flex fuel 5.3
May 11, 2007 | 06:57 AM
#2
My '02 Yukon had a flex fuel 5.3L LM7 (Z-code in VIN). That distinction lets you know you can run E85 (85% Ethanol) as a fuel source. It's a cleaner burning concentration of fuel designed to be more environmentally friendly. Yet, the cost is higher to make the stuff. If it's worth the overhead to your state's government, you may see a few E85 retail stations.
Louisiana's government officials tried to push that down here, but that vote was shot down.
Louisiana's government officials tried to push that down here, but that vote was shot down.
May 11, 2007 | 10:27 AM
#3
Just what do you want to know? Flexfuel trucks have a larger fuel system, (bigger injectors and fuel pump). Usually E85 is cheaper, unless it being price gouges by the local fuel retailers. It contains 30% less energy per gal then regular gas, but is higher octane. The real world comparisons I have seen show it get about 10% less fuel economy and about 5% more power, but your mileage may very. For the most part, it needs to be about 30-40 cents a gal cheaper to be more economical than regular unleaded.
May 11, 2007 | 12:46 PM
#5
Originally Posted by kbracing96
Just what do you want to know? Flexfuel trucks have a larger fuel system, (bigger injectors and fuel pump). Usually E85 is cheaper, unless it being price gouges by the local fuel retailers. It contains 30% less energy per gal then regular gas, but is higher octane. The real world comparisons I have seen show it get about 10% less fuel economy and about 5% more power, but your mileage may very. For the most part, it needs to be about 30-40 cents a gal cheaper to be more economical than regular unleaded.
From a refining standpoint, it's not beneficial ($$$-wise) to push the production. Without getting into specifics (proprietary information), to create the "product blend" that is E85, refiners lose the use of a percentage of resources that are wasted to produce E85. Those lost resources could have been used in their original states to create a sizeable percentage of "regular product" that we use today (87 & 93 octane). Instead, those lost resources cannot be refined into useable fuel.
Obviously, environmental organizations are pushing to regulate a minimum requirement for refiners to produce E85 fuel. Refiners may not (necessarily) be in favor of it b/c it's lost revenue & low production. Question is... is the government willing to sacrifice the loss of economic revenue & resources to convert to E85, and restrict the production of "regular" fuel? Probably not... b/c that means less fuel production, resource value may increase, refining cost to increase... end result: higher E85 costs. Instead, you have a small percentage of retailers (in only certain areas of the country) selling it to give consumers a choice of what type of fuel they wish to burn. Hence, environmental orgs get what they want, and refiners are satisfied with not being forced to cut costs on existing production.
Last edited by 95ImpSS; May 11, 2007 at 12:52 PM.
May 11, 2007 | 02:16 PM
#7
If I could get it more readily around here I would redo my tune for it and run it for sure. Closes place that sells it to me is 60 miles away. When i was over there the other day, reg was 2.86 and E85 was 2.26. My truck is not flex fuel, but can change the tuning with efilive and could still run it. 
The turbo would LOVE it 
The turbo would LOVE it
