High octane race fuel
09-28-2006, 05:05 PM
#1
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High octane race fuel
Ive found a place in town that sells 104 race fuel. Its leaded but it doesnt matter since i have no cats anyways. Has anyone else put in something as high as 104? Did it help? Ive put in 99 and that was pretty sick but i dont know if anyones gone that high with their stang?
09-28-2006, 05:07 PM
#2
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RE: High octane race fuel
Unless your timing is advanced through the roof or you have an engine specifically built to run 104 or higher, it'll have absolutely no benefit and the major downside will be all the money you just wasted.
09-28-2006, 05:11 PM
#3
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RE: High octane race fuel
Yeah i figured. Just thought id ask. Here in colorado our octane ratings are as follows: 85 87 91
We do have one pump here that sells 93. I was thinking about going and filling up with some of that here friday and then going out seeing how that does. Becuase of our altitude we have to have lower octane becuase we have no oxygen density. But with cars that are upgraded to take in more oxygen its ok to use a more potent fuel. Ill try it.
We do have one pump here that sells 93. I was thinking about going and filling up with some of that here friday and then going out seeing how that does. Becuase of our altitude we have to have lower octane becuase we have no oxygen density. But with cars that are upgraded to take in more oxygen its ok to use a more potent fuel. Ill try it.
09-28-2006, 05:21 PM
#5
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RE: High octane race fuel
Dude i know exaclty what octane is. Ive taken sooo many chem and physics classes its not even funny. Octane is is a measure of gasoline's ability to resist ignition under compression. The higher the octane, the more compressed the fuel can be before detonation/knocking. Your main goal in life to make power is to run the lowest octane possible without detonation. If you run a higher octane you can advance the timing more. More timing means you can compress more fuel and you'll have a bigger explosion and more power. More timing is like an instant stroker motor.
09-28-2006, 05:23 PM
#6
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RE: High octane race fuel
Here ya go buddy. Here's your side note. READ THIS NEWBS!
Going further in-depth, we come to see that octane is more than a rating, it's a hydrocarbon. Like other hydrocarbons (methane, propane, butane, and heptane), its chemical composition includes carbon atoms. The exact composition of octane consists of eight carbon atoms and eighteen hydrogen atoms, scientifically written out as C8H18. A fuel with a 100 octane (100% octane) resists detonation/knocking extremely well. Because of that, all fuels are compared to the 100% octane bench mark, and thus, an octane rating can be obtained. Transversely, heptane, another hydrocarbon, resists detonation very poorly and will spontaneously combust under even the smallest amounts of compression. This poor ability to resist combustion under compression gives heptane an octane rating of zero, and thus, makes heptane the other bench mark for determining a fuels octane rating. For example, a fuel with 89% octane would have an octane rating of 89 and a fuel with a 11% heptane will also have an octane rating of 89. However, this does not mean that the 89 octane you use to fill up your 'Stang is composed of 89% octane and 11% heptane. It just simply means that a fuel composed of 89% octane detonates under the same compression as a fuel composed of 11% heptane under the same circumstances. And as if you weren't confused already, those octane numbers at the pump don't tell you exactly what octane of fuel you are putting into your gas tank. The octane labels at gas station pumps, monitored by the United States Cost of Living Council, are actually an average of two octane ratings. This is because fuels react differently under certain circumstances. The two main circumstances being used in an engine under free-running conditions, and being used in an engine under load. These two octane ratings are derived from the motor method rating, where the engine is tested under load-bearing conditions, and a research method rating, where the engine is free-running. So the number you see at the pump is actually derived from a simple equation:
Now that we know what octane is, why is it that some describe a 92 octane fuel as being more beneficial or better than an 87 octane fuel? Often times, this is a misconception. There is no real benefit to running a 92 octane in an engine that is designed for, and to work with, an 87 octane. However, depending on the engine and its configuration, you may be required to run a 92 or even higher octane rated fuel. The higher octane fuel is required for engines running higher compressions, at higher temperatures, and with more advanced ignition timing. But does this mean you can't run a 92 octane in your engine with a recommended octane of 87? No, you can, but there really isn't any benefit to it unless you have advanced your timing or are running under forced induction (supercharger, turbocharger, etc.). In fact, all you are doing is wasting money. You won't experience any increases in horsepower or torque (unless you are already experiencing detonation/knocking), it doesn't burn cleaner, and it doesn't give you better fuel economy.
So, if higher octane gasoline doesn't really benefit anyone other than allowing engines that require higher octane to run correctly, why does it cost more at the pump? Answer to this is simple. The higher the octane, the more time and money it takes to process the gasoline to achieve that higher octane. These extra refining steps don't make the fuel any better though, which is what often leads most to believe that it is better for your car to run a higher octane than needed. All that the refining companies are doing is creating a gasoline that will allow those who have cars with engines that require the higher octane to run correctly, and that is why it costs more.
We've come to the conclusion that 100 octane means that the fuel can resist spontaneous combustion extremely well, but how is it possible to have fuels with an octane rating of 100+? One method that is done in the refineries to create race and airplane fuels is to include certain additives such as tetraethyl lead that increase the engine's ability to operate under higher compressions without detonating. However, some companies have begun developing items known as "Octane Boosters" that increase the octane rating of your gasoline. These octane boosters can be purchased for relatively little money from automotive parts stores and the gas stations themselves. The only major drawback to these octane boosters is that the higher octane you are already running from the pump (such as a 92 or 93 octane), the less of an octance increase you will see.
At this point, we hope you've come to realize that you don't need or want to run a higher octane fuel than is needed. The myths about what octane is and what it does have been put to rest and the scientific truth has been shown.
