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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 06:29 PM
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Default 98 octane fuel

I have a 2015 Stingray. I am new to Corvettes. There is a gas station that I can go to that has ethanol free 98 octane pump fuel. Is that safe for my car and would it make a difference utilizing the stock tune?
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 06:39 PM
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There's no need for it. 91 is what's recommended and is all that's needed.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 06:48 PM
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93 is the highest you need and 93 is better performing than 91 in the C7.

You are lucky in that 93 is what most stations in Arkansas sell as their premium grade.

Check out the North Point Valero station on Hwy US49 north side of town. They sell ethanol free 93 octane gas. That's the best of all worlds. 93 octane premium, Top Tier retailer, and no stinkin' alcohol to weaken it.

Last edited by JoesC5; Nov 12, 2015 at 07:27 PM.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 06:58 PM
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Where are you located? Ive heard something like this before in Dubai or somewhere over there. Apparently they use a different equation to calculate octane over there.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 07:42 PM
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Leaded or unleaded?

Leaded" not safe for a C7.

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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 08:02 PM
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Originally Posted by laborsmith
Leaded or unleaded?

Leaded" not safe for a C7.

Laborsmith
Leaded fuel has been illegal in cars for years.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 08:15 PM
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Won't hurt anything. The fact that it's ethanol free will probably improve gas mileage a bit (1-3mpg) compared to 10% ethanol. But I suspect that fuel is expensive enough that you'd still spend a lot more per mile than you will with 93 octane 10% ethanol.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 08:57 PM
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I suspect it’s probably a misleading claim, and is probably the “R” octane as is posted in most of the world other than the US. The US normally posts (R+M)/2. The “M” octane is usually about 10 lower than the “R” octane, so if the 98 really is the R number, it’s pretty close to the usual premium 93 (R+M)/2. It would be nearly impossible to blend 98 (R+M)/2 without ethanol, lead, MMT, or some other octane improver. Only one refinery gasoline component is that high (reformate), and its boiling range is too heavy to use without some lighter components in the blend. But no lighter components (other than ethanol which it supposedly doesn’t have) are that high in octane. So basically, something about the claim is off. For what it’s worth, R and M octane measurements are simply two different ways of setting up conditions in the octane test engine. One varies spark advance and one varies compression ratio, I forget which is which.

As others have said, with a stock tune, 98 wouldn’t do you any good anyway, and if it’s some sort of screwy blend (with lead, MMT, or no light components) it would have potential to do you harm. So I’d be inclined to stay away from it.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by JoesC5
93 is the highest you need and 93 is better performing than 91 in the C7.

You are lucky in that 93 is what most stations in Arkansas sell as their premium grade.

Check out the North Point Valero station on Hwy US49 north side of town. They sell ethanol free 93 octane gas. That's the best of all worlds. 93 octane premium, Top Tier retailer, and no stinkin' alcohol to weaken it.
Thanks. That is exactly where I go!
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by 555ctsv
Where are you located? Ive heard something like this before in Dubai or somewhere over there. Apparently they use a different equation to calculate octane over there.
The station is in Fayetteville, AR. www.hioctanefuel.com
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Steve_R
Leaded fuel has been illegal in cars for years.
Which explains why a leaded fuel pump nozzle can not be used to get fuel into a modern car's fuel tank but I believe there are cars traveling the US highways that use leaded fuel. Granted these vehicles were assembled before 1974, but nevertheless if they are going to traverse the roads on their own power they need leaded fuel.

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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by kkpharmd1973
The station is in Fayetteville, AR. www.hioctanefuel.com
With the web site reference, I see that my earlier answer is partially incorrect. The stuff you are asking about is indeed 98 (R+M)/2 without ethanol, lead, or MMT. It is one of the grades of Sunoco racing fuel for over $7 per gallon. For that price, they can afford to custom distill small volumes of components to cherry pick only the highest octane isomers. My earlier reply was thinking about blending large quantities of gas from the primary refinery blending streams. So the comments about it being an R number, or having lead or MMT are incorrect. It’s not the blend or the octane that’s screwy, it’s the price. And with a stock engine, you get no advantages in return for that high price.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by laborsmith
Which explains why a leaded fuel pump nozzle can not be used to get fuel into a modern car's fuel tank but I believe there are cars traveling the US highways that use leaded fuel. Granted these vehicles were assembled before 1974, but nevertheless if they are going to traverse the roads on their own power they need leaded fuel.

