Drunken E53
 

It’s official! Ole’Girl is faded! LoL.. We installed a performance Flex-Fuel kit, and boy is she buzzin!

There was still a bit of gasoline in the tank, so she is at 50% ethanol as she sits. But already the torque is insane. I can only imagine when she gets up in the 80-90% range, that the pull will only get stronger.

E53 and E39 M54’s, we have figured out how to make the E46 M54 kit compatible.

I am super stoked, that I don’t have to pay for premium fuel anymore. A $1.78 is much better than $2.90-$3.05 a gallon.

E85 ? Pure alcohol?

The highest reading that we have ever seen from our local E85 pump was 89%. I am at 50% because of dilution. But the system we installed will do 100% pure alcohol.

I figured that you probably had 1/2 tank of E10 before filling up. Is there any benefit of less than E85 or do you get to use that from now on?

I’ve heard that running 50% ethanol gives you a balance between performance and MPGs. I personally want the higher ethanol content for the supercharger.

The price/gallon will even out with the lower fuel economy, or at least that was the case on Mouse' F30 after he went e85. His was tuned for up to 80% ethanol if memory serves using a JB4 w/ custom maps.

^ But who cares! Dat torque doh! Must be a ton of fun. Or 2 tons of fun if we're being honest. ;)

Yeah, it’s cheaper than 87 octane here where I am at, and it is 105 octane. Win/win!

This kit is fricken amazing though, because it tunes in real time. It’s a true Flex-Fuel conversion, with performance in mind, not clean emissions, although it still retains the benefits of a cleaner burning fuel.

It took the RMS custom map (in my case, tuned on the track, they don’t have a 4 wheel dyno), and put a real time E85 tune that constantly measures ethanol content, and adjusts the map to the proper spec.

The torque at 50% already put a grin on my grill! I can’t wait to get her up to 85%. The track here I heard has E100, do I dare?

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Is that the whole kit?

What does running this high of ethanol do to the engine oil after say....3000 miles of driving?

Yes.

Drunken E53
 

I’ve been using 85% ethanol in my Chevy 5.3 for years now, and the oil never turns black. It gets a little darker, but not like it did on gasoline. One thing I can say from experience is, everything does seem to run cleaner.

I don’t see why the M54 would be any different. And now that I think about it, M54’s tend to burn a bit of oil, so this should ultimately reduce carbon in the head, plugs, O2’s, cats, etc.

Oh really???

Have you done any oil analysis before with ethanol? Maybe you can run longer intervals? I imagine the alcohol would attract more water in the system.

What about the spark plugs? How do they look? What's stoic for E85? Are you able to take advantage of higher timing values?

Is there a way to fit wideband O2 sensors in and feed that to the DME? Or is that too much programming and such...?

I have never had to run an analysis on the Chevy. I have done them on the E53, but on gasoline (that’s how I learned I needed rod bearings). I do plan to do an analysis, but not for the affects of E85, but to keep up with the health of my M54. At this point she’s putting out quite a bit of power, so in my opinion it’s best to keep an eye on her health.

As for longer oil life intervals, I would still change at 7000 miles, or one year. The benefit will be cleaner internals. I will say though from my experience, if you do go over it’s a bit different than driving on black nasty oil. Ethanol will attract water, but its not like you go from 80% ethanol, to 50% ethanol, 50% water. A little water doesn’t hurt, believe me. In the summertime, I get lazy to pickup my usual 5 gallons of methanol at times (I run 50/50 in my Meth injection system). So I’ll run 100% distilled water, lots of it.

I’ve never had any problem with my plugs they looked clean. Also, a high ethanol content will keep head temps considerably cooler.

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I was very impressed at how the stock dme kept throwing timing!

When the blower, and engine are at temp on gasoline, even with the Meth injection, there have been times (usually when it’s hot outside) when she has pulled timing. I know right a way, because she gets soft at the top.

On the very first test drive, with warm dirty air, I had to back off. There was just no end. All of the five gears did, or will hit redline. Higher timing was definitely there.

There is no need for wideband O2’s, lambda works well.

