I only use E85 in my glow engines now (because I AM TOO CHEAP). No conversion is required, just a change in glow plug. Standard plugs do not work, as the catalitic effect of ethanol is much less than methanol. You need a very cold plug (cold means more platinum, hot means less platinum), and the best is a 4 stroke cold plug. Some cold and 4 stroke plugs don't work (fireball super cool, Fox miracle plugs do not work). The gold Duratrax is the best cold plug I have tried, and is cheap. The OS R5 cold plug is not as good and costs more. Most 4 stroke plugs I have tried work reasonably well, but are more costly. The Thunderbolt 4 stroke from Hobby People is cheap and works very well.

The needle valve sensitivity is severe, more so than with pure methanol (I do not use nitro since I AM TOO CHEAP). Having a rich mixure causes dead sticks just as much as a lean mixure, unlike methanol where only a lean mixure causes problems. Some engines run well on E85, some don't. An old OS FP .25 I have runs very well on E85, a new super tigre .46 runs poorly. Generally an older engine made for little or no nitro runs well (hello Ebay). European engines generally use little or no nitro.

I also use only synthetic oil, the Morgan fuels green heavy 4 stroke kart oil. It is cheaper than caster oil, lubricates better, and does not congeal and stick up your engine in cold weather (I do alot of cold weather flying, my planes and fuel are stored in an un heated shed). I never add more than 10% oil, and have never had an engine failure due to low oil. The Morgan green heavy oil works great. Adding less oil makes up somewhat for the lower power you get using E85 fuel and no nitro. In very hot weather (over 100 degrees F) I sometimes mix about 5% water to aid in cooling, but that isn't mandatory.

All in all E85 is a poorer fuel than Methanol, you get substantially less power, poor starting, require more expensive glow plugs, and have severe needle valve sensivitity. On the up side your fuel is less than half the price of methanol, and the run times are generally close to twice that of pure methanol and much more than twice compaired to methanol fuel with nitro.

I hope this helps those wanting a cheaper glow fuel. Please post your experimental results, especially what engines and glow plugs you have tried so we can avoid expensive trial and error.

Sopwith
Canon City, Colorado