Why Higher-Octane Fuel?

From: Stlaurent Mr Steven (STLAURENTS@MCTSSA.USMC.MIL)
Date: Thu Jun 06 2002 - 16:30:47 EDT


Higher-octane fuel requires a higher temperature to burn. As compression
ratio or pressure increases so does the need for higher-octane fuel. Most
engines today are low compression engines therefore requiring a lower octane
fuel (87). Any higher octane than required is just wasting money. Other
factors that affect the octane requirements of the engine are: air/fuel
ratio, ignition timing, engine temperature, and carbon build up in the
cylinder. Many automobile manufacturers have installed exhaust gas
recirculation systems to reduce cylinder chamber temperature.
Reference: http://www.familycar.com/fuel.htm

Interesting....
--------------------------------------
Steven St.Laurent
C4i System Engineer
C4i Engineering Branch, PSD, MCTSSA
MARCORSYSCOM, U.S. Marine Corps
Office (760) 725-2506 (DSN Prefix: 365)
"Never be content with somebody else definition
of you. Instead, define yourself by your own beliefs,
your own truths, your own understanding of who
you are. Never be content until you are happy with
 the unique person GOD has created you to be."

-----Original Message-----
From: jon@dakota-truck.net [mailto:jon@dakota-truck.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 12:57 PM
To: dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net
Subject: Re: DML: Re: 76 Competition 100 Unleaded Racing Gasoline

Stlaurent Mr Steven <STLAURENTS@mctssa.usmc.mil> wrote:

: Ugh, Jon. I think you have that in reverse.

: It is a proven fact the high the fuel octane the more power. I wish I
could
: run the SR-71 fuel (JP-7).

  Nope. Its just that decades of marketing have made people think that
higher octane = more power. As long as you aren't pinging or knocking,
raising the octane will net you zero additional horsepower, and in fact,
may even decrease your power due to the tendancy of many many high
octane fuels being slower to burn.

--

-Jon-

.---- Jon Steiger ------ jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -----. | I'm the: AOPA, DoD, EAA, NMA, NRA, SPA, USUA. Rec & UL Pilot - SEL | | '70 Barracuda, '92 Ram 4x4, '96 Dakota, '96 Intruder 1400, '96 FireFly | `----------------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com ----'



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:04:43 EDT