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Unleaded Fuel

Started by a9x4dr , Nov 08 2005 09:52 PM

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29 replies to this topic

#1 a9x4dr

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Posted 08 November 2005 - 09:52 PM

Just went to my regular petrol station today and discovered that they no longer supply LRP. So I'm wondering what other people are doing to run their beasts - just add additive to the unleaded as they fill, install one of those units that will add the additive automatically or change valves and/or heads.

What are peoples experiences with these additive and all the brands - good and bad.

What unleaded fuel do you use - 91, 95 or 98 octane.

Was LRP minimum 96 octane?

Thanks in advance.

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#2 dattoman

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Posted 08 November 2005 - 09:59 PM

Vortex 98
And a valve saver type lubricant that I can't remember the name of (haven't driven the car in awhile)
New engine will have hardened seats

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#3 _high_rpm_

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Posted 08 November 2005 - 10:00 PM

in my lc i run 98 octane with flash lube or this other upper cylinder lube dad has if im at home

in my vh i just wack normal unleaded in it with upper cylinder lube as the motor is probebly gonna die soon anyway and id rather spend the extra money on the tory

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#4 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 08 November 2005 - 11:02 PM

I am running Mobil 8000 PULP in the LJ with no valve lube atm.

Will be running straigh gas soon.

I am planning on rebuilding a 202 to replace the 173 atm with straight gas and harden valves and seats.

Steve

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#5 _draglc_

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Posted 09 November 2005 - 09:44 AM

just found out my new engine doesnt have hardened valve seats, for 3.5k ud think it bloody would. Last time i get someone else to build me an engine, had more success building my own in the garage. Sucks having to add $3-4 onto every tank for cyl lube.

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#6 _ToranaGuy_

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Posted 09 November 2005 - 10:36 AM

Anyone tired the 94RON from united IIRC, 10% ethanol blend in it. I've run some thru my panel van, and its not bad, the engine runs sweat on it, but doesn't run so good on regular unleaded. More than likly due to HC heads i have fitted. I find premium / optimax is not really worth it when you get the 94 for about 4cpl less than regular unleaded a lot of the time. The Pano will be running dual fuel, mostly LPG when the conversion get's done, sometime next year i'm hoping. When it's finished being rebuilt.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

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#7 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 09 November 2005 - 10:50 AM

Broken record story follows:-

I drove on PULP for 18 months with no additive and put the $3.50 per tank in the glove box that I would have spent on additive. Got some other heads and got the hardened seats to the exhaust valves @ $35/cylinder (pretty common price). Did some other bits as well.

There was no noticable deterioration in the seats after 18 months, even if there was, the material that gets affected by recision gets machined out anyways, so no love lost there.

Recision is a very slow process, and unlikely to cause significant damage in the short term.

I have pics of the seats being put in, but alas, we can't post pics ATM.

Currently use Premium E10 98 Octane.

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#8 _ToranaGuy_

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Posted 09 November 2005 - 11:32 AM

After 100k kms running my Torana on lpg, i can't notice any recession of the seats, or loss of compression for that matter. I'm not sure if they are hardened seats or not, as the engine was rebuilt before i bought the car. I did run the car slightly rich @ idle, but as for the rest of the rev range, not sure as i was using a crappy amos ring. No mixture control.

Having said that tho, my mums XD 351 only took about 30k kms to burn out a set of exhaust valves & seats, 6 of the 8 were screwed.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

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#9 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 09 November 2005 - 11:46 AM

Don't know if recission is an issue on LPG, as I've never been interested in LPG, and don't know what mods they do in their gas conversions, others here will know though.

If you understand how valve recission occurs, I'd say that the engine was screwed before the ULP was put in the fuel tank. From my mucking around, I'd say it would take a good 60,000 to get any noticable wear to the eye, an possibly 80-90,000 before you'd have trouble with valves not sealing properly.

Older cars that used to run leaded fuel also have the added benefit of lead embedded in the valves & seats that continue to provide lubrication for the valve smashing down on the seat.

We are talking micro-scopic heat induced welds here.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 09 November 2005 - 11:52 AM.

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#10 _ToranaGuy_

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Posted 09 November 2005 - 10:30 PM

Don't know if recission is an issue on LPG, as I've never been interested in LPG, and don't know what mods they do in their gas conversions, others here will know though.

Older cars that used to run leaded fuel also have the added benefit of lead embedded in the valves & seats that continue to provide lubrication for the valve smashing down on the seat.

We are talking micro-scopic heat induced welds here.

Yeah, LPG has the issue, as there is nothing to lube the valves and seats, so with no lube and increased exhaust temp's that can be seen on lpg, you tend to get recission, esp if the car is running lean, you get it real fast. I have a feeling that's why flashlube was first invented, fitted to under hood tanks that feed it to the engine, think hospital drip like, to keep valves running longer.

