Fuel these days...

[edevlin]

" but in my small area I am lucky to find a Shell station and Chevron is out of the question"

Me too, we only have a Chevron, but it is a small, old facility with low volume. We do have a new Sheetz which I am thinking of switching to. They are supposed to have high-quality fuel storage and delivery systems, but I am not sure about their fuel, as they are not listed as toptier. Anyone have experience with their fuel?

Ed

[pk2]

I run a 9:1 mix of race fuel just because I kinda have to, can't afford any extra heat. We don't even have 93 cot here. I like to use chevron. Techronn is pretty legit harmless detergent. 20 odd years a ago I got a bum tank of gas from a no-name station. All it did was smell so stong and bad I discovered a leaking fuel line (good idea for leaky fuel finder...some sort of skunk additive).

Turn the question around, anybody had a big problem with less than fresh "High quality" fuel?

PK

[ekam]

Our Sunoco 94 oct also contains 10% ethanol. Lots of local Pcar guys switched to Shell 91 oct and they notice better gas mileage right off.

[blue2000s]

Check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_additive

You thought oil was a complicated mixture!

[pk2]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

Check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_additive

You thought oil was a complicated mixture!

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I noticed "toluene" on the list as an anti knock additive. Never had a knock but that's just because the timing will be automatically retarded, but that will effect performance. I use Toluene in a pinch to up the octane, It has debatable burn characteristics but it is cooler.

That's strange the higher oct. gives worse mileage. Here in CA we get to set the standards for some 12 other states(sorry) (instead of looser fed standards). I thought we oxygenated with alcohol everything, 87-91 oct. No escape. It use to be just a summertime thing but I think it's year around now.

Is performance wonder how much performance is effected with 91 oct.

Regards, PK

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by pk2

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I noticed "toluene" on the list as an anti knock additive. Never had a knock but that's just because the timing will be automatically retarded, but that will effect performance. I use Toluene in a pinch to up the octane, It has debatable burn characteristics but it is cooler.

That's strange the higher oct. gives worse mileage. Here in CA we get to set the standards for some 12 other states(sorry) (instead of looser fed standards). I thought we oxygenated with alcohol everything, 87-91 oct. No escape. It use to be just a summertime thing but I think it's year around now.

Is performance wonder how much performance is effected with 91 oct.

Regards, PK

For anyone unfamiliar, octane rating is a measurement of the energy it takes to start a gasoline to burn, the energy content is the amount of energy that will be released when it does burn. There's no direct correlation between the two.

Different refiners use different mixtures to increase a fuel's octane rating some of these additives have higher energy contents than others. But in general, the additives they use to increase the octane rating has a lower energy content than the gasoline itself. This is what typically leads to the lower fuel economy.

[d18mike]

This from The Baltimore Sun last week ... a sign of the times ...

Excess Ethanol Blamed in Breakdown of Police Cars

City officials say an unusually high concentration of ethanol in the city's gasoline supply contributed to the breakdown of more than 70 police cars over the weekend, most of which had been repaired and returned to service Tuesday.

More than 200 police cars fueled up at a 24-hour, city-run gas pump by the Fallsway before cars started showing problems, and nearly one-third of the Police Department's patrol contingent was sidelined with engine trouble.

Police doubled up in cars before activating a reserve and shifting administrative vehicles into service.

----

Where I live in Michigan I can not get ethanol-free gas. And given the investment in ethanol that oil companies have made in the past year, it's hard to imagine that the 90/10 mix won't be the rule further afield in the next few years.

It will be interesting to see if there is a large enough market for one of the major oil companies to sell a premium Sports Car fuel (100% gas).

My strategy at this point is to simply stick with the major brands (Shell, BP, Chevron, Sunoco) and the highest Octane I can get locate.

[pk2]

Blue200s,
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Originally Posted by blue2000s

For anyone unfamiliar, octane rating is a measurement of the energy it takes to start a gasoline to burn, the energy content is the amount of energy that will be released when it does burn. There's no direct correlation between the two.

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Nailed, got me. So whats your take on %100 octane unleaded race fuel? Fortified with "Red-Bull" & "thunderbird" " or something of substance?

And as far as additives go, where does toulene rank? whats better?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by blue2000s

Different refiners use different mixtures to increase a fuel's octane rating some of these additives have higher energy contents than others. But in general, the additives they use to increase the octane rating has a lower energy content than the gasoline itself. This is what typically leads to the lower fuel economy.

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So has no one figured out who blends the best stuff together? Also, if there adding bad cholesterol (additives) to make it 93, whats to keep them from adding bad cholesterol to 87 oct to make 91?

PK

[mptoledo]

I noticed a drop in MPG when I was using "Clark" station's fuel ( I am guessing their ethanol mix is higher). Nothing bad with performance though, just a drop in mpg. I switched back to shell and the mpg is back up 3 to 5 mpg. Bad part is, my Shell station is in a very small town and is always .10 to .15 higher.

Originally Posted by pk2

I run a 9:1 mix of race fuel just because I kinda have to, can't afford any extra heat. We don't even have 93 cot here. I like to use chevron. Techronn is pretty legit harmless detergent. 20 odd years a ago I got a bum tank of gas from a no-name station. All it did was smell so stong and bad I discovered a leaking fuel line (good idea for leaky fuel finder...some sort of skunk additive).

Turn the question around, anybody had a big problem with less than fresh "High quality" fuel?

PK