The use of aviation fuel as a road going motor fuel has been illegal for quite some time. You might be able to "get away with it", but you could face hefty fines if you get caught, and the station that sold you the fuel, had they known you were putting it into a road going vehicle could lose their license and permit to dispense fuel. Think about what that would do to an airport.
Yeap! he should start with a compression test. [no forget this] His answer is already in the first posting. [below] Premium is cheap compared to DIY rocket fuel. With our history with race cars, I would gladly pay $50 gallon if it would eliminate other expenses. But unfortunately this isn't the case........Gasoline is the cheapest part of the equation
One of our light plane airports has a self serve pumps. What works for both parties legally is filling your av gas in containers rather than directly into the tank. Not sure how you would get the fuel nozzle into the filler anyways? Sometimes you may need a tail number to activate the pump but our local rinky dink airport doesnt require that extra step.
I have dealt with octane issues on vintage bikes....This article is one of the best describing detonation and preigntion http://www.contactmagazine.com/Issue54/EngineBasics.html Kevin Cameron is a respected engineer with a long racing history. Listen to what he says on this short video
I still cannot make sense of "when the need arises", with " not radical by any means but it’s not stock". I have a blown 354 Hemi that runs fine on US 91, and @squirrel has a blown BBC that is alarmingly fast, that can run on that too (and maybe even less). Ask him what his record ET in the 1/4-mile is, on US pump gas.
Excellent video. The last couple of sentences are priceless............. And as for "when the need arises", if you have either pre-ignition or detonation, THE NEED HAS ARISEN!!!
usually when it runs around 10.0, it's on 93, because I'm where they sell it. But out west here, best ET was 10.05 at Pomona, on 91. When I'm on a road trip, or just driving around town, I run 87. That's on an aluminum head 427 with 8.5 compression and 6 psi boost. But I've also had some vehicles that'll ping on 91 and run 15s....
That is always my assumption. The engine octane requirements are dictated by the configuration, not the use. Either and both of these can happening even before they become audible.
GimpsysHotRods yr Knowledgeable, Things are more free here & less then 30 air miles From 1600 Penns, The self serve pump had a Aviation pump Handle & a vehicle handle , the owner lived on property & pump was around 100yrds from house , it was also a gathering spot & place to drag @ night , & thats just one , I was going to mention Squirrels Deuce, Jim already commented on his set up very mild Blown combo , My self one of my combo was a blown SB little over 11 static compression 10 psi,Before 2000 on Sunoco 94 close to a daily driver .
It's a good story, but knowing what it is like to go through a full-field investigation when dealing with the Feds, I would not get involved. The first F in FAA is for Federal, after all. They won't send Andy and Barney.
Do you have to do a lot of tuning changes when changing fuels? Do you run the same boost levels with all the fuels? I have always been interested in supercharged engine tuning, but my wallet hasnt let me experiment yet. Thanks,
I read a report on octane boosters a while ago and Torco was a good one. So is Race Gas. I use mainly VP booster and use 1 can to a 1/2 tank of 93 octane. I usually buy it by the case, 6 or 8 cans and a good deal over the speed shop pricing. I think I'm down to 1 can left.
I used improved and tight squish for combustion chamber turbulence which speeds up the combustion burn giving less time for detonation, aka pinging ,to occur. Was able to run higher compression on less octane with sharper throttle response...Fixing the problem at the source...
The combustion chamber is important in so many ways. Shape of the chamber, location & amount of squish area, distance from piston, spark plug location... Big difference between old and "modern" engines, and they don't make those changes just because it's fun to waste a lot of money create new casting tools.
I use 91 with 104+ in my O/T motorcycle. It's 10to1 and 150 hp at the rear wheel. I use the no alky 91 to keep rust out of the fuel tank and the 104 for a kicker. And trust me this thing snorts.
I'm a bit reluctant to say it - but ethanol is a great octane improver. I add E85 fuel to the cheapest, regular gasoline when I can hear a little knocking in hot weather. Works great, and is "free", as in E85 is proportionally cheaper than regular gasoline, based on energy content. If you add a lot, you would have to recalibrate the carb, however.
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