How nice would high octane gas be?

-
I do quite well on 85 here with 10% alcohol. The first sentence set the tone for the article.
Higher-octane fuel holds more energy than bargain basement gasoline
Click to expand...
That's not entirely true. In fact, it's more false than true. Lower octane burns faster and hotter while higher octane is less prone to detonation. Less prone to detonation because it's more stable and burns slower. As a result, less power is produced by the same volume. A good rule is to always run the lowest octane that you can get away with running. Some of you sea level guys may have a different philosophy, but it works just fine up here.
 
40 feet above sea level here. But my 367 is about 8.0 so I just run regular. Ah, the old days of Amoco white , Chevron. The Sunoco station I worked at, if memory serves correct, mixed starting from 280. Sunoco 260 was mixed with the higher stuff blended with a mid grade. You could get over 100 octane with that. Gulf Purple, heck even Gulftane regular is better than what we have today, and it was the cheapest they sold in 1969.
 
good points Leadfoot.So many call hi octane "hi test"
It does not make more power as you stated...it just more stable.
 
I'd rather have pure fuel (no ethanol BS) than higher octane.
 
ir3333 said:
Have you had problems with 5 or 10% ethanol fuel?
Click to expand...
Other that it being less efficient? Or massive tax dollars wasted on farming subsidies for ethanol? Not in vehicles, although I have not had a carbeurated car/bike since they forced the switch.

That said....it doesn't last as long in storage, and anything carbureted specifically marine, it causes nothing but havoc.
 
I can get 110 here. 7.85 a gallon. No ethanol. Let's remember one thing. More compression equalls more power. 450 elevation. If I worried about cost of gas I wouldn't have all the toys I have. My 2 cents.
IMG_20141027_192515_229.jpg
 
ir3333 said:
good points Leadfoot.So many call hi octane "hi test"
It does not make more power as you stated...it just more stable.
Click to expand...
Not so fast MY LOW OCTAQNE FRIENDS , higher octane will let u run more timing, that will produce more h.p. most of the time . AND MORE COMPRESSION, THAT WILL ALWAYS MAKE A LITTLE MORE H.P. !
 
ToMang07 said:
Other that it being less efficient? Or massive tax dollars wasted on farming subsidies for ethanol? Not in vehicles, although I have not had a carbeurated car/bike since they forced the switch.

That said....it doesn't last as long in storage, and anything carbureted specifically marine, it causes nothing but havoc.
Click to expand...

From what i've found out 10% is fine and don't know anybody who use it that have had problems.
what problems does it cause in carbureted engines?
 
ir3333 said:
From what i've found out 10% is fine and don't know anybody who use it that have had problems.
what problems does it cause in carbureted engines?
Click to expand...

Mostly water, and poorer performance. You lose about 5-10% efficiency running 10% ethanol compared to straight gasoline.
 
ToMang07 said:
Mostly water, and poorer performance. You lose about 5-10% efficiency running 10% ethanol compared to straight gasoline.
Click to expand...

O.K...if it had water problems the fuel has sat too long and has gone bad.I have read it should be used within 45 days or even less where it is humid.
 
ir3333 said:
O.K...if it had water problems the fuel has sat too long and has gone bad.I have read it should be used within 45 days or even less where it is humid.
Click to expand...
Correct, however this is a added property, as it is an inerrant property of ethanol, to both separate from petroleum based gasoline, as well as draw moisture from the air. Pure gasoline can sit significantly longer with little or no effect.

E-10 Alive: The corrosive damage ethanol gasoline does to your fuel pump
 
ir3333 said:
From what i've found out 10% is fine and don't know anybody who use it that have had problems.
what problems does it cause in carbureted engines?
Click to expand...
All OE carbs were calibrated for gasoline, not "Gasohol"(the ugly product of the '70's oil embargo), now it's forced on us due to "air concerns", which means nearly
every engine is running lean on stock jetting. Alcohol(& ethanol is less than methanol) has roughly half the available BTU/lb. of gasoline, enviro-wackos will lie
about this fact using a half-truth, namely if an engine is DESIGNED & ENGINEERED to run strictly on whatever ethanol blend/E85/pure alky,..they can approach
70-75% taking advantage of the inlet cooling & octane rating alcohol provides........however cold starts are another matter. Any car made to be a "flex fuel" is
going to fail miserably(and has) in the efficiency department. The sad but laughable part is the drop in efficiency means the gasoline burnt was less effectively
utilized, more or less wasted. All of the oxidation, water absorption problems, and corrosive issues are plenty of reason to dislike it alone.
 
