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I have heard a couple of different rumors about high octane fuel. The fuel I have been running in my 97 M6 the last couple of weeks is CAM2 110 octane. I have heard that it could cause certain engine components to melt, but I have also heard it doesn't harm anything. Does anyone know the right answer?
Re: Question about High Octane Gas (C5SilverBullet)
It is highly unlikely that this gas would harm anything in the engine by combustion processes. High octane gas burns slower and avoids detonation and ping better than lower octanes. By burning slower, it reduces the pressures on the piston and can actually reduce HP and TQ (especially at high RPMs. The engine management may allow more spark advance in the mid range (2500-3500 RPMs) as it will sense no ping/knock, but there won't be enough advance to utilize the energy of the mixture at high RPMs due to the slow burn rate. {To put this in context, you might experience 5% HP loss from high octane gas--unless you alter the engine to take advantage of its properties--high compression, more advance, more valve overlap}
There may be some concern with respect to this gasoline being in contact with gas lines and fittings. I thought these concerns have been delt with as gasohol was phased in in the '90s, so that modern components are (essentially) impune to pretty much anything which will burn in the cylinders.