Want to Run E85 in Your GT-R? WATCH THIS FIRST!!

Flex fuel is like crack for your turbocharged car but if your stock fuel system isn't set up for it you could be in for big problems! In this video Mike will tell you why!
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[@Rockit181]

I don't even have a GTR but I like watching this guy talk about cars, you can tell he really likes his job!

[@stevengambino1955]

Yeah man I find myseld watching all the videos with him in it. His explanations are great.

[@hondamanvtec2894]

Ah you Only watch car stuff. Thats only the car you own ?

[@TheSurfRyder]

Funny I watch for the same reason. He just speaks in truths, and automotive passion.

[@justin-os4xp]

Mike is radiating positivity even when he is talking about problems. He looks like he is constantly about to bust out laughing.

[@HJK242]

he must be fun guy to work with, i can't imagine him having a bad day at work

[@chrisfoster5044]

I have the r32 GTR version of this intank surge tank and can vouch for the awesomeness of these kits. Simply fantastic engineering. Thanks for the vid!

[@AjClarkPROJECTJDM]

Do people make one for an r33 GTR? or is it the same as the 32's? also where do I buy one?

[@casefc3s]

@@AjClarkPROJECTJDM Radium makes one for all of the GT-R's, the R32 was the last one to be made because it's different from the 33/34.

[@Skirk84]

Got one for my a80 Supra to replace my external surge tank. If i surge its literally got nothing left in the tank and ive been well under E for a while

[@bobo2186]

I've kept my eye on this build and love E85! I had an 04 WRX with an STI turbo on it and full exhaust. Running back to back on the same day, I switched from 91 to E85 and gained 36hp and 55 Lb/ft of torque. That is over the whole power band too! Can't imagine what a GTR could do with it.

[@motoiq]

We got 65 whp with E85.

[@motoiq]

motoiq.com/project-dba-r35-nissan-gt-r-getting-some-serious-power-with-m-engineering/2/

[@ozzysgarage]

Been running flex-fuel for a few years now (I did have to replace quite a few components and custom tune) and knock on wood I've never had an issue. I periodically run what I call my "cleaning cycle" of regular 91 pump gas. Also replace the oil in shorter intervals, but so far it's been great. Radium FTW, I have a few of their parts for my fuel setup and their build quality is phenomenal. Thanks for putting this together! **also 100% agree with ethanol is crack for your car, mine is night and day difference**

[@portlandGTR]

Not to mention it doesn’t coat the rear of the car in the black sludge particles that are a pain in the neck to scrub off

[@Royalties500]

If you're in the know, 1-2 tanks of E85 for fun time and don't let it sit in the car for extended periods. Run E85 in a car for 6+ years 1-2 tanks at a time, never let it sit more than 5-6 days consecutive without switching back to 93... AND the big one Oil changes need to be much more frequent... Never had any issues

[@robertfoster3384]

That’s why I did not modify the fuel system or run E85. The owner’s manual even says do not use unauthorized fuel additives as they can damage the fuel system components. I own a DBA-R35 with over 122K miles.

[@rjlane6827]

Mike, mate love your explanations, they teach me so much, I have an 08 R35 here in AUS and my understanding of my GTR is continually increasing. Appreciate it! Great stuff

[@micktaylorwolfcreekmechanical]

try Direct injection LPG on the GTR they love it will smoke a E85 fuel GTR with same specs and its 1/2 the price

[@portlandGTR]

Wow! A 2008 is like a unicorn in the states. We didn’t get them til 2009 here

[@stucbr1100]

Great info, I’ve only run probably 5 tanks of E85 since I converted in late 2020 so I haven’t had this issue yet. We knew ethanol destroys aluminum but attacking plastics is totally unexpected.

[@sepg5084]

If ethanol destroys aluminum, then it destroys the aluminum cylinder heads and aluminum forged pistons?

[@stucbr1100]

@@sepg5084 it doesn’t sit on those components long enough to cause the adverse reaction that degrades aluminum. Raw aluminum fuel lines and none anodized parts will have issues. Even normal pump gas with 10% ethanol can damage aluminum part, if you have ever taken an aluminum carburetor apart from power equipment that sit for a long time between uses you’ll see lot of pitting from the ethanol eating away at the raw aluminum.

