Ethanol build

[stovie]

Hi everyone, just got me a 2001 Ford explorer sport Trac, no transmission, and engines been pulled apart, but I've been looking into rebuilding it to run ethanol. I have the opportunity to produce ethanol for my vehicles, and am looking to optimize them as much as I can, but I believe to get the most out of 100% ethanol, I'd need to get it as close as I can to 14.5-1 compression ratios. Wondering if there was any possibility to achieving that?

Should also not that I'll be doing a propane conversion as well so I can use propane when I don't have ethanol available, which is also supposed to run better at that compression ratio.

 

[Rick]

Zero deck the block, milling the heads, and thinner head gaskets may get you there or close. Next and costlier step is custom pistons.

 

[410Fortune]

I believe sohc pistons in a ohv block will get you around 13 psi compression
Ohv would also bolt into sport trac