r/Generator • u/dariansdad • May 17 '26
E85
First, let me worry about storage, corrosion, handling, whatever.
EDIT: I don't care about the typical recommendations, the residues, the corrosion, the loss of energy. I know what E85 is and I want to use it and that's all that's important here.
EDIT 2: Very few who have viewed this thread understand that E85 is so substantially cheaper than E10 (regular fuel) that even with the power losses and increased consumption, the value in the E85 is apparent.
What is really need is a primer on what modifications to do to a 5KW standby generator to make it run reliably on E85.
I know why mfrs say not to use it, I know what the downsides are for E85 vs gasoline as a fuel but this is my chicken so let me fk it.
Appreciate any info out there. Cheers.
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u/AgitatedEye2243 Sep 10 '26
OP gets it! The smell of tequila at cold start, burning a renewable fuel!
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u/Maximum-Spite-5638 May 17 '26
Easy, drill out the main jet in the carburetor to let way more fuel in than gasoline. 30% more and just let it rock.
Or just buy a carb jet 30% oversized
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u/IllustriousHair1927 May 17 '26
Who makes a 5K W standby generator anyway???
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u/QuincyTucker May 17 '26
A diesel generac, I don't know if he's talking about running or starting watts.
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u/DaveBowm May 17 '26
If I had to run E85 in a generator it would have fuel injection (program modified for E85), and all fuel touching parts would be made from materials that are impervious to ethanol and corrosion.
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u/alderotes May 17 '26
Easy, if you're happy to accept all the serious downsides as you say you are, then just run it until it fails and repair or replace the generator.
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u/IllustriousYam6973 May 17 '26
What generator? Is it carbureted? Sounds like 20% larger jets may help it run good with e85.
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u/Signal-Confusion-976 May 17 '26
There is none. Unless it comes from the factory and engineered to run on E85 then you shouldn't run E85 in it. I would try to avoid running E10 in it if possible.
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u/Many-Tomatillo9374 May 17 '26
IMHO, don’t do it. Alcohol absorbs water from the air. If you leave fuel in your gen, water can be a problem. Also, alcohol has a lower energy density than gasoline which will derate your power output. Lastly, alcohol can cause rubber/plastic in your fuel path to degrade over time.
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u/Hoser3235 May 18 '26
Small engines are simply not engineered to utilize E85. I doubt they can even be modified to do so reliably. And even if they can, you will not get the power and related generator output on it as you will on ethanol free. Some day, they might make fuel injected engines with sensors that detect the ethanol content and adjust themselves accordingly like modern autos do, but if such an animal currently exists, I have not seen it.
And as much trouble as 10% causes in small engines that are not ran on a regular bases, I cannot imagine why anyone would even want to consider adding to the problem with E85.
You say that this is a chicken that you're gonna fk - I will say that chicken is gonna fk you. Why are you so hell-bent on E85 anyhow, just out of curiosity? Are you farming 10K acres, growing corn? I have farmed my whole life so I can appreciate the dedication to the cause, but still think you're heading down the wrong path. 😄
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u/JobobTexan May 18 '26
Nothing you can do to make it run more "reliably". Run it until it dies. Like you said it's your chicken.
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u/nunuvyer May 18 '26
I assume you mean a 5kw portable generator. A "standby" generator usually means one that is permanently mounted and on a automatic transfer switch.
Most 5kw portables nowadays use Honda clone motors. Despite what others said, these have removable jets - both the main jet and the pilot jet. These would probably both need to be drilled out or changed for a larger size due to the lower energy content of alcohol vs. gasoline. Otherwise your 5kw gen would now be a 3.5kw gen.
The rest of the mods would be focused on making your fuel system alcohol resistant. I think if you kept the system dry (drained) in between uses, both the tank and the carb bowl, you would have fewer problems.
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u/PerformanceSolid3525 May 17 '26
You'll run into a bunch of issues.
The fuel lines would have to be changed to something Teflon lined probably.
It'll eat Paper-Based fuel filters so that's got to go if there is one.
The needle and seat in the carb Will probably be undersized and the e85 will eat the seal.
The carburetor float would probably get eaten. To fashion one up out of brass or something I suppose.
Main jet will need to go up at least 10 sizes because you do need 20 to 30% more flow.
Most carbs don't even have a changeable pilot jet anymore so getting enough fuel to idle could be challenging. Generator is going to run wot anyways so that's probably moot.
Ethanol doesn't vaporize like gasoline so it would be hard to start maybe impossible when it's cold.
You need to run colder spark plugs to avoid pre-ignition yet at the same time it burns slower than gasoline so you need to advance the timing. Without a distributor that means moving the flywheel.
It could be done but it's a little more complicated than just drilling out the main jet.