[@AW11SC]

Technically true chemical alcoholate corrosion can occur with aluminum. However It is both temperature and water content dependent. As long as water content is above 0.5% the process fails to occur. Very good paper written by Jenny Linder "Alcoholate corrosion of aluminium in ethanol blends".

[@AW11SC]

Ethanol does react with some plastics, but not all.

[@anangelshero0410]

I learn something new on every video i watch from MotoIQ

[@james_kingsupra7315]

Favourite fuel tech channel

[@ymararma]

Every FBO GTR owner should watch this! I never realized how corrosive E85 was to the stock internals. Excellent product review. I know I'll order it when the time comes.

[@motoiq]

It's not exactly corrosive, its dissolving the plastic parts.

[@tjlovesrachel]

It’s really more of a solvent action then corrosive action

[@hvf26]

anytime you see this guy on a video, you know youre gonna learn something. dude is a wizard

[@SMASHTIME]

My GTR ran E85 for years. No issues. I would usually run a tank of reg 91 every few months and you can tell a huge difference

[@pmp2559]

I don’t have a gtr but enjoy learning from you

[@DJToneRI]

E85 is magic! It was a major factor helping me get from 350whp to 600 wheel on my 85 MR2. Fortunately, everything in my fuel tank is already metal! Good old old school Toyotas

[@RibaDread1]

Kudos to Radium Engineering for producing a replacement fuel hanger assembly. It is all great to run E85 for horsepower gains; the caveat being how corrosive it can be.

[@Romee_rome]

Love this guy. Don’t ever change.

[@myroadtours6147]

Good info, I'm about to actually start ordering an E85 setup for my GTR.

[@yourmommashouse]

Me too, for both of mine.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Thank you for making videos on things other channels don't talk about. 👍🏻

[@SupernaturalPowerz]

Been running e85 in my skyline gtst since 2015. Still goes hard after all this time

[@NathanaelNaused]

I question this type of stuff because all modern gas has ethanol in it.

[@jondutton39]

Never should’ve thought. Great insight which is clearly a result of some classic head scratching. Thanks for sharing!

[@asp1072]

This guy now what alcohol mix fuel do to a fuel system designed for pure petroleum fuel. It will cause damage some rubber and several plastik based material in fuel system. Well done sir

[@JordieG8]

Radium makes some outstanding hardware. I run their fuel rails and dampers on my STi.

[@user-jt3nf7in5w]

With how popular gtrs are with running e85 I’m surprised I’ve never heard of issues like this - thanks for the discovery tho

[@5uprnva]

Have done MANY r35 fuel systems, never seen a stock basket melt on e85. The non serviceable filter in the dome however will eventually deteriorate. I think it’s pretty common these days to consider a billet basket upgrade as a standard fbo part now.

[@motoiq]

This one was totally melted and rubbery.

[@Jeff-mi7gq]

This is very informative since i have been kicking around the idea of making the switch to e85. Thank you.

[@darrylcavanaugh9465]

Just discovered your site (KZbin put you into my feed), and I really appreciate your videos. Subscription button smashed. Lots of great, well explained info here.

[@motoiq]

Welcome aboard!

[@lostunder12]

Gonna get one for my Z34, get it ready for a flex upgrade and dual TT FI setup

[@nickploszay2310]

I run a 50/50 mix of e85 and petro on all my vehicles including my 1987 g20 van . I have never had any problems. The acidity and ph are almost identical to petro gas . I highly doubt that it is from running ethanol. It was probably a couple of defective parts like when all those Infiniti dashboards bubbled but I could be wrong. The thing that can cause corrosion with using ethanol is when there is a leak in your fuel system it can pull water out of the atmosphere. But if your fuel system is sealed there is usually no issues. I drove my 1999 cherokee for eight years running a 50/50 mix no issues to this day 265,000 miles later with out any modifications. My oil stays way cleaner and the engines run way cooler. But that is just from my personal experience.

