotten a meth kit then just ethanol should be fine, but there's no harm in going with ethanol AND methanol haha.

The United which I was going to regularly at Bass Hill stopped selling P100 and 98. I'm not sure about other United petrol stations though. It's kind of an odd decision because now they only sell 91, E85 and Diesel, which means if you have a modern turbocharged car you just can't go there anymore for fuel.

On stock turbos I'm not too sure how much more power would be gained from increasing it past E50. On my RBs I can run 19psi with timing ramping from 9-14.5 degrees at redline without any timing corrections in any cylinder. If you were targetting a flat 15 degrees across the RPM range that might be different though.

I'd say to start at E50, tune is as aggressively as it allows, and if you're noticing timing getting pulled, try and increase the ethanol percentage and see if it helps.

Of course, going with higher concentrations of ethanol definitely can't hurt. The more safety margin you have with higher octane the better. You should be able to run 100% E85 or E-Flex with an upgraded LPFP and stock turbos as long as your HPFP is solid and all your fuel scalars are adjusted appropriately.

[BMWhoarder]

Originally Posted by JB4-335

Trims, AFR and timing look good. Your overboosting is causing that huge throttle closure. What is your FF set to? Also you should try a 3rd gear log and wind it out to say 6400rpm. Normally higher up in the rev range is where you may experience some knock activity.

FOL was pinned at 40 and hadn't adapted. Adjusted FOL to 50 and setting to 4/2 has smoothed out and removed the throttle closure.

FF shows 130 in the logs

[JB4-335]

Here's my log from today.
This is on E50 and meth with my own backend flash. I target 9.5 degrees ramping up to 14 up top. I normally shift around 6200rpm so timing never really exceeds 13.5 degrees.