ToMang07 said:
Correct, however this is a added property, as it is an inerrant property of ethanol, to both separate from petroleum based gasoline, as well as draw moisture from the air. Pure gasoline can sit significantly longer with little or no effect.

E-10 Alive: The corrosive damage ethanol gasoline does to your fuel pump

That's like saying milk is unsafe because somebody left it in the fridge for 2 months and got sick.
I've been looking into this for some time and it seems if used properly there are no problems but lots of benefits like cleaner burning and higher octane for detonation protection.
Click to expand...
 
Wrong, the corrosive effects are not just a moisture or "left in too long" problem, wanna ask why all alky racers used metal needles instead of rubber tipped ones in
most old school holleys? Modern times may have provided us with better materials that are more resistant, but most old parts and like reproduced/re-manned parts
are not blessed with those materials. New pumps & kits now come with more suitable plastic & "rubber" components, but that's like saying I forced My ride grow to
like spoiled milk!!!

Edit; BTW, who said more octane is automatically a good thing w/alcohol? The
rated octane at the pump is what it is, and I sure as hell would rather use
something else! As far as raising the octane available at the pumps, that's
only a benefit to those who need it, as long as the fuel suppliers don't try
to sacrifice the low octane. If You're running around in the 8.0:1 classic,
the last thing You want is to be forced to run more than You need, & pay.
 
Last edited:
Those racers would surely have to use appropriate parts..they are not 10% ethanol / 90 % gas.
Don't get me wrong...I have not used it, but i don't know anybody that has problems who use it regularly.I do know enough not to trust the internet or guys that repeat what they read or heard.Common sense goes a long way here.
the best info will come from guys that use it
 
Last edited:
ir3333 said:
Those racers would surely have to use appropriate parts..they are not 10% ethanol / 90 % gas.
Don't get me wrong...I have not used it, but i don't know anybody that has problems who use it regularly.I do know enough not to trust the internet or guys that repeat what they read or heard.Common sense goes a long way here.
the best info will come from guys that use it
Click to expand...
LOL!! Well since by law we are all using 10% minimum content, maybe You'll take the word of a Professional Technician who has worked on cars since 95% of those were all
still carbureted. In the 80's, even applying to fuel inj. cars, Mopar issued a TSB not to use I believe it was Boron at the time, purchased by BP, who later purchased Amoco, for
the express reason of alcohol content. And as of this very moment, the brand I work for specs no greater than the old 10% minimum, which I just tested for 2wks. ago( it
passed...barely). Now the mandated level was supposed to be raised to 15%, but I haven't tested any at that level yet that wasn't otherwise contaminated, You wouldn't
believe some of the crap that goes on fuel-wise sometimes. A Friend & customer w/a 440-6 'Cuda found out one of the local station owners was letting a buddy dump his
waste paint thinner & other s**t in his tanks to get rid of it!! "I'm never f***in' buyin' gas there again!!" Yeah, no kidding. We've taken 3 yr. old cars rarely driven & had
to drain the tanks because of the moisture accumulation just sitting, would barely run or not at all. Ehrenburg did an article on sludge & modern gas, alcohol loves water
more than it loves gasoline, once they combine it just don't burn Dude.
Common sense says, if it's not a newer car w/compatible components, and adaptive fuel systems made for determining alcohol content, it ain't no good...THAT'S real.
 
if someone told me they knew many people who have vehicles in good / new repair that are having problems caused by using fresh E-10 weekly they would have a compelling argument.
 
mderoy340 said:
God made corn to be eaten not burned.
Click to expand...

isn't ethanol a by-product from fermenting corn to make distillate grains for livestock feed.It is not the corn produced for human consumption that is used for ethanol.I don't know for sure though.
 
ir3333 said:
Have you had problems with 5 or 10% ethanol fuel?
Click to expand...

10% here and I've never had a problem. My winter storage procedure for the Cuda is to drive it into the garage and turn the key off. In the spring I pour a shot of gas down the carb and fire it up. I have never had a fuel related problem as a result of my winterizing procedure.
 
Here in CA, where all pump gasoline has 10% ethanol at most, the only problems either me or any of my friends have experienced is with lawn equipment or boats that go unused for months without using any sort of stabilizer. From my experience, if your junk sits for months, use a stabilizer, and the 10% EtOH shouldn't cause any problems.

A far as higher octane. Great... If you have a car built to utilize higher octane fuel. Otherwise, who cares?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top