Laborsmith
Nope. Leaded fuel in vehicles - any vehicles - has been illegal for many years here and most other countries. You can still buy leaded avgas but putting it in a car is illegal. There are ways, such as installing hardened valve seats, to make old engines work with unleaded gas.
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Old Nov 12, 2015 | 10:31 PM
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Originally Posted by JoesC5
93 is the highest you need and 93 is better performing than 91 in the C7.

You are lucky in that 93 is what most stations in Arkansas sell as their premium grade.

Check out the North Point Valero station on Hwy US49 north side of town. They sell ethanol free 93 octane gas. That's the best of all worlds. 93 octane premium, Top Tier retailer, and no stinkin' alcohol to weaken it.
Do you have any link on this? I remember in the C6 there was a sight peak HP bump with 93 vs 91.
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Old Nov 13, 2015 | 06:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Steve_R
Nope. Leaded fuel in vehicles - any vehicles - has been illegal for many years here and most other countries. You can still buy leaded avgas but putting it in a car is illegal. There are ways, such as installing hardened valve seats, to make old engines work with unleaded gas.
I did not say using leaded gas in a vehicle is legal, I did say there remain vehicles that require its use and that one could not inadvertently put leaded gas in a gas tank.

Laborsmith
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Old Nov 13, 2015 | 07:13 AM
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Damn I'm jealous. I want 98 octane!!! Could turn up the boost!
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Old Nov 13, 2015 | 11:37 AM
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Originally Posted by kkpharmd1973
I have a 2015 Stingray. I am new to Corvettes. There is a gas station that I can go to that has ethanol free 98 octane pump fuel. Is that safe for my car and would it make a difference utilizing the stock tune?
Had a tech who worked in Florida where they had several high octane gas pumps up to racing fuel level! They are typically used by folks with ~2 liter high performance engines that they boost the heck out of!! Now if you have a Z06 and increase the boost pressure would be useful! Otherwise no need. Depending on where you live 91 or 93 octane is all than is needed. 93 around hear in Eastern SC.

Last edited by JerryU; Nov 13, 2015 at 03:52 PM.
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Old Nov 13, 2015 | 11:51 AM
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Maybe it's all in my head but when I mix about 4-5 gallons of 101 octane with 91 octane, the car seems to react very positively performance wise.
Oops forgot to mention I have the Z06.

Last edited by SLWRNU; Nov 13, 2015 at 11:53 AM.
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Old Nov 13, 2015 | 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by SLWRNU
Maybe it's all in my head but when I mix about 4-5 gallons of 101 octane with 91 octane, the car seems to react very positively performance wise.
Oops forgot to mention I have the Z06.
~25% 101 octane + ~75% 91 octane will give you around 93 to 94 octane.

That's on the top end of what is recommended for your car(93 in usually the highest premium available in most locations). Not surprising that you can feel a performance improvement, especially since you are blown.

We had a a couple of stations here in town that was selling 94 octane ethanol free premium, but they changed to 93 octane. I could not feel any difference in performance between the 94 and the 93 octane after the change. All, but maybe around 9-10 stations, here in town only sell 91 octane premium, with those 9-10 stations selling 93 octane. I can definitely feel the difference in performance with my NA Z06 between 91 and 93 octane, but I can't feel the difference in performance between 91 and 93 octane in my blown Mercedes.

Last edited by JoesC5; Nov 13, 2015 at 01:35 PM.
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Old Dec 3, 2015 | 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by C7&7
Damn I'm jealous. I want 98 octane!!! Could turn up the boost!
No need to be jealous, if your profile is correct and you live in Sachse, you have e85 right down the road at the Kroger Remove your plate completely no?
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