I have to say, I am pretty impressed with this kit. It’s pretty difficult to get anymore power with the setup I have. It’s like this kit released the power gasoline couldn’t.

I would use this kit on a stock motor as well! It will keep things cleaner, cooler, and allow the engine to maximize performance. And, if you have headers and exhaust, the change in note and backfires is pretty cool as well.

Time to overdrive that blower! ;)

Stop it Boost! :bustingup

Dang it, I wasn’t even home from the garage yet, and I was already thinking about the pulley!

No.. I’ve had this setup for many years now, and it’s been very reliable. This is just the cherry on top. My E53 was pretty much garaged for all of 2020. This particular piggyback ecm (the pro version) was released in early 2020. This is brand new technology. I am just so excited, that I can even have this experience.

Boost, I don’t know anyone that has your knowledge when it come to race equipment. The gains with my setup thus far, are quite shocking! I’ve never had to back off of her.

Crazy E53, what a fuel formula; 50% ethanol, 50% gasoline, 50% methanol, and 50% H2O. I want to run 85% ethanol, and 100% H2O in the injection system, when it’s all said and done.

Don't push too hard. When figuring out how hard a connecting rod can be pushed the typical mo is to push until you bend a rod then upgrade them. One of the YouTube channels I usually watch put a twin turbo Honda engine into a Prius and promptly bent a rod then broke an axle.

Yes, I totally agree with you. That is why I backed off. There was no good reason to push harder.

I’ve always used my X5 for family trips, groceries, etc. Her spec as she sits currently, is more than sufficient for those tasks. LoL.. I have no clue how we got to this point, but we’re here now. :dunno:

You followed the path of most fun


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Oh Andrew, I’d be lying to you if I said, “it was all fun, and games”. There was definitely some blood, sweat, and tears, to go along with it. [emoji52]

And insult to injury is, you can’t blame anyone but yourself.

You can never have enough boost. Just sayin' :D

Drunken E53
 

Puwahaha... :lmao: I heard that brotha! [emoji41]

Drunken E53
 

Didn't mean to imply "only fun". The path of *most* fun usually involves hospital visits.

You're not pushing the envelope until you break something, that odds part of the fun (often not fun at that moment).

Example: was it "fun" when too prove to my dad you can't break a windshield by pounding with a fist?

(Window cracks into spider web of a dozen cracks)

Not exactly at that moment, but in hindsight is kinda hilarious.

Ahhh... The hospital visits both human, and vehicular. Those are the one that hurt the most! [emoji22]

So I have never used.anything other than premium fuel in my V8 N62
I'm missing something here I feel... Are people saying using E85 fuel in a NA car makes more power?


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Drunken E53
 

Yes, your understanding is correct. You’re not missing anything. There will be more torque, cooler head temps, and it will be cleaner burning.

Just curious, does BMW recommend this for newer Bimmers?
First I've ever heard of any Euro car running it. I must be living in a cave as I thought it was just a fuel for domestic cars. Never done any research on it before. Wow.
So are V8 owners doing it too or just IT owners?
And why do you have install/convert things?

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I'm not hating, I swear, but I feel this is a "different strokes, for different folks" kinda thing. Backfire on a street vehicle seems immature and even improper maintenance on a vehicle, in my opinion. Just my opinion.

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Any vehicle that is port injection will work with this technology.

Euro tuners have been doing ethanol tunes for awhile now.

It doesn’t matter the engine.

Yes, you will need to install the kit. The kit will convert the gasoline engine, to run on ethanol as well.

Never add any fuel other than the manufacturer recommendation, unless the appropriate equipment has been installed to calibrate the fuel trim to the appropriate measure.

Cool, very interesting. Thanks for the responses

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Drunken E53
 

No believe me I totally understand. It took me a moment to take it all in.

No these aren’t Uncle Buck backfires. LoL...

This has nothing to do with maintenance. This is a high performance bolt on, that allows the use of 105 octane fuel.

Anytime!

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I brought up the ethanol content by another 15%.

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20% more to go.

