id say after about your first tank, your engine "switches" over to the new timing tables. when i had my chevy, i did a lot of research with hp tuners on e85 vs gas. and to tampawright, you dont have to change your oil every 3k....just the standard 5k which is around the time you should change your oil regardless of what type of gasoline/e85 you run. sure you can get away with 7.5k or whatever the manual "suggests".

 

nothing different is happening to the internals by running e85 except for a cleaner burn and less carbon buildup on the piston walls, pistons, and valves...which is a very good thing. if running e85 was suppose to reduce the longevity and lifetime of an engine, why would car manufacturers have developed this technology and mass produce fuel flex vehicles?

 

because the government told them they had to

 

if running e85 was suppose to hurt a vehicle, wouldnt they stop producing fuel flex vehicles though?

 

you are missing the point... no on e said it is "supposed" to hurt.... what I am saying is the technology hasn't been around long enough to DETERMINE if it does. I agree that sciences says cleaner burn... no doubt. unless you are just some hippie tree hugger I don't see the draw to E85. Cost more to produce for a few pennys savings, drives corn prices UP, can't find it hardly anywhere, yadda yadda yadda...... basically if you are doing it for the environment you should have bought a bicycle.... Just my opinion

 

i agree, i dont run e85 for the sake of the environment haha

 

from what i've read on e85, it is much more corrosive than gasoline, which means that manufacturers have to make more components out of higher-grade materials like stainless steel, making the engines more expensive and replacement parts more expensive.

 

jt_04...you are correct...e85 is more corrosive than gasoline. However, manufacturers began installing higher-grade fuel systems in all of their cars even before e85 was first introduced. where it plays a big problem is in older cars being transformed into fuel flex vehicles. their stock fuel lines and system used to be made out of a strong rubber compound and overtime the e85 would cut holes in it. but you dont need to worry now adays!

 

The 5.4l engine is rated at 10 hp, and 25 ft/lbs more on e85

 

yall forgot that e85 requires a higher compression ratio so yes it does take a while for the engine to switch over and it may clean it up a bit now if you put this in a non flex fuel capable engine or a carb engine made during leaded fuel period then u will get big problems a low compression will increase sludge build up and if leaded tanks will corrode at a much faster rate thus cloging the fuel lines and ur carb and that requires lots of expensive repair every so often u might want to check your compression in ur engine to make sure u r not messin it up