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Thread: E85 Storage Question (General Evo Storage as well)

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    Amateur Pornstar Treyzian's Avatar
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    E85 Storage Question (General Evo Storage as well)

    This might be a stupid question but:

    I'm going to be moving to Santa Cruz soon, but I'm leaving the Evo behind in a buddy's garage for a month while I get used to the new place. It currently has a full tank of E85, and I don't plan to drive it much in the next week.

    Anything I should be worried about with the E85? What about anything in general I should be worried about/plan?

    I'll be giving a buddy the keys and having him drive the car around once a week, but that's about it for what I have planned.

    Thanks,
    Jeff

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    like how long will the fuel be in the tank without being replenished? unless you plan on storing it for a year without any activity, I think you should be fine. just have your friend start up the car once a week to go through the fuel.

    although E85 might behave differently if stored for that long. Im not familiar with its characteristics to believe it will behave the same as regular fuel.

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    Amateur Pornstar Treyzian's Avatar
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    I'm only leaving it for a month or two. Just was wondering since everybody had issues with E85 and moisture in fuel jugs for a few weeks.

    Side note, Macky, how do you keep your Evo? Like how often do you start it up/drive it around?

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    Evo Specialist EvolutionXtacy's Avatar
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    if its not stored in a controlled environment.. i wouldn't trust leaving a tank full.. with out doing anything.. i would though suggest your friend to start up every monday.. in the morning.. just to let the fuel work through.. or you can even try STA-BIL a fuel stabilizer.
    ​Diplomatic Immunity.

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    Team Knee Pads Baller Member evoempire's Avatar
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    Since I am out of town a lot and my Evo is on e85 I think I can answer a lot of the concerns for you. I am currently out of town as well. I have my car in a garage but I have it started once a week. You will have no issues with this. I have been doing it for yrs. another thing to consider is the type of battery because the gel orbitals don't do well with long periods of sitting so if you are on a gel type battery I would recommend a battery tender. Ethanol fuels are hygroscopic so yes long periods of storage can tamper with the fuel. However even with that said you can drive the car around no problems but I wouldn't do any wot pulls until you refill with fresh fuel. As far as how much fuel to leave in tank, I have researched this quite a bit and it is optimum to fill it up all the way. Reason why is the less air that is in the tank the better. Since you are only gone for a month you have nothing to worry about if the car gets started once a week and runs till operating temperature.

    I also recommend anyone on e85 to get a ECA.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Treyzian View Post
    I'm only leaving it for a month or two. Just was wondering since everybody had issues with E85 and moisture in fuel jugs for a few weeks.

    Side note, Macky, how do you keep your Evo? Like how often do you start it up/drive it around?
    I start it up every other day and drive it for about a mile once every two weeks.

    Sportback Evolution MR


  7. #7
    Team Knee Pads Baller Member evoempire's Avatar
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    On a side note, I did leave my car for about 4-5 weeks without being started up once and it wouldn't start. It would turn over but it wouldn't start. After checking a number of things I decided to pull the fuel pump and found my entire fuel pump filter was covered in what looked like the glaze on a donut. After cleaning the entire fuel pump assembly I installed it and after a few cranks to get the fuel circulating it started right up. Just some info for you.

  8. #8
    run it all then pump 91 to avoid any problems the end
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    Evo Specialist EvolutionXtacy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by macky View Post
    i start it up every other day and drive it for about a mile once every two weeks.
    listen to this man, he has a 0 mile evo x mr lol
    ​Diplomatic Immunity.

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    Not So Newbie Coppi51's Avatar
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    I travel to Taiwan/China/Japan every two months for about two weeks. The E85 tank gets used up...and I switch to 91 for storing it.

    Might be too late for that...but I would use up the tank of E85...and refill with 91 before you store it. Good luck...

    Erik

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    Quote Originally Posted by EvolutionXtacy View Post
    listen to this man, he has a 0 mile evo x mr lol
    LOL its 288 now thanks to the irvine meet crew hahahaha

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    Amateur Pornstar Treyzian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Evo Beauty View Post
    run it all then pump 91 to avoid any problems the end
    Quote Originally Posted by Coppi51 View Post
    The E85 tank gets used up...and I switch to 91 for storing it.
    Yeah, I've had most people tell me that. I may just end up draining the E85, as there's no way in hell I can burn all that.

    Quote Originally Posted by Macky View Post
    LOL its 288 now thanks to the irvine meet crew hahahaha
    But it was worth it... Soon to be 350 after you bring it out again soon, right?

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    Evolved Eckolaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Treyzian View Post
    Yeah, I've had most people tell me that. I may just end up draining the E85, as there's no way in hell I can burn all that.



