I have to chime in on Wesley's question.
> Which Brings up the question.....what are most people using for gasoline.
I
> have always used 97 octane from BP. Is that the best or is their better??
My general rules:
1) Avoid fuel containing alcohol or other oxidants
2) Buy fuel from a station with clean, well-maintained pumps, etc..
3) Buy fuel from a station that does A LOT of business.
4) Buy the lowest octane grade that meets my car's needs.
Regarding (1), our older cars are not made for these fuels. The
alcohol (ethanol or methanol) vastly changes many combustion
efficiency properties of fuel, not to mention the plethora of
potential physical damages to hoses, etc..
Regarding (2) and (3), all fuel is basically the same (except
perhaps for a few addititives introduced at the last minute).
I have watched Exxon, BP, Shell, etc., all fill their tanker
trucks from the same tanks (that were filled from the same
barges). The difference is how the fuel is stored and delivered
at the local level. Clean, fresh, dry (water free) fuel comes
from clean, well maintained tanks and pumps.
Regarding (4), gasoline (petrol) is a complex mixture of
hydrocarbons ranging from very light paraffins to quite
heavy heptane+ components. The light fractions tend
to flash-off quickly. That is part of why fresh fuel is
important. The ONLY advantage of high-octane fuel
is to avoid pre-ignition and pinking (ping). The oil
companies use words like "premium" to imply that
buying anything else is "economy" fuel. Such is not the
case. The 'quality' of 87 octane is the same as 98
octane race fuel! The 98 octane stuff just doesn't
ignite as easily!
My cars all require high octane pump fuel. I use 93
octane in them all, when it is available. Then again, I
push my high performance engines rather hard and
their compression ratios are high.
The best advice, if economy is an issue, is to use the
lowest octane-grade fuel that does not promote pre-
ignition or pinking.
That's it,
Rick Lindsay
Emerald Geoscience Research Corp.
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