Prospect62
Full Access Member
Man I just put mine on at 66,000 miles and I'm starting to wonder if it was even worth it...those are DIRTY!
Catch Can - Valve Pictures at 54k mi
- Thread starter WingsAA
- Start date
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sd172
Member
It will be interesting look at mine and see if running E85 and WOT pulls help to keep the valves clean (lower soot levels?). I might upgrade to the ported 6.2 intake, throttle body and air box.
OP
OP
WingsAA
CMFIC
I should add... I'm running flex fuel also. Regardless, there's no fuel being sprayed on the back sides of the valves so really no difference from gas at the end of the day... other than your injectors being cleaner. 
sd172
Member
Thank you, this info is very helpful. Do you know if Gen 5 engines have misfire codes / other issues related to the carbon deposits or it’s mostly cosmetics?
OP
OP
WingsAA
CMFIC
It's definitely not cosmetic and the issue is real. I do plan to clean my valves at some point in the near future as I plan to keep the vehicle. I should clarify, I do not have any drivability issues and she still runs really smooth and gas mileage is still good. If the carbon deposits get bad enough then yes, you'll have codes and drivability issues, etc.
I tend to keep vehicles longer and perform above the required maintenance to try and get the most life out of them. If you're leasing or don't plan to keep a vehicle for an extended period of time then don't worry about any of this and drive it like you stole it. lol
I tend to keep vehicles longer and perform above the required maintenance to try and get the most life out of them. If you're leasing or don't plan to keep a vehicle for an extended period of time then don't worry about any of this and drive it like you stole it. lol
sd172
Member
I would like to keep mine for a while, too. I would request a manual port clean when the high pressure fuel pump needs replacement.
OP
OP
WingsAA
CMFIC
Let me know if you need any tips or tricks on getting the manifold off when you decide to do so. It's really not that difficult but slow and steady is key... even with getting the harness removed from the back of the manifold cover shield. The biggest frustration I had was how I felt the next day from lying across the engine bay. It sucks that my brain still thinks I'm in my 20's
Gearhead for life! 
I am amazed how much oil is on those valves.
sd172
Member
Thank you kindly, I will reach out to you if I need more info.
Offtop question. What kind of mileage are you getting with ethanol? I get 11 on full E85 and 12-13 on E50, my average speed in town is around 25 mph.
Offtop question. What kind of mileage are you getting with ethanol? I get 11 on full E85 and 12-13 on E50, my average speed in town is around 25 mph.
OP
OP
WingsAA
CMFIC
Yikes, that's a tough one to answer. Partly because you're going to get less mileage out of Ethanol just due to the fact that you need more of it. Drawing from memory I think the base figures range on 15% to 25% fewer mpg than when running gas. That varies on ethanol content which can range from 51% to 85% at the pump. The other factor is it's more fun to get into the throttle it so there's that as well. I've been getting consistent 75% ethanol content at a flex fuel station (Kroger) near me which seems to be the best. Most others are closer to 52% and inconsistent in my area.
End of the day... you realistically need to calculate dollars/gallon vs miles/gallon to determine if it's worth it.
To answer the question specifically related to 93 octane gas, I recently drove from Dallas, TX to Columbus, OH and I got 22mpg on that trip running 93 with two passengers. Second trip I pulled a 23ft Airstream and got a whopping 5mpg
In and around Dallas when I was commuting more pre-Covid, I get around 12-15mpg running 93.
I don't really track E85
Seems like you're probably in the ballpark with those numbers.
