Ok, I did some searching on the internet tonight as well as at a local dealership. I found out that running E85 in an SOHC will NOT have any harmful side effects. They are not an "official" ffv, but you can run it. I found ratings for the SOHC running E85 will make 5 more horsepower and picks up almost 10 ft/lbs of torque.

I am almost through the first tank of E85 and have had no problems whatsoever. I am even getting slightly better economy with it. Just a though for all of you cringing over gas prices. I paid 2.38 a gallon for E85...and the gas pump next to it was 3.09...

 

no way! why the hell am i runnin regular ****!?!?!



i need to find ethanol!

 

do u know if it would be ok for a reg 4.0??

 

I wonder if I could run it in my OHV....probably not...sigh..looks like FFV's didn't start to be made until 99..I should trade mine in for a newer truck.

Actually nevermind it looks like it's not available in FL er e85fuel.com

 

It's not OK to use E85 in any Ranger 4.0 SOHC because they are not Flex Fuel Vehicles. An FFV has different fuel system components to tolerate ethyl alcohol and a special PCM calibration.

Ford and other car companies build FFVs because the government offers them incentives to do so and because it's good PR. The notion of an auto manufacturer spending the extra money to build an "unofficial FFV" is ludicrous.

You will NOT get better fuel economy by substiting E85 for unleaded regular. The simple fact is that there is far less energy in a gallon of E85 and you can expect a 20~25% drop in fuel economy.

Does anyone actually believe that a supplier would charge you 20~25% less for a product that outperforms gasoline in both power and economy??? Sorry but there is no Santa Claus. It costs less because you have to use more of it.

IMO, it's smarter to rely on the information in the manufacturer's owners manual than to risk damaging your vehicle by believing random information from the Internet.

 

Ha!

Nice use of the full-sized BS flag there Bob!

 

Then why is the sohc sport trac rated with regular AND e85?

Powertrain
Explorer Sport Trac
Engine 4.0L V-6 SOHC
Engine Electronics EEC-V Electronic Engine Controls with Integrated EDIS
Displacement 4.0L (245 CID)
Horsepower (SAE net @ rpm) Gas fuel - 205@5250, E85 fuel - 210@5250
Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm) Gas fuel - 242@3000, E85 fuel - 249@3500
Compression Ratio 9.7:1
Bore and Stroke (in.) 3.95 x 3.32
Main Bearings 4
Valve Lifters Hydraulic Lash Adjuster with Roller Follower
Fuel Delivery Sequential Multi-port Electronic Fuel Injection
Fuel Regular Unleaded/E85
Fuel Economy EPA Est. mpg: 17 City/21 HWY
Transmission type 5-speed Automatic O/D
Transmission final drive ratio NA

 

O yeah, found this one right on Ford's website about the 2002! SOHC...

"flexible fuel capability with the standard 4.0-liter V-6 engine"

 

It is a selected vehicle option. Not all of them are compatable with e85 but some are. It goes back to what bob said about the PCM and fuel system I believe.

In 2003 I the only ffv from ford were select 3.0 rangers, select 3.0 taurus and a few 4.0 four door explorers

 

I did a search on yahoo and i found a site that locates all the E85 stations. There arent any in my state.

If i am wrong, PLEASE tell me. Ill go buy it!

 

I also researched this subject recently and everything I read on the internet tells me that rwenzing is right and SONICEDGE03 is wrong. If a vehicle is not specifically made to run on E85, which is 85% alcohol, it should not be run on E85 because E85 will damage it.

 

Through laws and incentives, the government pressures the manufacturers to make part of their vehicle mix compatible with alternative fuels such as ethanol, natural gas or electricity. Ford selects which models it wants to be part of its FFV fleet and never chose the Ranger 4.0 SOHC as an FFV.

 

Mine is Flex Fuel, but what freaking good is that if no one sells it?

 

yes only the 3.0L came with the flex fuel option already on it the 4.0L IF YOU DIDNT get the option IS NOT a flex fuel check you window sticker from the truck....

 

Where is Tryon ,NC? I can't find a gas station in my area (Fayetteville/Lumbeton)that carries E85

 

By the border to SC...I am about 30 miles away from Spartanburg SC.

 

well, whichever of you 4.0 guys does it...

i feel sorry for you.

just make sure that you document everything that you mess up, so that we can share it with other people in the future, so they won't make the same mistake.

:)

 

Wish I had flex fuel.......... I would listen to Bob on this one.

 

Hahaha, guess what, my 3L is actually a diesel I just didn't know it until now!

 

Ethanol can even be run in diesel as an additive. Now before you guys start disputing this one, let me tell you that I have seen it done, mixed, put into the tank and the super duty run on the dyno.

Also, ran it in a geo metro for 7 days straight without stopping on they dyno, no problems. Ran it in a 2000 chevy 1500 with a whipplecharger, once again, no problems. It is nearly 2 years later, both vehicles are still running on E85 with no problems. Only problem was that the rearend blew on the 1500...but that had nothing to do with the ethanol. I will find the pics of the car and truck...I have them on my computer somewhere.

 

Didn't we just have a thread like this?

Anyways, The Sport Trac and 4 door explorer are the ONLY 4.0's that are FFV. A normal vehicles fuel lines, tank, plugs, absolutely everything is not made for it. Ethanol will harm the lines. Don't believe me? Then read it from the horses mouth.

HERE

Alcohols are corrosive. Therefore, any part that comes in contact with the fuel has been upgraded to be tolerant to alcohol. Normally, these parts include a stainless steel fuel tank and Teflon lined fuel hoses."[I]

Now, if you do have a 3.0 that is a FFV and live in Wisconsin It does benefit you because E85 is cheap cheap here. But Bob is right, mileage does go down but for some reason I can get E85 15 miles from here for 1.79 (Yesterdays price). Too bad I don't have a 3.0.

A side note though... 10% ethanol is the highest ammount you can run in any NON-FFV safely that is still covered by your vehicle's warranty and I run it all the time. Gas mileage didn't increase or decrese and there wasn't a preformance bang or anything. Talked to Ford about it and they said that low of a concentration won't do anything to any part of your vehicle to cause harm.

 

You've told him not to do it. You've told him the damage it could do. If he insists he is right let him go for it. It's his truck. When things go drastically wrong and he's left without a truck he only has himself to blame. Let it go...

Terry I hope you take all this in consideration.

 

u can run that stuff in a flex fuel 3.0l?

 

No problem...I have another engine sitting in a crate if something goes wrong.

O yeah, and what is going to happen when minnesota passes the 20% law, which is going to increase the standard ethanol percentage from 10 to 20?

 

Are you illiterate? The Ethanol is going to damage your fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, fuel rails, injectors, and a host of other things that have nothing to do with the engine's ability to combust it. Ford upgrades these parts to handle the ethanol in FFVs. OF COURSE it will run fine for a while, the corrosive properties of ethanol take TIME to damage the fuel delivery system.