Dlauth

Im going to be moving to Seattle soon and am worried about getting 93 or e85 for my Z. Its running a pretty hefty setup and there is no way I would want to run anything less than 93. I do prefer E85 but convenience is nice also.

I have done a bunch of searching and am getting conflicting ideas so I would like the input from someone actually in the area.

Thanks

c4cruiser

I think 92 octane is the max here in WA. There are stations with E85. Try a Google search for something like "E85 gas stations in Seattle, Washington".

Is there any reason why 92 octane won't work?? When I bought my '02 supercharged C5 down in California, 91 was the best you could get there. The seller said he never had a problem with that 91 octane. Hell, I even run Costco 92 octane in the car and it runs fine. I have some friends with C6's putting out nearly 700HP and they have no problems.

A trip to British Columbia will get you a chance to get some 94 octane with no ethanol. But it's $6.00 per gallon....

Dlauth

It may work but thats a pretty risky proposition. My current setup is a N/A 700hp 12.5:1 build that I dont want to ruin.

My current tune is setup with a flexfuel sensor so I can go between 93 and E85 without an issue but 92 may be pushing it. Is 92 very common?

And about the searching, I did all of that and the closest one looks like its in Snoqualmie, which would probably be way out of my way.

c4cruiser

92 premium is everywhere from name-brand stations like Chevron, Shell, Union 76, to corner grocery stores with gas pumps.

Have you considered using an octane booster? You may want to revisit the tune and see if you can make the 92 octane work.

Dlauth

I suppose 93 is probably just as hard to come by as E85 then?

WAwatchnut

The Grange Supply in Issaquah sells 92 octane ethanol free gas, if that helps a bit.

rock_man

Dlauth

This might be an issue. Im running over 13:1 on this build and am currently setup for e85. If E85 is hard to come by I will have to spend another $700 to get meth injection.

If Snoqualmie is the only place for e85, I will have to get a bunch of gas cans in order to transport some back instead of making a 20min drive everytime I need fuel. If this isnt a feasible option, I will have to convert to meth.

This is a big deal since my engine builder in MO is great and I would have a hard time trusting someone else. I need to decide soon before they move me, my stuff and my car out to the area.

Could anyone give me a clear answer that has been in the Seattle-Bellevue area?

rock_man

What is the purpose of this car? Daily driver? Weekend track warrior? Weekend fun?

Are you talking about Snoqualmie Pass or Snoqualmie between North Bend and Preston? If the latter, where I live, it really isn't so much in the boonies to be an issue coming from Seattle. Actually, it's a nice drive.

92 octane fuel is common enough that you will find your favorite re-fueling station.

At this point, I'd consider tuning for safety rather than performance. At least until you get an appropriate fueling source sorted out.

Dlauth

I am wanting to drive the car everywhere, except to work.

You really cant tune a 13:1 compression motor to be safe full bore on 92.

Also, the gas station is in Snoqualmie, not the pass so going there when needed might be an option but my current fuel range is around 200 miles.

I just dont want it to be such an inconvenience that I dont drive the car

rock_man

Sorry, but you'll probably have to save this thing for the track where proper fuel is available. 13:1 in a street car is a bit outrageous.

Dlauth

The car will be fine if on 92 and meth or on E85 so this is what I am debating. I am not going to drive it just on a track

nolimits

Like folks say, 92 is it around here if you want it accessible and don't want to get stuck somewhere.

Tune wise we do have a great tuner/builder in Vancouver, WA who might be able to get yours set for 92. Worth a conversation. Wongs Performance Engineering, WPE. Tom is well known and many of us drive a few hours to get our work done. I've had a couple C6s done with him for track and street. The Z was highly modded.

If you need fuel tanks I have 3 white/clear 6 gallon I will sell ya.

Good Luck

Dlauth

Awesome, I really appreciate that! I will talk to my current guy who is building my engine and see if its not too late to throw in some lower CR pistons so I can use 92 without meth and if I wanted I can use E85 and the car will go to my E85 tune.

JMB

Welcome to the PNW! You're fretting over absolutely nothing! My 700+RWHP NA LS7 is running 12.8 SCR and I run 92 octane all day with a splash of Torco and ZERO issues! A can of Torco treats 20 gallon's and is only $20 so effectively this only adds $1/gallon to a cost of a fill-up for a true 96 octane rather than 93!

rock_man

There you go. I had faith someone local with a similar setup would help ya out.

+1 to Tom Wong - a few of my local Vette buddies have used and recommend him too.