Gasoline brands and grades
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From: Brooklyn NY
Gasoline brands and grades
Thanks to all that responded to my last posted topic ( synthetic vs. dino). I will continue using Mobil 1. Now my concern moves to the next most important fluid we use, gas. Is there an overiding need to use a specific brand or grade? Is all 93 octaine essentially the same or is Sunoco Ultra (94 octaine) preferable? Is anyone using regular with no problem? Thanx for the imput.
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From: Athens AL
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Re: Gasoline brands and grades (cied1)
if you want your car to run a bit crisper, use the hi-dollar gas, but if you dont have any engine knock then theres no other reason to use high octane gas. It will run fine with regular unleaded
as far as brands, ive always regarded Amoco as the best and Texaco as the worst because amoco always seems to run a bit better and Texaco sometimes has had water in it.
as far as brands, ive always regarded Amoco as the best and Texaco as the worst because amoco always seems to run a bit better and Texaco sometimes has had water in it.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: N. Alabama
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (vader86)
I change brands every few thousand miles in order to get a better cleansing effect from different brand additives. As far as Amoco, it is a good brand. I like the high octane white gas there. As far as water in the gas, that is from the particular station or distributor having a filtering problem or such. No gas company dilutes their gas with water. :rolleyes:
Le Mans Master
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From: And on the fifth day, subpoenas were served to Obama senior staff
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (cied1)
When you have a couple of hours to spare read this:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasoline-faq/part1/
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasoline-faq/part1/
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Memphis, Tn
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (cied1)
I use regular grade with no problems in my 85. Chevron is generally regarded as having the best additive package. The specs for Amoco premium are different (tighter) than for other grades of premium, though. Other than that, its a crap shoot. It's kinda like buying a GM product, but it is just a re-badged version of a Japanese car.
It's very difficult to tell who refined your gasoline. Depending on where you live, you could be buying Texaco gas that was refined by Shell, or just about any other combination you can think of. The only difference is the additive package. And there aren't that many base additive packages. Try different brands and see what works best for you. And don't be afraid to try the cheaper, off brands. They buy from the same refineries that all the major brands buy from.
:cheers:
It's very difficult to tell who refined your gasoline. Depending on where you live, you could be buying Texaco gas that was refined by Shell, or just about any other combination you can think of. The only difference is the additive package. And there aren't that many base additive packages. Try different brands and see what works best for you. And don't be afraid to try the cheaper, off brands. They buy from the same refineries that all the major brands buy from.
:cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Lockport, IL Let's get em ALL home soon!
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (85 Dave)
I'm with 85 Dave! I probably use 87 octane 90% of the time in my 85 with no pinging or problems. Actually the manual says to use 87 octane on our cars so why not.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Global Warming My Butt
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (cied1)
If Tony96 would break in on this thread...you could ask all the questions you want (he works at a refnery here in MN).
From what I learned from a tour at the refinery once, if you have the option of purchasing fuel without alcohol, do it. Alcohol doesn't burn as hot as normal fuel, so you get less power and poorer gas mileage (kinda contrary to what they try and tell you...isn't it).
Also, out of all the octane boosts on the shelf, there are only about a half dozen that actually do the job properly. These are mainly Kerosene products with a little detergent tossed in. They ran through a few good ones on the tour, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember (come on Tony, help me out here).
There also is a difference between summer gas and winter gas...winter has more kerosene in it to help the burn. If you have fuel that has been sitting for a long time (like in your mower over winter), all of the Kerosene will evaporate from it and the mower will run like junk.
Different states have different laws regarding fuel...hopefully you live close to a border and can take advantage of different laws.
Here in MN it's oxygenated alcohol fuel...ick! In Wisconsin, no alcohol!!
From what I learned from a tour at the refinery once, if you have the option of purchasing fuel without alcohol, do it. Alcohol doesn't burn as hot as normal fuel, so you get less power and poorer gas mileage (kinda contrary to what they try and tell you...isn't it).
Also, out of all the octane boosts on the shelf, there are only about a half dozen that actually do the job properly. These are mainly Kerosene products with a little detergent tossed in. They ran through a few good ones on the tour, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember (come on Tony, help me out here).
There also is a difference between summer gas and winter gas...winter has more kerosene in it to help the burn. If you have fuel that has been sitting for a long time (like in your mower over winter), all of the Kerosene will evaporate from it and the mower will run like junk.
