[Healeys] Fuel (was: tuning and timing)

[Michael Salter]

Despite the above it is really hard to run the engine in any reasonably
powerful road car for more than a few seconds at full throttle.
A properly tuned BJ8 will reach 100 MPH in  20 seconds or less on a flat road
at full throttle!!
Race cars get a better chance but even they seldom run at full throttle for
very long.
If you really want to experience the effects  of poor or incorrect fuel or
prolonged detonation on an engine put it in a boat.
Don't ask me how I known:-(

Michael S


-----Original Message-----
From: "Bob Spidell" <bspidell at comcast.net>
Sent: b2013-b06-b06 11:23 AM
To: "Chris Dimmock" <austin.healey at gmail.com>
Cc: "healeys at autox.team.net" <healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Fuel (was:  tuning and timing)

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
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