There should be no reason that you are getting spark knock or top end drop off if meth controller is calibrated correctly. It may have been your fuel source or you have had too much meth flow at higher RPMS. That should have showed up in dyno runs after you installed the supercharger.

In this area most who make the change to E85 are doing so because it is cheap race fuel and they don't want to be as concerned about having a lean condition. The are fairly frequent discussions about where to buy or the best place to buy E85. I assume they are not happy with some sources for E85 or it is not readily available, have never asked. I don't know if that is still the case but at one time the government allowed a 20% variance. E85 adjustments for seasonal changes in some areas can be as much as 40% though the bulk of the benefits of E85 are achieved at about 65%. Some say those fluctuations and not a problem, some say they are. Some say the change to E85 improved performance, some say it was insignificant.

Meth is alcohol based so cooling and octane boost benefits are similar. Running both E85 and meth takes care of any potential fluctuations of E85 fuel. I would continue to use 50/50 mix of meth.That should be the max benefit but you will need dyno runs to know for sure. If you have a custom tune for meth you may not need to change it but I would check to see if it is getting all of any benefits that are 'safe' to get. If I recall correctly you said you already have larger injectors and a greater volume fuel pump to handle the increased fuel volume needed for the supercharger. If not, you may need to make those changes so you don't create a lean condition. Without question I would test the changes on a dyno ASAP.

If you decide to overdrive the supercharger be sure it is capable of the boost increase all the way to redline. If it can you could increase shift points to see if HP/TQ curve improves, especially low end torque.

Correct BC, the 93 pump gas just wasn't doing it. It was pulling timing, and without meth, the E53 will knock badly, its not even feasible to rev past 4000rpm. The meth is calibrated nicely, I will elaborate in the next paragraph.

I made the change to E85 for two reasons. One, I recently had meth pump failure, and its is difficult to find parts for my particular system. Already at 65% ethanol, I can run the E53 without the meth activated. So, if the system ever fails, and I cannot get replacement parts, I will still be able to run the E53 without knock. Two, 93 pump gas is getting a bit more expensive, so I wanted to achieve a better price point for my fuel.

Hell yeah BC! I will continue using the 50/50 mix. Meth, with the E85 is insane! That M54 has NEVER pulled to the top the way it does, when you dump all that fuel into it! Wise advice indeed. The company that engineers the piggyback system suggests meth users deactivate the system. But the results with the system activated are phenomenal. I do have a custom tune, however the piggyback tunes the E85 in real time. So, as far as fluctuations with the ethanol content, whether it be 50%, 75%, or 100% the piggyback ecm will adjust the fuel trims, and the dme will adjust timing. Its really an amazing system Its a true "Flex-Fuel" conversion but, for performance, not simply to use the cleaner burning fuel. It maximizes the benefits of the 105 octane. Yes, my E53 has larger injectors, and supports higher fuel volumes.

I am sure there is room for more boost. But, the power she is producing at this point is more than sufficient. My E53 has been supercharged for nearly 10 years now, and reliability, thus far has never been an issue. I will most likely leave the specs the way they are.

On a final note. I am truly shocked at how much power was made with the addition of the piggyback ecm. I highly recommend this system for those looking to exploit the hidden power in their setup.

Well... It appears for now, the station is topping out at 75% ethanol. The max posted on the pump is 83%, however the highest we’ve seen was in the upper 80’s. Maybe lower content during winter months. :dunno:

I still can’t believe that E53 is running the same fuel as an Indy race car. :drunk:

If set up for it you can run E85 in most stock engines but it's not a one size fits all.

The federal specs for E85 fuel is a minimum of 70% ethanol. It varies by time of year and state. E85 is a generic term not a federally fixed standard. Individual sources for ethanol can also differ, even in a small area it can be 10% or more. General rule is that the ethanol content is lower in the winter and increases in the summer. Some change the content 3-4 times a year depending on where you live.

Race only cars that use ethanol have the capability to adjust the amount of fuel to match the ethanol variation or for temperature/humidity. The same is true of their fuel delivery systems and ignition systems. Due to the cost it is rare that is the case of a street racer.

