I have been hearing about SC cars running hot because of ethanol use.
My question is scientifically speaking, why does this happen? Also, if this can happen on the track, can this happen to a flex-fuel street vehicle that runs E85 when it is 100 degrees outside (like today) and you are sitting in traffic? Does a flex-fuel street vehicle come with a bigger or different cooling system to fix this?

This is not meant to be another ethanol/USAC bash fest. I would really like to know what causes this issue.

Thanks.

Without giving you specific numbers......start with methanol....it burns at about half the BTUs of gasoline...thats why a racecar on methanol burns more fuel than the same car on gas....it takes nearly twice as much to get the same power...

methanol makes an engine run cooler than gas due to the burn properties...plus the volume of fuel coming in the engine has a bit of a cooling effect, kind of like water flowing thru the cooling system...

E85 is going to fall somewhere in the middle between gas and methanol as far as BTUs, volume used, and cooling effect (or lack of)... therefore all things being equal an engine should run cooler on E85 than on straight gasoline, but will be much warmer than an engine running on methanol....

As for flex fuel street cars.....the computers in them regulate so much of the engine management that you probably won't see a difference on your water temp on E85 versus gas, but it should run cooler on E85 than on gas. Unfortunately street cars nowadays are intended to run super hot.....215-225 is pretty common in my 2007 chevy cobalt on hot days, and in the dead of winter it runs above 195-200 within 2 miles of taking off.


The problem with the silver crown cars is that the cooling systems were designed for methanol, and now they are using a hotter burning fuel. Many open wheel cars have way more cooling capacity than they need to run methanol, and you see lots of radiators half covered with duct tape....you won't see that with cars on E85.

You are the man! (or woman)

That is exactly what I wanted to know. Very infomative. Thank you for taking the time to give me an answer.

(he) is a bearded woman

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Which explains why I am such good friends with the tattoo covered circus freak know as ZeroMotorsports...hahahahahaha

I rest my case

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