[Healeys] Fuel (was: tuning and timing)

[Bob Spidell]

Ten days and full throttle as often as possible. Ran for--literally--hours on end at speeds between 70 and 80MPH (the limit is 75 in parts of Colorado and Utah, and in Nevada, well, it's Nevada). Got near 100 a couple times just for shits and grins. I was amazed--the limit was 65 on crappy, windy roads in UT and CO. I toed the line just to keep from shaking my car to pieces. My car was fully loaded with 2 'mature' adult men, luggage and a boot full of spare parts, tools, spare tire, first aid kit, etc. etc. 

I have roughly 100K miles since rebuild on this engine. I have a 3.54 rearend so tach stays between 2K and 3K most of the time. With the miles and the taller rearend I really have to flog it to merge in front of the 18-wheelers doing 75+MPH. 

No offense, Chris--your knowledge and opinions carry weight in my book--but I don't give a flying fuck what my car would do on a dyno. The main thing I worry about is having a breakdown 100 miles from nowhere in the Nevada desert at 100+deg F (and 35degF at night). Main bugaboo remains fuel pumps, BTW--I now carry 2 spares and, yep, had to change one out. 

Anyone want to see photos of my trip? I've got a .zip file on Box.com--it's about a 2G download (and there's a few pictures of me, my copilot and GF in there, too)--send email address if interested. 

Bob 

ps. Please don't tell my BJ8 it wasn't designed to run on modern fuels. 



-------------------------------- 
Bob Spidell - San Jose, CA 

----- Original Message -----


Bob. With all due respect... 
1. What speed average did you cover your 3,773 miles in? 
Full throttle?? 3 weeks?? 
Seriously. Modern cars. Modern fuel. Your car was never designed to run modern ethanol based fuel. 
2. Bob. Run your car on a dyno for 20 mins on 91 octane fuel at the factory redline. Go on. On a dyno. Why not? Go on. 
Well, i wouldn't either. that's not the fuel the factory specified. Is it??? 
If you believe your own argument. Then just do it. Run your car at factory max rpm on that crap fuel. If you believe it's all good - just do it. 20 mins. 
Why wouldn't you? 
Me? I wouldn't run my Healey with 91 Octane (US octane, not UK or AU) for longer than it took me to drive to a proper service station. And I wouldn't drive at over 2,000 rpm 
BUT - i'd happily put my BJ8 on a dyno at 6,000 rpm for 20 minutes, running 100 octane (AU) fuel. But you have to put yours on a dyno at 5,700 rpm with 91 octane (US) for the same 20 minutes. 
Deal?? 
That should explain the difference... It's not just about octane. It's about fuel quality. 
Sincerely. 
Chris