Normally you would change to harder valves and seats when rebuilding heads for a gas engine, just like you do to make an old engine happier to run unleaded. It's as tough on the exhaust valves as unleaded is. That's why there is so many horror stories of LPG killing old engines. Cheap conversions that didn't upgrade the valves and seats, and it cost's them in the end.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

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#11 GML-31

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Posted 10 November 2005 - 08:09 AM

if you buy the additive in a big enough bottle it only works out at around 50 cents a tank....

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#12 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 10 November 2005 - 08:23 AM

I'm lazy, was easier just to get the seats done and let the old heads cop some damage.

Current additive cost = $0.00/tank

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#13 Peter UC

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Posted 10 November 2005 - 04:38 PM

I haven't run the 94RON ethanol fuel but I have the 98Ron car seems to run fine with no pinging etc (high comp engine) and it costs the same as regular unleaded.

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#14 _Feigz_

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Posted 15 November 2005 - 06:49 AM

Shell and Caltex have a 95 ron petrol out now. Cheaper than PULP and haven't noticed any difference in performance. Buy flashlube in 1 ltr bottles and it lasts quite a while except when silly bugger doesn't put the lid back on tight enough - doh!

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#15 davelh

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Posted 15 November 2005 - 04:40 PM

Buy flashlube in 1 ltr bottles and it lasts quite a while except when silly bugger doesn't put the lid back on tight enough - doh!

And its like shit to a blanket on everything in the boot!

Im using Caltex Vortex 98]
found this to be the most engine friendly, and the most economical out of ultimate, mobil 8000 and the rest
have tried unleaded but runs like crap
WHY COULDNT THEY JUST KEEP GOOD OLD SUPER
We wouldnt be in this bloody mess
FUGGIN HIPPIES
cheers
dave

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#16 _4door_LJ_

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Posted 18 November 2005 - 11:48 PM

I normally run BP Ultimate 98 with Flashlube (occasionally).
Due to running out of fuel last weekend & putting 5 ltr's of ULP 91 in, I discovered 2 things.
1. My car doesn't like std ULP at all
2. 95 RON seems ok as we have run out of 98 here in WA.

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#17 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 12:15 PM

Octane Booster is your friend. I found myself away from a supply of PULP and with almost no petrol in tank, i had to stick 91 ULP in. I put some octane booster in and no pinging

In the past when i have run the car on straight ULP (when i run out of petrol) it was almost undrivable. It wouldn't idle had no go, and i had to keep pumping the pedal to keep the motor running. But i got to a servo and stuck PULP in.

Steve

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#18 shanegtr

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 01:25 PM

When I was in perth I used to use 98 Ron, but up here its not available. Just wondering what octane boosters work well? By the way, I changed to ULP when LRP came in. My torrie ran like shit on that fuel. I've installed a fuelstar cannister. Supposed to replace the lead with tin. When I brought it they said theyd last over 1 million k's, now they say 500,000. Whats going on there?

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#19 _LX406_

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 02:46 PM

I run my 406 on Mobil Synergy 8000 or BP Ultimate, no additive. I cant be bothered with the additive as my engine doesn't do bulk kms. I had the heads off a little while back and they looked ok, so I chucked em back on and ran 11.50 in my HG at calder.

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#20 tinkers

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 03:32 PM

For the WA peoples.

98 Octane should be back at most servos today.

Seems BP was filling up their stations first then others will follow suit.

I noticed on the way to work the BP's at Cannington & Manning Rd both had the red covers off the pumps but the 4 Caltex's I pass still didnt have any.

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#21 _rorym_

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 05:18 PM

Shane, Nulon Pro seems to be the best. Just spend the $ and get the exhausts valves done with hardened seats, no worries then. I run Ulitmate plus the Nulon Pro = 100RON. I will try Caltex Vortex, keep hearing good reports on this stuff.
Rory

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#22 Toranamat69

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 07:11 PM

Shell now have a 100 octane fuel coming out by the end of the year - with 5% ethanol. Sounds nice:)

Octane boosters can be deceiving, whilst you may get a good increase in octane if added to standard unleaded, the increase is much less when you add to the higher octane fuels. Most of the claims on the bottle are more reallistic if applied to standard unleaded.

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#23 _rorym_

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 08:44 PM

I based my decision on a test run by Fast 4s , the test is one the old site in tech stuff I think. Also my mail is if ethenol is added it reduces octane levels so does that mean the new Shell was 104 before ethenol additive,? (which is what it is)
R

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#24 _draglc_

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Posted 21 November 2005 - 09:12 PM

shell had there new optimax extreme today.. was $1.18. Apparently 100 octane with 5% ethanol. I thought adding ethanol was supposed to make petrol cheaper? Wasnt that why everyone was pushing for it? So far every place ive seen is more expensive.. so whats the point?