Tried Race Fuel for the First Time

[Rothko]

After talking to an Austin Healey driver, I learned of a Sunoco station nearby that sells 260 GT race fuel (100 octane, unleaded) that he recommended.  I gave it a shot this weekend and filled up from about half a tank. 

The difference was noticeable.  The performance was smoother and the car felt like it was eager to be pushed faster - although I resisted.

Anyone else use race fuel for their 280?   It was expensive; about $9 a gallon.

[mbzse]

.../...Anyone else use race fuel for their 280?

I use Shell V-power yes. Used to be 99 Octane, now 98....
https://www.shell.co.uk/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power.html

[Garry]

I also try to use Shell. 98 octane.

[MikeSimon]

Here are some thoughts about the ongoing discussion on all "motorhead" forums about high octane gas:
- The only real advantage of "race" gas is, that it may not have any ethanol in it.
- Most all gasolines, even race gas, do not contain lead anymore, which may be important for older engines and valve seat durability.
- Higher octane has a drawback:
                Higher octane numbers are achieved with ignition retarding additives
                This means there are less carbon-hydrate molecules available to provide energy and thus performance
                Higher octane numbers mean that the combustion process is less prone to detonation which occurs at higher compression ratios
If your engine, based on the specific compression ratio, will not require a higher octane rating, stick with the gas that gives you what you need.
Anything beyond that is a waste of money and could probably cause issues with unburned gas washing away the oil on your cylinder walls.
Race gas does not make horsepower. It prevents a high compression engine from detonation.

[Jack Jones]

One advantage of using race fuel is for long term storage since it is less prone to going stale. In some provinces in Canada, super unleaded is available without any added ethanol and is also better for storage.

[mnahon]

Hi Jack,

If you get the super unleaded at Shell, it has no ethanol in all provinces. Here, that Shell V-Power is 91 octane, not 98 like in UK/Australia.
https://www.shell.ca/en_ca/motorists/my-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline.html

Meyer

[wwheeler]

I use race gas mainly because it does not have ethanol and stores for years. I recently had an incident where the pump gas gelled in my injectors during a long project. No more of that. Plus, the race gas doesn't smell as bad and evaporates very quickly. I can safely advance the timing to 39 or 40* without worry about pre-ignition. And oh yes, the engine runs much better there.   

I do not use 100% but rather a 80%/20% ratio to premium unleaded pump gas. That lowers the cost some, minimizes the ethanol effect and dramatically increase storage life. Ethanol free gas is just not available in big US cities because of emissions. I don't drive my car excessively, so the cost of fuel isn't that bad.

[sully]

There is a garage in Germany that sales 102 octain i think its called Arrial we always fill up when we
there.

Sully

[mdsalemi]

A restoration shop in Michigan used to get barrels of AVGAS 100LL,  a high-octane low lead aviation fuel. They used it in their restored million dollar cars such as V16 Cadillacs, Packards, Cords, Duesenbergs, etc. mostly all pre-war cars. Yeah it was insanely expensive compared to regular automotive fuel, but on a million dollar car, nobody cared. Post 9-11 however, the sale and use of AvGas is heavily-regulated. Most aircraft fuel dealers refuse to put AvGas into anything other than an aircraft fuel tank. There is a grey area that has some willing to pump it into "approved" containers if they believe the end use of that AvGas is an aircraft engine. This loop-hole is how some may obtain AvGas for automotive use. Because AvGas has no taxes and duties on it, use on public roads is illegal...

I'm soon moving to the Charlotte NC area...the land of NASCAR. I suspect racing fuel will be very easy to get...

[MikeSimon]

If you are really looking for no-ethanol gas, you will find it anywhere they sell marine/boat fuel. It is less pricey than race gas and does have a slightly higher octane rating than normal premium pump fuel. I have a Marathon station about 3 miles away from where I live and my Corvette and my 914-6 as well as all my motorcycles get their gas there.

[Cees Klumper]

For the 'going stale' aspect on my cars and motorcycles in long-term storage, I always add a simple stabilizer (e.g. 'STA-BIL') that promises to preserve normal gasoline for up to two years. That has worked well for me so far. STA-BIL's claims:

"Keeps fuel fresh for up to 24 months during storage
Eliminates the need to drain fuel prior to storage
Ensures quick, easy starts after storage
Prevents gum and varnish build-up
Effective in all gasoline, including Ethanol blends"

[Rothko]

The Race Fuel is used apparently does have ethanol in it, according to the Sunoco website.

Trying to find ethanol-free fuel around here is tough.  There is a Wawa nearby that sells 89 octane, ethanol-free.   I wonder if I'd be better off just using that.  I normally put 93 octane in the tank, but it does have ethanol.

So the question is:  would it be better to do 89 octane ethanol-free instead of 100 octane race fuel or regular 93 octane fuel which contains ethanol?

[chumps]

Is 92 octane gas with 10% or less ethanol really that bad that you have to go search out gas without it? It can be found but it very sparse and expensive. What noticeable damage can be done to an engine using gas with ethanol in a car that is driven about 1000 miles a year? Thanks, Chumps

[MikeSimon]

The engine as such is not affected by ethanol. The alcohol has an affinity for water, however, and that accumulates in the system, mainly the tank. Also, seals and plastics which are not ethanol resistant will deteriorate and fail over time. If you use ethanol gas, add "Starbrite Star Tron Enzyme Cleaner" which is a Marine additive. It neutralizes the alcohol and works like Stabil, only a little better.
Walmart usually sells it. You can also order it on-line at Amazon or from Marine Wholesale warehouse.

[mdsalemi]

The only normal gasoline commonly available in Michigan has had 10% ethanol for years. I've used it in the Pagoda since the engine was rebuilt. The only known casualty--and I don't know if it was the fuel but it could have been--was one fuel line started leaking. This was at the fuel feed pump, back of the car...after about 15 years. That's not unreasonable. No other ill effects and the car's been restored for 18 years now.

[Bullet69]

I put a gallon of 110 octane unleaded in my 69 280 pagoda on top of 2 gallons of 93 octane and it sure seemed to like it. I've been working on it after it sat for 14 yrs. I bought it in 77 and when I wasn't able to get high octane fuel in Atlanta, I'd use a can of octane boost at fill up. Do any of those products actually work?

[specracer]

This fall I bought a 55 gallon drum of a 93 octane pure dino fuel, no corn. Im switching the fuel in cars I dont drive much. The thought is to avoid the ethanol. The SL I drove a lot last summer, so it was always fresh. The "race" fuel is too expensive to exclusively run. MA does not make it easy to find ethanol free fuel.

This is a handy database:

https://www.pure-gas.org/