Going further in-depth, we come to see that octane is more than a rating, it's a hydrocarbon. Like other hydrocarbons (methane, propane, butane, and heptane), its chemical composition includes carbon atoms. The exact composition of octane consists of eight carbon atoms and eighteen hydrogen atoms, scientifically written out as C8H18. A fuel with a 100 octane (100% octane) resists detonation/knocking extremely well. Because of that, all fuels are compared to the 100% octane bench mark, and thus, an octane rating can be obtained. Transversely, heptane, another hydrocarbon, resists detonation very poorly and will spontaneously combust under even the smallest amounts of compression. This poor ability to resist combustion under compression gives heptane an octane rating of zero, and thus, makes heptane the other bench mark for determining a fuels octane rating. For example, a fuel with 89% octane would have an octane rating of 89 and a fuel with a 11% heptane will also have an octane rating of 89. However, this does not mean that the 89 octane you use to fill up your 'Stang is composed of 89% octane and 11% heptane. It just simply means that a fuel composed of 89% octane detonates under the same compression as a fuel composed of 11% heptane under the same circumstances. And as if you weren't confused already, those octane numbers at the pump don't tell you exactly what octane of fuel you are putting into your gas tank. The octane labels at gas station pumps, monitored by the United States Cost of Living Council, are actually an average of two octane ratings. This is because fuels react differently under certain circumstances. The two main circumstances being used in an engine under free-running conditions, and being used in an engine under load. These two octane ratings are derived from the motor method rating, where the engine is tested under load-bearing conditions, and a research method rating, where the engine is free-running. So the number you see at the pump is actually derived from a simple equation:
Now that we know what octane is, why is it that some describe a 92 octane fuel as being more beneficial or better than an 87 octane fuel? Often times, this is a misconception. There is no real benefit to running a 92 octane in an engine that is designed for, and to work with, an 87 octane. However, depending on the engine and its configuration, you may be required to run a 92 or even higher octane rated fuel. The higher octane fuel is required for engines running higher compressions, at higher temperatures, and with more advanced ignition timing. But does this mean you can't run a 92 octane in your engine with a recommended octane of 87? No, you can, but there really isn't any benefit to it unless you have advanced your timing or are running under forced induction (supercharger, turbocharger, etc.). In fact, all you are doing is wasting money. You won't experience any increases in horsepower or torque (unless you are already experiencing detonation/knocking), it doesn't burn cleaner, and it doesn't give you better fuel economy.
So, if higher octane gasoline doesn't really benefit anyone other than allowing engines that require higher octane to run correctly, why does it cost more at the pump? Answer to this is simple. The higher the octane, the more time and money it takes to process the gasoline to achieve that higher octane. These extra refining steps don't make the fuel any better though, which is what often leads most to believe that it is better for your car to run a higher octane than needed. All that the refining companies are doing is creating a gasoline that will allow those who have cars with engines that require the higher octane to run correctly, and that is why it costs more.
We've come to the conclusion that 100 octane means that the fuel can resist spontaneous combustion extremely well, but how is it possible to have fuels with an octane rating of 100+? One method that is done in the refineries to create race and airplane fuels is to include certain additives such as tetraethyl lead that increase the engine's ability to operate under higher compressions without detonating. However, some companies have begun developing items known as "Octane Boosters" that increase the octane rating of your gasoline. These octane boosters can be purchased for relatively little money from automotive parts stores and the gas stations themselves. The only major drawback to these octane boosters is that the higher octane you are already running from the pump (such as a 92 or 93 octane), the less of an octance increase you will see.
At this point, we hope you've come to realize that you don't need or want to run a higher octane fuel than is needed. The myths about what octane is and what it does have been put to rest and the scientific truth has been shown.
09-28-2006, 05:30 PM
#7
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RE: High octane race fuel
Ok so class summed up it means this. The higher octane you have the more it can be compressed without detonation. Detonation is premature combustion due to compression. The if you have advanced your timing then you can take in more air and fuel which takes up more in your cylinder and causes it to ultimately be compressed more. Advancing your motor does just that. It takes in more air/fuel to compress. If you are more resistant to detonation you can advance more. If your car is not that car advanced than you have no benefit to buying premuim fuel but thats why diablo and sct makes you run high octaine. Becuase their tunes advance your car. Not enough to make race fuel worth it unless you tune for it. Which is what i do when i run high octaine fuel. You can only take advantage of the octaine if you tune for it otherwise whats the point. Say (just for understandings sake) your "detonation point" was at 87 octaine. 85 would cause you to knock and ping but 91 would do you no good becuase you only need to resist up to 87. Ok man are you happy now? The is octane explaned.
09-28-2006, 08:55 PM
#8
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RE: High octane race fuel
I run 104 leaded from time to time if I am out looking for some trouble (first time I didnt know it was leaded, lol). It is a little extra insurance with n2o. Plus I love the smell. Some people say it is bad on o2 sensors, but I only mix it 1 gal 104L to 5 gal of 93. I am not telling you it wont hurt anything, only I have saw no ill effects from it.
09-28-2006, 09:09 PM
#9
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RE: High octane race fuel
I would see absolutely no point of putting anything above 93 octane in a bolt-on gt. I could understand mixing it with premium for nitrous applications and s/c cars, but no way for a mild bolt-on gt.
09-28-2006, 09:26 PM
#10
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RE: High octane race fuel
jd has a sticky posted,but nobody reads these days...couple of things to consider...o2's will be cooked...anything rubber over time will be cooked...computer wouldn't care if it has 87 or 104 or even 118...