    But it was worth it... Soon to be 350 after you bring it out again soon, right?
    1 Ortega run will drain that E85.
    Welcome to this side of the barbed wire fence. I fight rich, powerful, criminal elements working in unison against the people...They call me a terrorist.

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    Team Knee Pads Baller Member evoempire's Avatar
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    only downside from switching back and forth is that you will need to run a couple tanks of e85 before you can do wot pulls safely. So if this is not a problem then I would recommend making the switch as well. Since I don't really drive my car on the street very much anymore it would be difficult for me to switch and burn the fuel.

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    Take it to the canyons.not only will it use up all your fuel, it'll be a nice send off for ya
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  16. #16
    One month will be fine, two months is probably OK as well. E85 does absorb moisture much more than gas, so it will go bad faster, but this takes several months. I left E85 in my GSX (about 1/2 tank worth) for almost 9 months while I was building it, and after that period, the car literally wouldn't even run on that gas. I drained the tank, filled it with fresh E85 and it started right up. I poured that old E85 in a rental car and mixed it with the remaining tank's worth of pump gas and it took it like a champ

    As a side note, if you're leaving your car for a month or two, it would probably be better to simply not start it at all and leave a battery tender on it. The only time the engine should be started when storing that long is if it will be driven at LEAST 20 minutes (at highway speed at least) to get the oil temps up to 180F+. Starting it up to just warm it up, or even driving around the block, is worse for it than not starting it at all. You need to evaporate the vapours that accumulate in the crankcase. Also, cold engine start is when the more engine wear is done, so why have this occur more often than it needs to?

    Beau
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    Team Knee Pads Baller Member evoempire's Avatar
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    ^ I personally do not agree with you. How much experience do you have with storing cars for long periods of time? And Im talking personal experience not he said she said. You did a 9month build and the e85 did become bad. But how does that prove your theory on engine start up and usage?

    Here is my personal experience. I have been storing my vehicles for over 7yrs due to military deployments and my current job which has me out of the conus alot. I have always had them start up to operating temperature at least once a week and oil changed in the recommended intervals. I have never had any issues with any of my motors in any of my cars. This goes for gasoline and Diesel engines. From dd, to track car, to truck.

    Never starting your car for extended periods of time imho is worse and you can talk to car storage garages and they will tell you this. Every garage storage facility I have been too all have recommended to start the vehicle as often as possible. Most recommend weekly intervals. I figure since some of these garages have been in the car storing business for over 50yrs they know a thing or too.

    Would driving it for 20min be better? Yes I agree with that but it is not needed. If my 7yrs of storing vehicles experience is not enough i do not know what is...

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    In no particular order:

    Beau knows stuff, smart guy

    I would take no starting for a month over four starts and idle for 10 minutes.

    FIll the tank, store the car with a full tank.

    Buddies and family members with keys usually leads to trouble.

    Optima batteries suck

    If the battery dies, the car will wake up on the main map, if you do trust your car to someone, make sure they understand the whole map switch map thing.

    Put a valet mode on it and note your mileage.

    Mike W"

  19. #19
    Team Knee Pads Baller Member evoempire's Avatar
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    Not saying he doesn't know his stuff, but I have been doing this for 7yrs with excellent results. I leave my car in a high end car storage facility. I do agree with friends/family with keys can be a bad thing. Ask me how I know lmao. Optima batteries do suck for long time storage unless you have a battery tender hooked up.

    As for releasing crankcase vapors would a vta catch can help with this? As for cold starts, at what point is it considered a cold start? Cause then a dd would see far more cold starts than anything but those usually last for quite sometime and don't have premature failure. Regardless in my case because my car isn't my dd I barely start it and drive it as it is.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 99EclipseGSX View Post
    As a side note, if you're leaving your car for a month or two, it would probably be better to simply not start it at all and leave a battery tender on it. The only time the engine should be started when storing that long is if it will be driven at LEAST 20 minutes (at highway speed at least) to get the oil temps up to 180F+. Starting it up to just warm it up, or even driving around the block, is worse for it than not starting it at all. You need to evaporate the vapours that accumulate in the crankcase. Also, cold engine start is when the more engine wear is done, so why have this occur more often than it needs to?


    Beau

    I used to preach this to the choir. I must be getting old because I can't believe I actually forgot about that. I never did it on my previous cars. then again, I never had a car that I didnt drive as much like now.

    iirc not only is it to properly warm the oil up, its also to properly warm the fluids and other gear oils. water temp as indicated on the dash doesnt automatically mean your engine oil is also up to operating temperature, and i remember the best way to warm up the oil is to start and drive off in a moderate pace on your way to work or wherever it is that youre going rather than sit and idle to warm up the car.

    if I had a battery tender it probably would be a different story. thanks for the reminder. ill just pull the main fuse in the meantime.

    Sportback Evolution MR


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