I was encouraged to see on TV that brazill uses a ton of ethanol. Assuming that somehow we could get past the oil companies in the USA from keeping us away from ethanol, how hard would it be to take my Tundra 2003 and retrofit the engine so that it could run on ethanol ? How much work is involved, would it be relaistic to do that, and what might be a ballpark figure of how much I'd have to pay a mechanic to do it assuming it would be possible in the near or distant future ? I saw that some cars could be converted. I was bummed that it's the first new car I ever bought, I have a small pop up camper on it that hurts the gas milage, but I love it, it's 6 cyclinder. If gas goes to more than $4 a gallon I have thought I may have to get an old tercell to kick around in and have 2 cars.
convert tundra to ethanol ?
May 08, 2006
8 Replies
I doubt if you will find any fuel stations that sell 100% ethanol but you may find places that sell E85, which is 85% gas and 15% ethanol. Try a google search of "ethanol conversion" for information on converting a vehicle to use E85. It looks like the cost of conversion is anywhere from $400 and up so it may take a long time to recover the conversion cost, if it is even possible to do so.
Yea, the E85 is what they sell in Brazil. I am just encouraged that there may be some hope and I won't have to sell my tundra if gas goes to $6/gal. I have 80K on my 2003 (I do alot of traveling) and they where saying ethanol could be a lot cheaper, so at some point of high fuel prices conversion might start to look good, particularly since my other option is haveing a second small car liek a tercell. I have never seen E85 at a gas station, I live near boston, where do they have it ?
I think E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
Oops! Jim is correct.
A camper shell that matches the cab should increase highway mileage. It made a big difference on a truck I used to have.
It's not a shell, it's a popup camper that weighs maybe 1000 pounds and has various gear and food in it.
At the present the E85 deal would be a catch 22, as soon as more vehicles are introduced to run on E 85 the companies that produce it will claim a shortage, and if we can mass produce E85 the producers, will sell it to the highest bidder(China) leaving the US consumer up a s*it creek as usual.
Tom
Yep...see here:
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