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wow what a diff a little octane makes

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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:17 PM
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Default wow what a diff a little octane makes

Per my owners manual on my 82CE it says 87 so thats what I've been doing.Just for the heck of it I started putting in 89.I fill up when I get to half a tank so it took a little while.Man do I ever feel the difference!!!It idles better,much more responsive,even sounds better.My thoughts are this.The guy I bought the car from removed the stock exhaust and cat,replaced with 21/2" duals,put in some kind of preformance thingy.it's not really a chip.It's like a little black box that fit inline with something that looks like it goes into the FI and put two K&N air filters.Thats all thats been done to an otherwise stock 38,000 mile engine.I'm thinking that just those mods made it want more octane.What is your take on this?I know I'm not going back to 87 thats for sure.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:28 PM
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Octane levels in gasoline cannot affect any of the things you mention one way or the other - it can only delay the onset of preignition. Your engine is not indanger of preignition at any of the conditions you mention.

There is some other factor at work here. Then again, I had an over active imagination at one time too and wanted to believe that expensive gas worked better than cheap gas.

Let the flames begin!
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Octane levels in gasoline cannot affect any of the things you mention one way or the other - it can only delay the onset of preignition. Your engine is not indanger of preignition at any of the conditions you mention.

There is some other factor at work here. Then again, I had an over active imagination at one time too and wanted to believe that expensive gas worked better than cheap gas.

Let the flames begin!
No flames. You're right. Higher octane burns slower, though, so it can make engines that REQUIRE it (higher compression ratios) run better without the low-RPM, high-load death rattle. But that's the only difference in performance--it's not the trick hot rod secret or anything. It CAN, however, allow you to run more initial timing and get the centrifugal to come in quicker. But that will take some distributor and carburetor adjustments--not just pumping in the gas. And I suppose it'll keep your combustion chamber temperatures down a little bit, too. But that's about it.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:33 PM
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No.Thats not it(placepo effect)I've been around, owned, hotrods all my driving life ( 40 something maybe) and there is a difference
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:37 PM
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You know Ive been thinking that if the guy before used high octain gas and tuned the car,carb,timing -you would notice a big diff cuz its tuned to be what we used to call an octaine hog.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Octane levels in gasoline cannot affect any of the things you mention one way or the other - it can only delay the onset of preignition. Your engine is not indanger of preignition at any of the conditions you mention.

There is some other factor at work here. Then again, I had an over active imagination at one time too and wanted to believe that expensive gas worked better than cheap gas.

Let the flames begin!
I'm not a chemist for Texaco but that's my understanding about octane numbers too. In fact higher octane gas has less BTUs per gallon.
One other possibility is that I've been told the higher octane gas sometimes has more of the additives like detergents in it.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:45 PM
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The heat might be the issue. My L48 ran a LOT better when it was cooler than when it got hot. The difference was very noticable from 180 as opposed to 210 degrees.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 07:47 PM
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I personally feel that it does make a difference...1st, when I use the lowest octane, when I stop my car will preiodically sputter when I turn it off...major carb rattle..plus it just SEEMS smoother when I accelerate w/ higher octane...I have swapped between them time and time again and I still adhere to this proclomation...
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 08:10 PM
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thats what I'm talking about Buck.Before this gets into a science project we might want to take into effect the low mileadge of the engine and the not drivin'hard and put away wet thing and consider carbon build up causing more compression hence the need for more octane.I don't know.I do know that it runs better.I didn't notice it right off the bat but after a full tank of 89 was into the system I sure did.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Octane levels in gasoline cannot affect any of the things you mention one way or the other - it can only delay the onset of preignition. Your engine is not indanger of preignition at any of the conditions you mention.

There is some other factor at work here. Then again, I had an over active imagination at one time too and wanted to believe that expensive gas worked better than cheap gas.

Let the flames begin!
I agree. Octane can not make that much of a difference.
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Old Jan 25, 2005 | 08:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Joe Buck
I personally feel that it does make a difference...1st, when I use the lowest octane, when I stop my car will preiodically sputter when I turn it off...major carb rattle..plus it just SEEMS smoother when I accelerate w/ higher octane...I have swapped between them time and time again and I still adhere to this proclomation...
The way I understand it is that higer octain gas has a longer carbon chain, so it burns not slower but longer- you get more calories out of it therfor more bang =it definatly makes a differance in my 454.
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 03:57 AM
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Everybody needs to remember, 82's are computer controlled, fuel injected... No carbs to adj...

The higher octane is pinging less, 82's have a knock sensor, so Copter is probably getting more advanced timing with less ping...
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 04:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Octane levels in gasoline cannot affect any of the things you mention one way or the other - it can only delay the onset of preignition. Your engine is not indanger of preignition at any of the conditions you mention.

There is some other factor at work here. Then again, I had an over active imagination at one time too and wanted to believe that expensive gas worked better than cheap gas.

Let the flames begin!
I dis-agree It really made a huge difference in the way my engine sounds, much smoother idle and more (better) throttle response, 20 degrees cooler running with AC in the summer. got rid of smelly exhaust.. When I began using max lead 2000. Went fro 93 to 100 octane. That was righ off without any carb or timing adjustments.

I experienced the same thing in reverse years ago during the energy crisis when I accidently got tank of regular in a 70 LS-5.. Almost undrivable.. I had to give the gas to a friend.
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 08:41 AM
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i burn the midgrade .my car runs better on the higher octane .it pings on the 87 octane,but my car has 80,000 on it
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 09:28 AM
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for all the reasons stated both pro and con on this issue..all i can say is it made a huge diference on my L48 126k dog motor! and on my new stuff i'm starting off with sunoco 93 and tuning specifically to that gas.....
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Desertdawg
Everybody needs to remember, 82's are computer controlled, fuel injected... No carbs to adj...

The higher octane is pinging less, 82's have a knock sensor, so Copter is probably getting more advanced timing with less ping...
I think this is right on. On my old cars, 91 makes no difference in performance, but does cut back on detonation. In my wife's late model Subaru, It's huge. It runs worse, has a degraded cold start, and drops 3 MPG on 87 ARCO (the local ethanol blend cheap stuff) compared to 91 UNOCAL (the best available in my area). Your mileage may vary, as they say!

Hans
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 11:23 AM
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<<<The guy I bought the car from removed the stock exhaust and cat,replaced with 21/2" duals, put in some kind of performance thingy. It's not really a chip. It's like a little black box that fits inline with something that looks like it goes into the FI>>>


The previous owner probably installed this device. I am posting a question about it to get some responses.

Throttle Performance Switch

Last edited by 2K14C7; Jan 26, 2005 at 11:25 AM.
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To wow what a diff a little octane makes

Old Jan 26, 2005 | 11:37 AM
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2k2c5;That is exactly what it is.
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 12:53 PM
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ahh, there ya go. I didn't know that year had a knock sensor. Am I right to assume that the ignition will advance the spark as much as possbile (or conversely, retard it as much as required) depending on detonation, which can be affected by octane?

I know if I advance my timing as much as possible on 93 octane, I'll get detonation on 89 or 87 because I have no knock sensors.
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Old Jan 26, 2005 | 07:57 PM
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i have a 94 chevy P/U with 500,000 (count 'em) miles on it. it still runs fine on 93 octane. but let me put a tank of 87 in it and it'll sputter and cough all the way home. dies when i come to a stop at every light. i believe in OCTANE.
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