Even though almost any engine can run E85 if other changes are made it is certainly not necessary or effective or a cost saving for most.

bc, it is still unbelievable to me, that the E85 piggyback ECM, and the BMW DME, are functioning as stated in your quote. My E53’s fuel trims, and timing are running in real time, not Alpha N. I can run 87 octane gasoline - 110 octane ethanol. Whatever I pump into her, she will run it! With 87, 89, and 93 the Meth better be flowing! I’ve run 87 with Meth, and as long as you’re not pedal to the metal, you can get by. So far with the current ambient temps and humidity, I have been able to disable the chemical cooling. But, we will see how that goes when the Texas heat hits.

As a necessity, I’ll leave that to one’s interpretation. It’s effectiveness, definitely a success, and I believe N/A and Forced Induction will deliver positive results. As far as cost saving, I filled her today with a few gallons of fresh E85. The cost, $2.09. Had I filled her with Shell V-Power, which is my fuel of choice. It would have cost me $3.25. The system is already paying for itself.

The payback is not the difference in price. Ethanol has less energy per gallon which results in less miles per gallon. It ranges from about 25 to 40 percent based on the ethanol content. That translates to 20 to 40 percent more gallons needed to go the same number of miles as gasoline. In addition, the example you used assumes the price gap will remain constant. There may still be a payback but not as much as the example you used. However calculated it will fluctuate as the supply and demand changes.

Drunken E53
 

Yes, but also remember. I will not have to purchase as much Methanol that I did when I was on pump gas. As of right now the system is deactivated.

So when summertime comes upon us, and if Methanol is still not a necessity, then for me personally there will be a Savings. Shell V-Power and Methanol gets expensive.

At this point, it seems the Methanol will only be used when there is no access to Ethanol, only gasoline. Or, if there will be extreme conditions, which is a very rare occurrence for me.

Did you delete your last post Happy? I got a notification...

That thing must be sooooo fun to drive. Not that it matters but how many miles are you getting out of a full tank?

Yeees!! I had done a follow up, and when I posted it, I guess it signed me out and deleted half of the script. I’ll give it another go.

So after numerous trips to the filling station, it seems that the average ethanol content at my pump is about 80%.

I believe the system is well sorted, and I have not had any issues with the fuel pump or any of the other fuel related components. There hasn’t been any hesitation, cutoff, etc.. Everything has been functioning normally.

The adaptation to the system thus far in my opinion is complete. It definitely was not an overnight process. I used a mixed driving style to facilitate the process. I would take a road trip, and when I returned home, I would let the E53 completely cool down, and sit for the rest of the day/night. The next time, stop, go, etc., and then same process. Cool down, wait another day. I continued with process for about the 2 weeks.

Once the adaptations started to finalize, it became clear that the M54 was performing differently on ethanol versus gasoline. Once the timing advanced to its peak point, and with higher fuel volumes in the cylinders, the tone of my M54 was like nothing I’ve heard before. It is truly amazing the tone that this 20 year old BMW is producing in it’s current state.

The fuel economy has not been an issue either. And in my opinion, has maybe even gotten better. I believe this is a result of using less pedal. As all of you E53 owners know, these vehicles have some girth. It takes a bit to get them rolling off the line. But, I’ve noticed with ethanol, I am using between 20-25% pedal, versus 40-60% pedal with gasoline to get the same result. So the extra torque produced by the ethanol is actually more efficient, than the gasoline. So, although the fuel itself is less efficient, the volume needed, compared to gasoline becomes a factor in that equation as well.

I can say without a doubt, that the BMW M54 performs substantially better on ethanol than gasoline. It’s almost like driving a different vehicle. My E53 has never performed, or driven as smoothly, as it now does with this Flex-Fuel system installed. Also, since installation I have not had one CEL! It feels like in my opinion, these vehicles should have never been made to run on gasoline. My E53 has never been happier!

:2thumbs: For running a BMW E53 on ethanol..! If it is a good enough fuel to run in an INDY or NASCAR, then I can’t see not running it in mine. Maybe gasoline is yesterday? :dunno: