Yeah!


I thought about this for a long time, and ended up converting my 1977 264 to run E85. E85 is a biofuel which is made from corn. Since corn is grown with the power of the sun, my car is now to a degree a solar car. The CO2 is released when the ethanol burns, but also is stored again when the corn grows. Ethanol is also a very simple molecule that tends to burn very completely. Gasoline is a mixture of 1000s of different kinds of molecules, some which are hard to burn. This leads to the generation of soot microparticles, which can enter the lungs and pass directly into the blood and into the heart and brain, causing inflammation and damage. Hydrocarbons which escape unburned are toxic poisons that contribute significantly to global warming. Depending on the molecule, a hydrocarbon is 1000 - 100000 times more potent as a greenhouse gas then C02.

The catalytic converter is a great invention. It uses rare metals bound to a ceramic substrate. This ''matrix'' oxidizes the remaining hydrocarbons into water, C02, and releases heat. Think of it as an afterburner. There are high flow catalysts available. Check Amazon or eBay for Magnaflow or even scrap converters. Since it is the hydrocarbons that react on the metal and not the metal itself, any used converter should be great unless it has melted or has been clogged with soot. Both of these conditions are caused by improper tune of the engine.

Read up on the Internet, I believe that converting a carburated car only requires a jet upsize. I had very good results upsizing my injectors. Check www.fiveomotorsport.com. It is around $150 for a set of brand new disc type style Bosch fuel injectors. They fit directly in the b23 / 230 / 52xx fuel rails.

If your car is in tune and you would prefer gasoline, just install a large converter and monitor the temperature. It's not impossible to have your car pollute no more then a new Toyota. If you think it is too hard, remember that I'm 26. You can learn too.


Goatman