i know the new truck 302 cube v8 is "tuned" to run just fine on regular, but i was wondering if high octane will give it a power bump? i guess i'm wondering if ford's electronic/ignition systems allow for more aggressive timing..etc to take advantage of high octane fuel??

 

Surely with a tune from a reputable tuner you can achieve more power with higher octane...


Their are other threads with members claimng that Ford states using a higher octane will give you more effiency when towing and in summer heat.

This is to prevent Knock/Detonation while under load in exreme temps and altitudes.

^^^ and I think this is only with the EB.

I can't see the engine control giving you the power a tune would with higher octane.

It would be minimal.

 

Basically the answer to your question is no, unless you have a custom tune written to take advantage of the 91 or 93 octane fuel.

How would you currently propose telling the system you filled up with 93 instead of 89 so it could adjust things like ignition timing?

- NCSU

 

There are quite a few members here that don't believe this, but this is my opinion, based on over 40 years experience. Any time you can run more timing advance, you will develop more power and increase efficiency (i.e. gas mileage). In the old days, we used to simply grab the distributor and advance it till it pinged, then backed it off a hair. These days, the PCM controls the timing. *IF* the knock sensors allow more advance, you will increase power and mileage. Now - exactly how much is going to be debated from now till the cows come home. I have NO personal experience with the 5.0 or the EB, but I know on my old 4.2, it does feel a bit peppier on high octane, and it also gets measurably better mileage - about 1 mpg. To me, it's NOT worth the extra 20 to 30 cents a gallon.

Another case in point - I tried an experiment with an 89 Beretta GT I used to own. It had a 2.8 V-6 and a 5 speed stick. On 87 octane it got 29 mpg on the highway. I threw a tank of 93 in it from almost empty and drove it the same way and got 32 on that tank. It also felt peppier. Both the 87 and the 93 were E-10. The engine did have a knock sensor.

 

Till the cows come home....


I think all the cows legs are broke on this one glc!!



I too have no expierience with the new F150 motors.... So can't say forsure either.


I really would like to hear what a tuner has to say...


Someone should contact Mike at 5star*****....

He would definatly know, he owns a shortbox 5.0 and has written numerous tunes for it...

 

well, i was just kinda wondering aloud. many manufacturers now rate their engine output on regular fuel, but claim a small increase in torque/horsepower with high octane. just wondering if the same applied to the new 302 in the truck. ford never mentions such...so who knows for sure?

 

The owners manual states "3.7l v6/5.0l v8/6.2l v8 engines. Your vehicle will run normally on 87 octane regular fuel. Premium fuel will provide improved performance".

 

But to what extent?

What are the figures I wonder...


I highly doubt the ECU/PCM can get out of the motor what a tunes ECU/PCM can...


All I'm saying is, if your willing to spend the extra money at fill up time, why not buy a tuner and get everything you can out of that pricy premium?

 

Tuners void warranties , premium fuel does not. Without a controlled test answers to these questions are only guesses IMO. I suspect since Ford suggests a performance increase with premium there undoubtedly must be some.

 

Maybe on the EB.

But not me.

My warranty is intact, and I got almost 1mpg more with my 87 tune...

 

The only F-150 engine that I'm aware of where Ford has released the actual numbers over and above 87 octane is the 09/10 5.4 on E85.