ANWR

[SubCultureNM]

Octane does not equal power - octane is simply a measure of the ease with which the gasoline burns. Higher octane fuel is harder to burn, which means it burns slower. High compression engines (or those running forced induction) need higher octane fuel to ward-off detonation, or "pinging" as most people call it. In a standard vehicle that has a standard compression ratio, high octane fuel will only make it run worse since it's harder to burn.

Bottom line - unless your vehicle's engine is in very good shape and has high compression from the factory, you're only wasting your money buying higher octane fuel.

<font color="#FFFF00" size="1">[ November 14, 2004 06:33 PM: Message edited by: SubCultureNM ]</font>

[ShellyCrash]

Originally posted by SubCultureNM:

Bottom line - unless your vehicle's engine is in very good shape and has high compression from the factory, you're only wasting your money buying higher octane fuel.

<font color="#FFFF00"><font size="1">[ November 14, 2004 06:33 PM: Message edited by: SubCultureNM ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="verdana, arial">I read that article, if you're copy pasting something, you should quote it.

All my cars have performance engines. They are built for high octaine fuel.

"The compression ratio of your engine determines the octane rating of the gas you must use in the car. One way to increase the horsepower of an engine of a given displacement is to increase its compression ratio. So a "high-performance engine" has a higher compression ratio and requires higher-octane fuel. The advantage of a high compression ratio is that it gives your engine a higher horsepower rating for a given engine weight -- that is what makes the engine "high performance." The disadvantage is that the gasoline for your engine costs more. "

from : How Stuff Works

<font color="#FFFF00" size="1">[ November 15, 2004 02:07 AM: Message edited by: ShellyCrash ]</font>

[hour_of_darkness]

Originally posted by ShellyCrash:
I'll be honest, I have never driven a car that got better than 12 MPG, ever.
I'd rather pay $5 a gallon if I knew it would save lives.
The solution I would like to see put into place is not drilling for oil in the US but instead federal funding for alternative fuels. If they ever make that veggie fuel commercial grade I would buy it. I have to put in a bottle of octaine booster in the old car as it is because the quality (octaine) of the gas we pump now has deteriorated so heavily since the 50's- 60's.
I'm sure we could make it work.

<font size="2" face="verdana, arial">Bush has 1.7 billion in research of a hydrogen based fuel source. But unfortunately, federal funding is not enough. He's too much of a douche bag to really get behind it. We need someone that would go all out on it and get behind it hardcore to find an answer. Money to research isn't enough. But someone needs to get behind it and make things happen soon. Drilling in Alaska could only lead to really bad things in my opinion

[ShellyCrash]

It would be easiest if someone just made commercial grade veggie fuel. Veggie fuel is allready a reality- my cars just can't run on it until someone ups the refinery.

[SubCultureNM]

Originally posted by ShellyCrash:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="verdana, arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="verdana, arial">Originally posted by SubCultureNM:

Bottom line - unless your vehicle's engine is in very good shape and has high compression from the factory, you're only wasting your money buying higher octane fuel.

<font color="#FFFF00"><font size="1">[ November 14, 2004 06:33 PM: Message edited by: SubCultureNM ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="verdana, arial">I read that article, if you're copy pasting something, you should quote it.

All my cars have performance engines. They are built for high octaine fuel.

"The compression ratio of your engine determines the octane rating of the gas you must use in the car. One way to increase the horsepower of an engine of a given displacement is to increase its compression ratio. So a "high-performance engine" has a higher compression ratio and requires higher-octane fuel. The advantage of a high compression ratio is that it gives your engine a higher horsepower rating for a given engine weight -- that is what makes the engine "high performance." The disadvantage is that the gasoline for your engine costs more. "

from : How Stuff Works

<font color="#FFFF00"><font size="1">[ November 15, 2004 02:07 AM: Message edited by: ShellyCrash ]</font></font></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="verdana, arial">I've quoted nothing but my years of experience building all different types of vehicles, including helping build and tune an 800 hp (at the wheels) Toyota Supra. Your comments were incorrect, I simply tried to offer you REAL facts in a constructive manner.

High performance engines are not built by bolting a 750 cfm carb on top of a Chevy or Ford small block. You really need at least high 9s or 10:1 compression ratios to justify premium fuel. Very few run-of-the mill rat rod and hot rod engines run that kind of compression. If your engines do, or they're blown, then my apologies.

[SubCultureNM]

As well, compression ratio isn't technically the only feature of an engine that would require premium fuel. Running a lot of timing advance can take advantage of premium fuel to prevent detonation. Forced induction (turbos or superchargers) or nitrous will typically require higher octane fuel as well, though they do effectively increase compression ratios.

Back on topic - there's not enough crude under the surface of ANWR to justify the environmental degradation that drilling would cause.