my parents did a road trip with premium and regular... it saw no difference with a 4.0 in a 91 explorer (yes its low miles too, just turned 70k)

 

maybe mileage makes a difference there was 167k on my Ranger when I traded it in, and it was a 3.0

 

I'm waiting for my tunes to get reprogrammed. They told me it will be weeks. The problem is I tow my 7000lb camper around and I need the extra power. Just frustrating.

 

You can find a few TSBs about fuel octane & driveability near the bottom of the 1st page of this thread, and more info in this:

 

It's all in the cats. Nothing special about the engine or the fuel. Your cats are working good and your computer is keeping stoich effictively.


There is also nothing special about high octane fuel. No mpg gains either. If you experience any, it's because of something else such as shift point changes, etc. Or a problem that high octane fuel "fixes".

You can obtain higher hp with higher octane fuel for a variety of reasons, mostly related to advanced timing and detonation. But with advanced timing and high octane fuel you see higher fuel costs and increase wear on the engine. Soo... If you want to race, it's worth it. If you want your truck to last as long as possible, it possibly isn't. There's a reason and rhyme for everything.

 

It is all in the eye of the beholder. There is no accurate way to measure efficiency on the road so people get confused about what is actually going on.
One person will drive around and say that he had worse mileage with the higher octane. The problem with that is that the conditions are never the same when the tests are done. Fill up your tank and drive till it is empty. Lets say that it takes a week. Then you fill up with another brand of the same octane. There are variances in the different brands so that alone can skew the results. Now take into account that the week between tests have allowed the weather to become a factor. And unless you drove exactly the same path as the week before..... Now think about weather you idled more this week than last week.

One thing that you can be certain of is that at any given throttle setting the higher octane will deliver more power if tuned correctly. So set up on a dyno and drive for 1000 miles @ 60 mph on an 87 tune. Measure the fuel consumption. Set up the same test but using 93 octane. All things being equal you should consume less fuel with the 93 octane test. It is all in the throttle setting which effects fuel injection. Lets say for argument sake that using the 87 octane tune you need to have a 50% throttle setting. Because the 93 tune creates more power at any given throttle setting you will need less throttle to develop the required power to propel the vehicle on the dyno @ 60 mph.

JMC

 

Hmm, its kinda funny how everybody is saying something different. Some say that it doesnt add HP but is better for your engine and others are saying it does add HP and hurts your engine!!!! I guess I will just try it when I get my tuner in and go from there! Still waiting for my tuner and intake......its been over 5 weeks which that is how long they said it would take. I know they are busy so I understand but waiting truly bites

 

All you gotta do is ask yourself why it is that TP's 93 max perf tunes are *far* more powerful than his 87 tunes. Octane. As in being able to advance timing without risking detonation.

Keep in mind there can be a vast difference in BTU content across various brands of equivalent octane fuels as well....

Buy the good stuff - it will keep your engine cleaner, and with 93 oct & proper tuning you will notice the performance increase.

BTW - Google 'Brake Specific Fuel Consumption' ... JMC has it right.

Finally - you can always ask Mike Troyer about this - you will receive a free education with every question - guaranteed !

 

I did talk to someone at troyer and it only makes sense that the 93 octane is just that much better! Otherwise, there wouldnt be any price difference.

I also agree with the brand of gas you mentioned. My drug of choice for my truck is Chevron! They have that Techron and also have seemed to be one of the top choices in fuel brands.

Everyone is entilted to their opinion but I really like this last comment. Thats why I switched to 93 octane even before I get my tunes.

Man, I cant wait for them

 

sigh.

 

That's horrible logic! Remember leaded gas? Remember that it cost LESS than unleaded? It's cheaper to produce UNleaded, so leaded should have cost MORE. Octane doesn't relate in any way to value, or to the energy available in the fuel. Its only meaning is how resistant the gas is to knocking. And according to Ford, using too high an octane WILL cause problems, for several reasons.

chester
I agree TOTALLY...

 

Ok, so how is this for logic. When I drive my truck with 93 octane gas I like it better. I FEEL that my truck responds better and runs smoother. Since there is no evidence either way on which is better for a stock truck I can have my thoughts about it. And there is a reason that the price is higher for 93 over 87, its because there is more of a demand for this gas. Simple economics, supply and demand. The reason leaded fuel is cheaper is because nobody wants it. The reason 93 is more expensive than 87 is that more people want it. So, if more people want it than it would be safe to assume that it is the better gas. Maybe thats good logic after all??? Even so, if thats my belief than who are you to insult someone? You dont have to be rude to disagree!

 

Umm.... NOBODY buys 93 octane fuel. Go to a pump and watch people! Have you ever noticed that they store a LOT more 87 and even 89! It's priced higher so that people will think they're getting "super gas" and pay more for it. 93 has a higher octane rating. Which means, it will perform differently under certian circumstances. Such as, higher compression or advanced spark etc. You WON'T get better fuel mileage PERIOD, and you WON'T have more power UNLESS you adjust your engine to compensate for it!!!! In fact, you will probably have LESS power if you run 93 octane! I have tried it before. My truck was slower on the stock tune with 93 versus 87. (not much, but it's funny anyway) Now if you just HAVE to buy it, fine. But you're fooling yourself if you think it's gonna make your engine last longer, or increase performance.

 

Umm.... NOBODY buys 93 octane fuel. Go to a pump and watch people! Have you ever noticed that they store a LOT more 87 and even 89! It's priced higher so that people will think they're getting "super gas" and pay more for it. 93 has a higher octane rating. Which means, it will perform differently under certian circumstances. Such as, higher compression or advanced spark etc. You WON'T get better fuel mileage PERIOD, and you WON'T have more power UNLESS you adjust your engine to compensate for it!!!! In fact, you will probably have LESS power if you run 93 octane! I have tried it before. My truck was slower on the stock tune with 93 versus 87. (not much, but it's funny anyway) Now if you just HAVE to buy it, fine. But you're fooling yourself if you think it's gonna make your engine last longer, or increase performance. I am not trying to be rude, I just don't want you to waste your money. The oil companies are rich enough as it is.

 

Ok Buddy,
You obviously have a sensitive spot here......So you win, whatever you say man. I am not here to argue with what you THINK is best! I have much more valuable things to do with my time than watch a gas pump. But from what people have said in this thread is that the majority of people on this thread use 93 octane. But I guess they are all fooling themselves, as you put it. If you think that 93 octane gas isnt better for your engine in the long run than I believe you are fooling yourself. It is been recommended to use 93 over 87 for the longevity of your engine.

And just so you know, its about $5 more per tank to run 93 over 87! 25 gallons at .20 cents more! To me, and I can only speak for myself, its worth it. So buy your 87 and be happy about it, but dont tell me how I am going to not have this or that. You are no expert and you are giving your opionion. Which is what I asked for in this thread, but dont get upset when someone disagrees! Chill out, life has a lot more going on than 87 versus 93. So if I want to "waste" my money I guess I have the right.