Filled my 2020 5.0 f150 today with e85. Ran as much regular out as I could. It runs so much better. No more pinging, detonation. Shifts better as well. And as of now I'm getting about 2mpg less thennwhen running 87. Premium fuel 91 or 93 is just downright expensive in Missouri werw I live. Especially when I have the 36 gallon tank! E85 for the win!

 

As long as you're not commuting and it's not a DD. My truck is not a DD so I have it on E. Definitely runs like a raped APE with it. I have been running E85 in various vehicles for almost 20 years. It's amazing.

 

why is your opinion to not run it as a daily or to commute on e85? Will it cause more wear and tear on the engine or just because the milage is worse?

 

E85, adds some Octane to the fuel over the low Gas Octane.
Its Density is higher requiring more Injection volume to keep the air to fuel ratio in limits to burn properly. This is the extra consumption and lower mileage.
Eth has lower heat of combustion content than Gas in terms of BTU.
It cools the intake Air a bit allowing more air Volume, hence a bit more engine power.
The Ox Sensors detect the extra leftover Oxygen in the exhaust and command fuel injection levels for each cylinder every time, along with the Map Sensor in the intake Manifold.
Mixing fuels in the tank brings about an average in Octane and Heat content of combustion.
The PCM program Long Term Fuel Tables adjust Injection richness by what the Ox Sensors detect.
When making a large change in fuel with E85, some drive time has to elapse for the fuel Tables to be adjusted to the fuel after mixing in tank has completed.
Moisture is less of a problem than with Gas.
Winter use of E85 is not recommended due to the higher temp. required for combustion of Ethonal, lower vaporization level in cylinder and the intake cooling effects, causing harder cold starting.
The fuel itself is not a Hotter fuel (less BTU Content) but how it enables the engine Program to re-adjust itself to use it. Adjust fuel injection, change ignition timing and the higher compression is able to get more out of the combustion process (higher efficiency).
Octane level is not a measure of Heat produced but the speed of combustion once the spark ignites it. This is why Ignition timing goes more advanced and where the extra engine Torque is generated. (not from any extra heat from the fuel).
A whole complex set of relationships take place.
Scanner live data can show all these attributes as long as the relaionships of each, is understood.

A lot goes on with large changes in fuel with added 85% levels from E10 or E15.
Good luck.

 

I run E85 year round and to commute to work. Never a problem in the cold and i live in NY so some below 0 days. E85 makes the combustion chamber much cooler than regular gas. I get about 2 to 3 mpg less with E85 but it is almost a dollar cheaper where i live compared to 87.

 

You won’t make up for the fuel economy drop with the price difference but when I had my 5.0 I either ran e85 or a mix from almost new because I had a “shudder “ under load in high gears going up hill like something detonation related. You can tell a difference in the seat between 87 and e85. And it’s known that most modern vehicles can benefit from higher octane anyways

 

I just had a e85 full conversion done on my Shelby F150 its..... dramatically different. Well worth it for boosted applications id say, with the snaller pulley somewhere around 150hp worth of difference

 

If e85 produces more power....going with e85 and sport mode might be "exciting"......

 

I have a 5 Star E85 Performance tune and it's fantastic.

Up hill run with e85 tune

 

Tried it, liked it, but the nearest E85 station is 36 miles away. back to 87.