[@RBGgermanKX250F]

You should look into running an Elixir fuel pump. 1 pump to cover all the fuel you could need. Less failure points. Less current draw. Makes life much easier.

[@motoiq]

I don't think these are widely available. There are many other high capacity brushless pumps that are. This also has nothing to do with the context of this video.

[@RBGgermanKX250F]

@MotoIQ correct slightly off context of the video, apologies. Though think the idea of reducing failure points and current draw often valid points in any aspect of building a car. Yep many out there maybe a future comparison test would be interesting. Just an idea apologies if spoken out of turn

[@mixxeerr]

Man I wished this stuff existed when I had my GTR… my road to 1500whp was so painful

[@fasnuf]

I wonder how other car manufacturers fuel tank plastics work out in E.

[@KvltKvnt]

Yeah I'll 100% remember that the next time I build my R35 that I totally own

[@drunk3n_m0nk12]

Subarus have the same problem. I was eventually killing pumps in under 500 miles until I switched to the radium hanger. I got really lucky I didn't burn up the motor. It's the same thing though, nobody wants to talk about it and even the shops here didn't have a clue what was killing pumps.

[@motoiq]

A lot of it is due to the high resistance of the stock Subaru wiring. iWire makes a good pump wire kit. Our pump got a lot more quiet when we used this.

[@drunk3n_m0nk12]

@@motoiq Yeah, it's a pretty slick piece. I love that it retains the 33/66/100 PWM pump speed of the factory fuel controller. Living in Florida I noticed a big drop in fuel temps on long drives now that the fuel isn't just constantly cycling through the rails at 100% pump speed. When I first started having the issue I hard wired the pump using the Radium harness and even installed thru-terminals into the factory sending unit with 10ga wire all the way to the pump but I was still burning them up. Eventually I started paying more attention to how sticky the plastic on the sending unit was getting and that was when I noticed the stuck check valve. Finally, I went full scorched earth with the Radium hanger, Radium fuel lines/filter, and iWire harness. I also integrated a fuel pressure sensor into the Cobb tune instead of just a gauge on the regulator so now I have a safeguard if it ever starts to lean out again. I have about 3k miles on it since all that in it's been rock solid ever since.

[@motoiq]

Same setup as us.

[@johntexan4165]

This is great information! Thanks for the heads up and the recommended fix.

[@motoiq]

Glad to help!

[@bradleehill9662]

If I only had a gtr to put this good knowledge to use just have to mak a gtr killer out of my sti

[@dimitarm4668]

This happens with old gasoline too. It has 10% ethanol and it becomes very agressive when it is old.

[@Snoo42]

Can barely afford a hot wheel version of this car lol. I Subscribed tho just because you look like a nice dude 👍

[@willscarcast]

awesome as usual. keep up the good work!

[@crpreludeh22]

Awesome video, lots of info thanks 👍 keep the videos coming 😎

[@Persocondes]

i Smashed that like button! shared and commented for the algorithm !

[@weduhpeople8504]

Im sure any platform with polymer fuel parts will be affected the same way with E85. Im assuming pump gas with 10% Ethanol content is less likely to have this issue. This issue is not just isolated to gtrs.

[@Boogy3000]

This is 10/10! Thank you guys!

[@AdinSLaboy]

Good inf yess ir 100 💯 % agree with you

[@andrewperry2569]

I like this but the only thing is, you have to cut your factory harness and solder in o rings to mount the pump electrically.

[@larsjrgensen5975]

You could get the connector that matches the factory harness and only do the modifications after the factory harness. Simply remove the home made adapter to go back to the untouched stock harness.

[@tonypepperoni3476]

Always great info

[@obfuscator]

Radium is great across the board.

[@volcom514]

That Radium hanger looks real nice, Have you seen the holley dynomat that helps again fuel starvation i wonder if it will be good addition to prevent any starvation issues.

[@motoiq]

It is a good product but it wont fit in the hanger.

