Racing Fuel
 

Hello all,

I was a bit out of familiar territory today and stopped a a Sunoco station for fuel (company truck). When I pulled up to the pump I thought it had diesel also because it had 2 dispensers and 4 choices (most around here are like that). However when I got out and looked at the pump the second dispenser and separate selection said - 100 octane Racing Fuel on it - it was priced at $5.95 a gallon. I wouldn't waste that in a company rig (because they wont pay for it) but I was wondering what it would do for or against my engine? I mentioned this to somebody else and they said (i did not notice but will look later) that octane rating is a leaded fuel? I realize its costly but it sure seems mighty tasty to throw a tankful in the Disco, I just wouldn't want it to melt my engine???

Cheers

Robert

Do it. Post pictures... of the carnage.

Once upon a time I ran the odd tank of airplane fuel in my 'Cuda. It was 100 octane low lead.

It had a high compression engine without hardened valve seats. As I understood it, the lead lubricated and softened up the valves to keep them from getting damaged. Lead's not needed anymore and would probably damage your cats or sumpin'.

I don't know if the stuff you saw is leaded or not as I don't think they can sell that for cars these days. As a matter of fact, I had to fill up some gas cans at the aiport and take it off site to dump in my car.

BTW, I never noticed any performance gains to speak of. I did, however, go through a few engine rebuilds over the course of 20,000 miles. Fuel related? Tis beyond my scope.

Seeing as our trucks are 9.5ish:1 compression, 93 octane works just fine. We probably wouldn't see any benefit to running anything higher than that. Rice rockets and race cars might, though, since many run at 12:1 or better.

You cannot buy leaded fuel in the US anymore.
There is no need for it as all cars have hardened valves now.
The lead that was in the fuel was to prevent the softer valves of engines old from destroying themselves.
Remember your dad having to do valve jobs on his Oldsmobile every 50k?
Does anybody do valves jobs anymore? No. Not unless there is a problem or a engine rebuild.

Yes you can run 100 octane in a street car, 110 octane will melt the pistons, 100 will not.
The only time you would benfit from running 100 octane in your Disco would be if you were to be towing a heavy trailer or trying to pull a redwood tree stump out of the ground.
Daily driving you will be wasting your money.

And might I add that most racing fuel uses a solvent of some sort (like toluene) to slow the burn rate of the gasoline it is added to. Solvents are good in small quantities but for the amount it takes to make race gas it would lead to heavy injector wear.

race fuel still contains lead. you dont want to run it in your car trust me youll be buying new cats and o2 sensors. ask me how i know.

If you look at the handle on the pump, it is big. It will not fit into your Disco. If it will, it is a special unleaded race fuel. I have never seen unleaded race fuel at a normal pump. Just like the above states... if you run leaded fuel in your Rover, be ready to buy new cats.

Sorry folks,

I failed to make this point - I was thinking along the lines of just running one tank or a mixed half tank in the Disco - to use as a cleaner.

My apologies for not saying that.

Robert

Racing fuel wont clean anything, octane is not what cleans the injectors its the additives in the fuel.
Shell for example uses nitrogen in their fuel to clean the fuel system, intake valves and pistons.
If you want to clean things then use a name brand of gas that has extra cleaners in it.

the amount of lead in todays fuel is 0, you should not be able to find anything with lead in it on the street (an airport is a controlled environment so they could have it). This is because lead produces much higher emissions when burned and as of 1996 (I believe that was the year but don't hold me to that) the clean air act finished the long process of removing lead from street vehicle fuel, if you get it now it will be from a controlled environment meaning the EPA wants record of who is buying it and what it's being used for. For older cars that run on leaded fuel you used to be able to get a lead additive but I am pretty sure you can't even get that anymore, now you have to get an EPA approved lead substitute.

as for the octane rating you will be wasting your money if you go with anything much over a 93 rating, all you are doing is reducing a knock that should not even be there with 89 or better in our engines anyways (unless something is wrong with your engine) higher octane fuels do burn slower and cleaner but the price usually does not outweigh the benefits over premium.

and here I thought being a fuel systems transfer engineer (gas attendant) and an emissions inspector would never benefit me again in life!!!


oh yeah I should add I can only attest to this in the USA, there are many countries that do not control street fuel