Ethanol *removes* water from gasoline? OOOOOOkaaaayyyyy
Like a sponge *removes* water from your countertop, as long as you don't squeeze it!
Of course we all know higher octane burns cooler. But the real truth is ethanol (while making the fuel burning hotter) provides for the engine to make *more* power. Take E-10, E-15, E-30 even... each makes more power than the one before it. BUT... it also makes for MUCH WORSE fuel economy.
My son has a Subaru WRX (
only the 2.0 Liter, not the 2.5) but has gotten into a few 'mods' for power, CAI, z-pipe, high flow cats, exhaust, tuning etc. Along with coilovers, wider wheels as well. With that, he's hooked up with a local tuning shop that has a 4 wheel dyno. He's now got his ECU flashed for E-85 and that darned 2 liter makes 332 HP to the ground, all 4 wheels pulling!
Thing is... even E-85 is something you have to look for around here, because most stations are E-90 (minimum 10% ethanol).
He said he's also got a tune for E-70 he can flash and "
It'll make it scream Dad!"
Of course my bewilderment took over at that point, because I *KNOW* you can't buy 30% ethanol fuel anywhere. Which of course I informed him of, only to be told that they ADD alcohol to the gasoline, buying straight ethanol. (So they can make more power.)
I was like... "
So you're going to go to the liquor store and buy a case of Golden Grain?"
So yeah, a *little* bit of ethanol does help make more power. But let it sit for as little as a couple weeks (in NORMAL weather, much less high humidity) and that 87 octane isn't 87 any more. I've always ran REC90 in mine, but when spring comes and we start going weekly again, I'm going to put some fresh 87 in and see how she goes. (Or perhaps 91 w/ethanol.)