[@derektrieglaff9103]

Wonder if I could use this setup on my RX7...??🤔. They dont have a link to this set up on the description. 😒

[@timeatak5248]

Great info Mike!

[@jenningsmills5398]

My understanding is when ethanol is exposed to moisture/water its chemical balance changes to become a acidic?

[@dennisupshaw7510]

What about E85 in a Subaru? Flex fuel is just as popular for Subarus what knowledge do you guys have about them when it comes to fueling with E85

[@motoiq]

Older EJ cars don't seem to have this problem, the newer FA powered cars have issues with the high pressure pump at more than 50% e85.

[@nigelmcphearson]

MIKE! Can you do a tutorial series about different suspensions and their pros and cons? The suspension vid on that Civic SI was excellent. But some remedial knowledge on suspension in general would help us understand vids like that much better. Thanks for what you do. Your explanations are the best!

[@JaySimons1]

Those GTR OEM parts may not be made of nylon then, all documents I could find say nylon has excellent ethanol compatibility, just something to note as many other cars verifiably have nylon in tank parts.

[@motoiq]

I have a feeling this may not be all R35's. I think some have different plastics

[@jeromeburrasca6710]

If your car was a E85 Flex Fuel equipped vehicle from the factory no need to change anything. Correct?

[@ricepony33]

I highly doubt it

[@motoiq]

Yes you are correct, at least for this reason.

[@jeffarchibald3837]

Great. So how much?

[@HanifEFIMechanical]

Good work

[@KINZERS13GTR]

I'm very curious how "plug n play" their pump assemblies are. I have a precision race works stage 2 plus kit, in my 335i, and I'm just wondering if I can swap the internals.

[@dqsmooth34]

Good video, good info!

[@ricepony33]

So crack has consequences?

[@jayare4472]

Can I get that product for my 2019 Ford Explorer twin turbo EcoBoost that I run e85 in sometimes

[@johnnychimpo2928]

Great info....thank you

[@Gemini-G7]

Do they have that kit for 370z ?

[@motoiq]

Yes

[@violinmiata]

Mike could talk about potato peelers and it would be interesting Also you’d be shopping for a badass potato peeler with you newfound knowledge

[@robinsonbruginski3747]

Just order yours parts from Brazil and you can run with E100 with no problems. more than 80% of vehicles sell here run with pure ethanol or any mixture with gas.

[@robintenghult7307]

i love e85

[@Haverfield-ji1hx]

Hey guys! I have a 2013 5.0 Ford 150. It is a flex fuel compatible model and hasn’t really ever given me issues when it comes to e85. Should I be considering cleaning out any components? Or any maintenance you may think of that can prolong the life of my truck. I don’t ride it hard and generally lug things around in it. My commute is relatively short here in Torrance. Future endeavors of mine are to acquire a 240-260-280 whichever comes first and drop a reliable motor in it. It would be my pleasure car I drive around to meets etc. I want to know if converting it to E85 is straightforward granted I have all the components necessary to avoid all these decayed plastic issues?

[@motoiq]

For an old car you need to replace all fuel line and plastic parts and components like fuel pumps and injectors need to be changed to ethanol compatible.

[@jefferyrice6940]

Why is he always so happy

[@gappleb4776]

Thanks and awesome stuff MotolQ. What makes the GTR hanger different from Subaru or other gasoline cars that eventually run E85/Flex? Assuming all is made of plastic, wouldn't it have the same effect/issue?

[@motoiq]

Probably less resistant plastic.

[@j-deezy321]

I’ve been running e85 in my boosted BRZ for two years over 15,000 miles no issue on stock fuel system

[@eamh2002]

Im still a sceptic about e85. When I try to clean stuff with it its nowhere near as quick and effective as gasoline. Gasoline just DISSOLVES everything quickly. It melts liquid gaskets and expands silicone gaskets like crazy. How could a milder alcohol be so corrosive? Just my experience trying to clean parts with e85, doesnt remove grease or carbon deposits nearly as well. Wondering why marketing says it removes carbon from cylinder heads :D Maybe it doesnt turn into carbon deposits as much as gasoline to begin with?

