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Re: [oletrucks] Octane inquiry

To: oletrucks@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] Octane inquiry
From: MarkNoakes@aol.com
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 19:12:16 EDT
In a message dated 5/31/99 3:44:40 PM, you wrote:

<<Just had an interesting conversation with a friend, who informed me that a
mechanic recently told him that the octane of your gasoline only matters
if you have a newer engine that can adjust to differing octanes.
How much truth is there in this, and what octanes are people burning in
their ole trucks?  (My '54 3100 has the straight six engine in it.)

Tim Lloyd, omaha@tmbg.org>>

This sounds mostly like "new car" theology; it is true that the computer 
controlled engines sense knock and adjust the timing accordingly.  With 
higher octane gas the timing can be advanced more producing more HP.

On the older cars/trucks (the only ones that really count), octane required 
is a combination of compression ratio primarily and engine timing/fuel 
mixture secondarily.  Try proving that high octane gas doesn't matter in an 
11:1 compression ratio late 60's muscle car.  Running low octane will destroy 
them.

On older cars that have alot of carbon built up in the heads, burning higher 
octane gas can help reduce pinging a little. . .glowing carbon will still 
cause detonation/pinging happen though.  So it would be better to rebuild 
really. . .

Anyone else?

Mark Noakes
Knoxville, TN
58/56 Suburban
66 Corvair Monza
86 Silverado
86 Corvette Indy convertible

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