Different states have different laws regarding fuel...hopefully you live close to a border and can take advantage of different laws.
Here in MN it's oxygenated alcohol fuel...ick! In Wisconsin, no alcohol!!
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Racer
Joined: May 2001
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From: Louisiana
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (R94 LT 1)
FOUND THAT THE LOWER OCTANE RETARDED ENGINE TIMING SEVERLY WHEN DOING W.O.T. RUNS. EVEN AFFECTED THE SHIFTING OF THE AUTOMATIC. BEEN RUNNING 93 OCTANE EVER SINCE EXPERIMENTING WITH THE CHEAPER 87 OCTANE.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
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From: Lafayette LA
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (out2run)
I only use Chevron and Texaco 93 octane.
I don't have a Sunco, Amoco, or Mobil in my area.
I only buy from very large clean (newer) stations that have a lot of business. Mom-and-pops are more likely to dillute their tanks with water.
I don't have a Sunco, Amoco, or Mobil in my area.
I only buy from very large clean (newer) stations that have a lot of business. Mom-and-pops are more likely to dillute their tanks with water.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: And on the fifth day, subpoenas were served to Obama senior staff
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (ZBRA)
I know there are probably some owners that mess with the gas, but I doubt it is often or widespread. I found a problem for my gas station, they had water in the gas. Forget how, but found water in both my and my wifes car. Told the owner and next thing I know they closed the station, dug up the tanks and replaced. He was leaching ground water and did not know, nobody put it together . Good owner, good station; he just didn't know. Now he has nice new tanks and I have have no problems. :D
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: San Pedro CA
Re: Gasoline brands and grades
I run 93 Citgo and it runs great...
as I understand it, there may be, for example, a Texaco refinery, but they supply the fuel stock to all the gas pumps in the region... each vendor adds his or her own chemical package.
that is what happens in this area... we get our stocks from a Sun refinery in Delaware City, DE.
as I understand it, there may be, for example, a Texaco refinery, but they supply the fuel stock to all the gas pumps in the region... each vendor adds his or her own chemical package.
that is what happens in this area... we get our stocks from a Sun refinery in Delaware City, DE.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Maryland
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (cied1)
I generally use Sunoco 93 octane in the '87 and 94 octane in the '70. They have 87, 89, 93 and 94. I've had problems with the shell station before so I avoid them now. I tried 89 octane once but it pinged a bit under WOT before the computer kicked in and then the acceleration was dismal. I couldn't use up that tankfull quick enough. ;) Around here we get that nasty oxygenated crap in winter so none of the cars run overly well. You can really feel the difference in the performance in the '70 and I've even had to tweak my timing to compensate for it. :( ~Juliet
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2001
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Re: Gasoline brands and grades (cied1)
Always use Chevron in everything I own.I burn suprem in my bike and the vette.The bike is a 1991,I bouught it new that year,it has 55k on the clock,and am still running the original plugs.Chevron Suprem here :yesnod:
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: College Station Tx
Re: Gasoline brands and grades (plastic thunder)
The blends will vary from region to region, and possibly even fill to fill at the same station, etc.
Generally 93 is 93, etc. (here in america anyway, if you compare to other countires note if the standard is Research, Motor, or the R+M/2 we use here).
The main additive that will honestly noticably effect performance is going to be some kind of oxygenate - be it MTBE (no longer allowed afaik), Ethanol, etc. This will all change the ideal stochiometry and so somewhat throw your O2's out of whack. It will still be fine driving around, etc. but you may loose - or gain power, mileage, etc. (depending on your initial state of tune). The various discrepancies in the normal hydrocarbon blends are probably not going to be noticable.
I would only worry about the octane values, and if the gas has ethanol, is oxygenated, reformulated (RFG), whatever they call it.
Generally 93 is 93, etc. (here in america anyway, if you compare to other countires note if the standard is Research, Motor, or the R+M/2 we use here).
The main additive that will honestly noticably effect performance is going to be some kind of oxygenate - be it MTBE (no longer allowed afaik), Ethanol, etc. This will all change the ideal stochiometry and so somewhat throw your O2's out of whack. It will still be fine driving around, etc. but you may loose - or gain power, mileage, etc. (depending on your initial state of tune). The various discrepancies in the normal hydrocarbon blends are probably not going to be noticable.
I would only worry about the octane values, and if the gas has ethanol, is oxygenated, reformulated (RFG), whatever they call it.