[@motoiq]

Because chemistry!

[@eamh2002]

@@motoiq Haha yeah :D Sucks that not all parts can take both right out of the box. The 5% mandatory ethanol in 98ron gasoline is useless anyway :)

[@cameron6554]

How do plastic fuel tanks react to e85? I have a 180sx/240sx S-chassis that I intended to run on e85, would a replacement tank be something I’d need to think about? Thanks for the great content.

[@motoiq]

Plastic tanks on late model cars are made with some vapor impermeable plastic that is really resistant to ethanol. We were really surprised to see this happen on a newish GT-R though.

[@cameron6554]

Good to hear. Thanks for the reply.

[@jeepowner2675]

Im just guessing but I would assume that stock fuel tanks are still made of HDPE which isn't bothered at all by ethanol but fuel cells are safer in the event of a crash.

[@duhblow77]

Great video. But man those first two seconds of audio scared the hell out of my cat on my lap and I'm scratched to shit now I might need to get stitches.

[@CanadaBud23]

This is what happens when you use garbage materials. I don't have problems like this because I don't have junk plastic in my fuel system. It's good to let people know that this stuff needs to be changed to run alcohol type fuels in newer cars.

[@ThePrivateryan1323]

Does this just apply to the gtr's or is it the same for sti's?

[@POVShotgun]

All cars I think. You need to make sure your plastics and rubbers are compatible with e85.

[@motoiq]

Our project STI does not seem to have this issue.

[@DJ_Driven]

It's weird that Nissan would have cheaped out on their plastic. Both my 2005 Evo MR and 2013 STI both can be upgraded utilizing the stock plastic hanger with E85.

[@yujyuj2957]

They didnt. Works fine.

[@motoiq]

It won't for long with E85. The dissolved plastic mess is very clear here and you cannot deny it.

[@DJ_Driven]

@@motoiq Did you mean the Evo & STi stock hanger won't work for long or are you referring to the GTR?

[@motoiq]

@@DJ_Driven The GT-R, our STI and EVO have been on E85 for awhile with no issues yet.

[@abdulrahmanalmotawa9765]

Great content 👌

[@kfneely1]

Whats up Mike!

[@motoiq]

What's up Kevin!

[@Cloneufc]

I ran E85 in my Acura RSX and the stock fuel assembly didn't become sticky. E85 did nothing to it. I'm shocked Nissan built a non compatible E85 fuel assembly.

[@motoiq]

Us too, I don't think it's all GT-R's but some of them had this plastic in the fuel system.

[@riceball777]

Do other cars have this issue? I don’t have a gtr but I have been running full e85 for like 10 years+ with no issues in my turbo s2000 and bmw 335i and my evo 8

[@motoiq]

This is the first time we have seen this on a late model car, pre 2000 cars anything could mess up.

[@jonathanmbrassea128]

when you have to make a video about E85 melting plastic but you keep remembering that one dirty joke your buddy told you a few minutes prior :D

[@ProjectNemesis92]

Do they sell a universal kit like the one shown here?

[@motoiq]

They sell them for many popular cars.

[@zero-yonjz1342]

Would this same scenario also apply to the Infiniti G7 coupes? (CKV36 Skyline).

[@motoiq]

I am not sure, I think Nissan might have used this part only on some years. of R35. Not sure if the same part was used on other models.

[@davidnaumann8086]

What pumps do you recommend? I’m running a mixed setup on E85 with a 525lph and a 485lph pumps with ID1700 injectors across an AMS fuel rail. I have the 525 on secondary but I run into issues under hard braking when coming to a stop.

[@yujyuj2957]

Your siphons could be clogged, there are 2 pickup siphons in each saddle towards the front of the tank. 1 single elixir 1380lph intank to get you to 7.2s on e98 all day on the stock alternator.

[@motoiq]

Your current pumps are good for over 1000hp and is about what we run on our own R35. You could be having the same issue as the subject car in the video and your siphon check valve is stuck due to the plastic dissolving and sticking it.

