PFF - Pennock's Fiero Forum, PDA Edition

DIY Octane Boosters (Page 3/3)

ZaraSpOOk

JAN 13, 05:04 PM

E15 damages engines?
maybe on black helicopters. LOL

that's news to me, I use it almost exclusively in my Subaru (98K miles) and Toyota (266K miles), use it quite often in my Vette , the only vehicles I don't put it in is my Fiero and '82 Kawasaki but that's primarily because they see so little use

I often find E15 at around 15 cents a gallon cheaper, and a few times at 20 or more, few people use it so when they do those price jumps they often leave the price of E15 alone to get rid of it
the corn belt politicians want more market for their corn, and the MFG'ers tests show the extra 5% has no effect, not even on performance since most modern engines can adjust the timing to the octane of the gas used

you do know "regular" gas is 10% alcohol? an extra 5% is of little significance

having said that, if the OP wants higher octane rating, just use premium gas, why fart around with additives that will cost you more and you have no idea what the octane rating will be or the effect on your engine

Dennis LaGrua

JAN 13, 06:03 PM

quote

Originally posted by ZaraSpOOk:

E15 damages engines?
maybe on black helicopters. LOL

that's news to me, I use it almost exclusively in my Subaru (98K miles) and Toyota (266K miles), use it quite often in my Vette , the only vehicles I don't put it in is my Fiero and '82 Kawasaki but that's primarily because they see so little use

I often find E15 at around 15 cents a gallon cheaper, and a few times at 20 or more, few people use it so when they do those price jumps they often leave the price of E15 alone to get rid of it
the corn belt politicians want more market for their corn, and the MFG'ers tests show the extra 5% has no effect, not even on performance since most modern engines can adjust the timing to the octane of the gas used

you do know "regular" gas is 10% alcohol? an extra 5% is of little significance

having said that, if the OP wants higher octane rating, just use premium gas, why fart around with additives that will cost you more and you have no idea what the octane rating will be or the effect on your engine

More alcohol = leaner burn. Only flex fuel vehicles would adjust the fueling accordingly. E85 is not 85% gasoline but 85% alcohol. It is high octane but you will need to be running very rich to avoid engine damage.

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Australian

JAN 14, 03:55 AM

So much really to consider with fuel especially how much sulphur content suspended matter and what octane fuel has to begin with. Even the highest octane fuels need to have low sulphur and particle content to be of an improvement. I know that i can buy a higher octane fuel eg 98RON but it will have a higher particle content of about 50ppm where eg USA can buy a lower octane but a much cleaner 10ppm. Don't waste your money until you feel you understand as much as the car manufactures etc. I also have a site on Hydrogen fuel for a decade that been promoting with proff.

ZaraSpOOk

JAN 14, 04:53 PM

quote

Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:

More alcohol = leaner burn. Only flex fuel vehicles would adjust the fueling accordingly. E85 is not 85% gasoline but 85% alcohol. It is high octane but you will need to be running very rich to avoid engine damage.

True on the leaner burn, but 10% vs. 15% alcohol? that's almost nothing (not sure why you are bringing up E85 which yes, is 85% alcohol, perhaps you, like the majority of people confuse E85 with E15 (which almost no pumps label as such)
my Vette will handle anything, even the 85 octane gas in Colorado by retarding timing slightly, and then advancing it again when 93 octane (or whatever higher is used) because sensor detects detonation, nearly every modern engine does this

I often switch between E10 ("regular gas") and E15 (88 octane) in my Vette for one, with more HP available than anybody needs ('cept racer wannabees) the reduction in power by using it is not noticable in everyday driving, and I mostly use it for long distance vacations where I am cruising at 80 mph on the interstate (2000 RPM) IOW idling OK, occasional bursts in mountain passes or desert in the middle of nowhere, but again, the reduction in power still leaves plenty available

I use E15 almost exclusively (for economic reasons) in Subaru and notice no difference in power or milage because again, the engine slightly advances timing because of the higher octane (by sensing detonation) which offsets the slight reduction in power generated from the higher alcohol mix
tests show there is almost no difference between power and milage between regular 87 octane (10% alcohol) and 88 octane (15% alcohol)

I have no idea if my Toyota is able to adjust the timing due to detonation, but that engine is bulletproof, I have burned Mexican gas in it and 85 octane often, the car will be reduced to rust long before the engine dies, at over a quarter million miles, it is now just broken in

I am thankful most people do not understand E15, and some even think it will damage even modern engines and consequently do not use it, with the result being it is often priced 10-15 (sometimes more) cents a gallon less than E10 when it should be about 3 cents a gallon cheaper

again, if you want higher octane for your Fiero, just use premium gas although I have no idea why you would need it unless you have done engine mods that result in requiring it

[This message has been edited by ZaraSpOOk (edited 01-14-2022).]

theogre

JAN 14, 06:19 PM

Read the Owners book.
You may get away using E15 but most Non "Flex Fuel" vehicles limit to E10 by the manufacturer.
Using E15 can void any Warranty and other Service Plans.

GM and More have fought EPA and Obama crowd trying to eliminate E10 for years.

In Most places what people called "E10" isn't really E10 and many Station Pumps Say "Up to 10% Ethanol." Pumps label 10% are often wrong.
Real E% depends on location and summer vs winter blends as require by EPA and/or State in the US.
Most Station Staff and Managers have No Clue how much Ethanol is in their "E10" when deviled last. Many "managers" can't even look at this data because of many reasons. Sub Managers often have "No Rights" to view bills etc that main manager or owners get.

I won't trust E15 or E85 to be accurate Ethanol % either in many places.

PhatMax

JAN 15, 08:52 AM

It was my understanding that ethanol is costly to produce, but get some sort of subsidy. Also, for older vehicles ethanol can corrode aluminum parts as well as destroy any rubber bits ( o-rings) that are not Viton. I have seen what ethanol does on older motorcycles. Have seen regular rings turn to crap in a year. Not a fan of ethanol….at all

ZaraSpOOk

JAN 17, 03:55 PM

quote

Originally posted by PhatMax:

It was my understanding that ethanol is costly to produce, but get some sort of subsidy.YES Also, for older vehicles ethanol can corrode aluminum parts as well as destroy any rubber bits True( o-rings) that are not Viton. I have seen what ethanol does on older motorcycles. Have seen regular rings turn to crap in a year. Not a fan of ethanol….at all

and that is why I don't use it in my 1982 Kawasaki

GM approves E15 for most engines after 2006, as does Toyota and many others
which is one reason I do not use it in my Fiero, having been designed two decades earler

But thank you to everyone who spreads fake news about E15, that why I should continue to be able to find it for 10-15 cents a gallon less than so called regular, or E10

[This message has been edited by ZaraSpOOk (edited 01-17-2022).]

Dennis LaGrua

JAN 18, 07:01 PM

There was an old drag racer that I worked with a few years ago. He said that when he raced he would cheat and add 16oz of Nitromethane to the gas and that decreased 1/4 mile times greatly. I never tried it and can't recommend it but that's what he did. He used to buy the stuff at the local hobby shop that sold engine powered model planes.