Octane Booster?
Oct 5, 2006 | 10:22 PM
#11
I saw this on another site!
Here's a couple tid-bits
Some people call 87 octane "CHEAP" gas. They're right in regards to the price verses the other grades. However, it's not "CHEAP" in regards to the job it has to do.
The higher the octane the higher the "FLASH" point meaning the harder it is for the fuel to ignite. The lower the octane, the more volitile it becomes. Most all vehicles are designed to run on 87 octane because they all have a low compression ratio which means you need a bigger faster flame front to occur in the cylinder. The higher the compression ration, or the more timing advance beyond factory setting, then the higher the octane one needs to go to eliminate the "PING" monster (pre-ignition).
If you run high octane in a non modified vehicle, the normal outcone is less power and less MPG due to the slower burn rate of the fuel. This is due to the occurance of "DELAYED BURN" causing a slow flame front to occur in the cylinder. Some people will claim that they get more HP and MPG running a higher than needed octane "NOT". If I just spend .20+ more per gallon, I would have to justify it somehow, thus I would tell myself that it's instant power and MPG. it just doesn't work that way.
If you have a stock engine and it is pinging all the time and goes away with the use of a higher octane, then you need to fix the problem that exists. Either a timing issue, lean mix, vacuum leak, carbon build up in the piston area affecting the "SQUISH" zone and so on. A light/smild pinging under a load such as climing a hill before a downshift is normal and just means that the engine is running at optimum efficiency.
It's not even needed to clean the fuel system out as all of the fuels today have detergents in them (mandated by the EPA seveal years ago) to keep the injectors clean from varnish build up.
And the winter time makes it even worse. I don't know how many times that I've helped people get their vehicles started because they were running "SUPER UNLEADED" when it wasn't required. The darn things just don't like to fire.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Here's a couple tid-bits
Some people call 87 octane "CHEAP" gas. They're right in regards to the price verses the other grades. However, it's not "CHEAP" in regards to the job it has to do.
The higher the octane the higher the "FLASH" point meaning the harder it is for the fuel to ignite. The lower the octane, the more volitile it becomes. Most all vehicles are designed to run on 87 octane because they all have a low compression ratio which means you need a bigger faster flame front to occur in the cylinder. The higher the compression ration, or the more timing advance beyond factory setting, then the higher the octane one needs to go to eliminate the "PING" monster (pre-ignition).
If you run high octane in a non modified vehicle, the normal outcone is less power and less MPG due to the slower burn rate of the fuel. This is due to the occurance of "DELAYED BURN" causing a slow flame front to occur in the cylinder. Some people will claim that they get more HP and MPG running a higher than needed octane "NOT". If I just spend .20+ more per gallon, I would have to justify it somehow, thus I would tell myself that it's instant power and MPG. it just doesn't work that way.
If you have a stock engine and it is pinging all the time and goes away with the use of a higher octane, then you need to fix the problem that exists. Either a timing issue, lean mix, vacuum leak, carbon build up in the piston area affecting the "SQUISH" zone and so on. A light/smild pinging under a load such as climing a hill before a downshift is normal and just means that the engine is running at optimum efficiency.
It's not even needed to clean the fuel system out as all of the fuels today have detergents in them (mandated by the EPA seveal years ago) to keep the injectors clean from varnish build up.
And the winter time makes it even worse. I don't know how many times that I've helped people get their vehicles started because they were running "SUPER UNLEADED" when it wasn't required. The darn things just don't like to fire.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Oct 5, 2006 | 10:24 PM
#12
And this measures octane booster on Dyno pulls from hot rod!
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/f...ng_comparison/
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/f...ng_comparison/
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