I wasn't going to write about this, because the wound is too deep...and still fresh.
But now I have to. Do not mix e85 in your tank unless your ride is set up for it. A
couple weeks ago, I got the bright idea to mix e85 in my tank.
Towcat advised against it, but I did it anyway.
The ride I put it in was sweet. It was an '85 cutlass with a stealth upgrade from a
307 to a 403. The engine was balanced & blueprinted, with custom pistons and
a custom adjustable valve train. I kept all the smog crap on it...and that is saying
something. An '85 with a carb has lots of smog hoses, wires, and...well, crap. But
I kept all the stuff on it and it continued to pass smog every two years.
Why it died, I will never know. New year's night, I was driving home from dinner with
my folks, and the engine quit on the freeway. It had been running fine up 'till that point.
Still remaining in the tank was 4-5 gallons of 50/50 e85/RUG. I attempted to restart it
after rolling to a stop on the side of the road. I immediately heard a "pop", followed by
massive white smoke and orange flame coming from under the hood. I barely got out
with my wallet, phone, keys, & the 2.5 gallons of gasoline in the tank before the whole
thing burned to the ground.
The hood is...gone. The alternator bracket is...almost gone. The front tires are gone.
The upper control arms are buckled. The upholstery on the *rear* seat is half-melted,
and half-burned. Get the picture?
I realize that what is being discussed here is mixing ethanol with diesel, and not with
gas. I have a feeling they won't mix well anyway. Even so, I don't know the failure mode
for my disaster. What happened may be able to happen even with a diesel. I'm
terrified of the stuff. You couldn't pay me to put it in my tank, gasoline or diesel.
Learn from my mistake. Don't do it.
Bob