[@jimmyandtommy1]

Is this an issue you've come across with other Nissans from the era? I.e. z33, z34, v35 etc

[@motoiq]

Cars before the early 2000's are likely to have problems.

[@RwP223]

E85 is magic to boosted cars, all things said and done it is more reliable than Water/Methanol injection unless you professionally install the system, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're not professionally installing it. I've ran Water/Methanol injection in 2 turbo cars, the point of it is to "lean" on the system to keep knock in check, that means if the system does not work you're risking damage to your engine. The cheapo $400-600 kits are crap.

[@motoiq]

Um how is the OEM parts melting having anything to do with a "non professional" installation? I guess the Nissan factory isnt professional?

[@louielou8262]

So this unit at the end is universal fits any gas tanks? Or just gtr

[@motoiq]

It's designed as a direct bolt in replacement for the GT-R

[@TheKeatyBear]

Does e85 eat all oem basket plastics? How fast does this happen? And would running e50 prevent this?

[@sigmaprojects]

I imagine most that aren't actually specifically said they can do it.

[@motoiq]

The GT-R seems worse, we have EVO's and STI's that don't have this issue.

[@ironken1796]

Is that a KTM I spy in the background? Your bike Mike?

[@motoiq]

It's Jeff's I sold all of my bikes.

[@donhuncho4200]

Is this the case if you run a e30 blend ?

[@motoiq]

probably not unless its an older pre 2000's car.

[@MannyDelReal]

Is this a problem as well on 5th gen Camaros? I’m going e85

[@motoiq]

We haven't run E85 on a Camaro yet so we are not sure.

[@GP-fc7jv]

Is that a GTR problem or is there other cars with the same problem I have a Subaru BRZ

[@motoiq]

The BRZ high pressure pump is an issue with E85.

[@Jeffball610]

I remember the early days of E85 and it eating away at the rubber lines in the system. The material would crash out into your ports and clog injectors. It's odd that Nissan wouldn't have solved this issue with the addition of Ethanol in American fuels.

[@ngamber]

Honestly ethanol hasn't been a real problem for decades now, but aftermarket brands have long capitalized on the worries people have about alternative fueling. Yes, you need larger fuel pumps. Yes, you need to flow more fluid and so it's easier to starve your pickup with high G's. The much cheaper answer is you just need to change your fuel filter and service your injectors more often. Super trick billet baskets don't really change this.

[@yujyuj2957]

@@ngamber exactly, its the glue in the stock cellulose filter element that is being dissolved. The stock plastic surge tank can be soaked in e85 or e98 all day.

[@motoiq]

No it cannot, as you can see in the video, it starts to dissolve into goo.

[@yujyuj2957]

@@motoiq please do your research properly, we reuse the bottom "plastic" part of the reservoir on 1800hp~ 2000hp r35s for many years already on e98 / e85 / meth.

[@motoiq]

@@yujyuj2957 yeah and it's super clear that it gets damaged by E85. If you chose to ignore this, then that's on you. By research, you are choosing to ignore the evidence we are showing you directly.

[@aaronbryan5095]

This is such a weird problem(the plastic components in the fuel system not being E85 compatible with E85 despite the R35 being a modern car) , Nissan cost cutting at its best?

[@motoiq]

We were surprised because usually late model cars can take E85 better than old ones.

[@slfrules1]

Radium parts are always so sleek

[@Reedgains]

How long before this becomes a problem

[@motoiq]

Not right away, we think it takes about a year of continuous use.

[@chewdoobautomotivedetailtm2883]

Luv the content 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🏁💯🏁💯🏁💯🏁💯🏁🏁💯🏁♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@binauralauto3621]

Ethanol should be refined using sugarcane. Used to upgrade turbos, fuel pumps, on, gas, propane, diesel etc. etc...., now I drive electric. Ah, what a relief. 80,000 miles and no wrenches. All that time & $$$$ I get to use towards me family!

[@motoiq]

It's made mostly from corn and other grain now.

[@SinisterBlackShadow]

I thought surge tank was the signer for System of a Down..

[@ItsPainnz]

e85 is king for mod 4.6 !