low lead gas

[rockinhawk]

I have been told you can buy 100 octane low lead gasoline at small airports,and that it will run well in a Studebaker V8. Has anyone here tried it? Opinions? NT


Neil Thornton
Hazlehurst, GA
'57 Silver Hawk
'56 Sky Hawk
'51 2R16 dump truck
Many others.

[Tom Bredehoft]

There's something about not paying highway tax on av gas that the Federals don't like, Neil, they object. I guess if you only ran on the runway it wouldn't matter to them.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction) 353 hrs.
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[Warren Webb]

funny thing i have read on aviation gas. 100 low lead supposedly contains 5 grams of lead per gallon vs. the 80 octane gas being fazed out containg .5 grams. I would think it would be the other way around. I ran 100 in my Honda motorcycle some years back & on hard acceleration up the hill on 190th. st in Redondo Beach it made my clutch slip!

60 Lark convertible
61 Champ
62 Daytona convertible
63 G.T. R-2,4 speed
63 Avanti (2)
66 Daytona Sport Sedan

[Mike Van Veghten]

Have you checked the price...?

How far is this airport from home.
How much will you burn getting there and back.
AND...if I'm not mistaken...it's not legal to sell av gas to other than aircraft owners.

Oh...and by the way...it's formulated to run in the thin air of...what 10,000/15,000 feet?

Mike

[Warren Webb]

Aircraft has a "mixture control" so engines can run full rich on takeoff & then be leaned out in climb. Fuel is not formulated for altitude. The mixture is controlled by the pilot.


60 Lark convertible
61 Champ
62 Daytona convertible
63 G.T. R-2,4 speed
63 Avanti (2)
66 Daytona Sport Sedan

[mbstude]

Our little airport is maybe 5 miles from me, if that. I drive about the same distance to get gas anyways. Now, if we could buy it cheaper than 'car gas'...

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[StudeDave57]

I don't think that you'll be able to get many aircraft fuelers to pump it right into your car's tank. Maybe try a gas can~ and tell them you're planning to tinker with one of your "other" birds later...

[:0] [^] [)]

StudeDave '57 [8D]
San Diego, Ca.
San Diego County SDC
www.studebakersandiego.com

'54 Commander Regal 4dr 'Ruby'
'57 Parkview 'Betsy' (she's a 2dr wagon...)
'57 Commander DeLuxe 2dr 'Baby'
'57 Champion Custom 2dr 'Jewel'
'58 Packard sedan 'Cleo'
'65 Cruiser 'Sweet Pea'

Part owner of the one and only
'55 PROTOTYPE panel van

[rockinhawk]

I talked to an old local mechanic who ran an auto repair shop in town for many years, and also was hanger manager at the local airport for awhile. His name is Prince Vaughn, Yes that's his real name. His opinion was 100 octane was too much for most cars and could burn the valves and possibly a piston. When I said StudebakerV8 he said "Oh well you should be ok, Studebakers are a little tighter than most." For every thing else he reccomended mixing 50%regular with it. That should be about equal to old leaded Hi Test.


Neil Thornton
Hazlehurst, GA
'57 Silver Hawk
'56 Sky Hawk
'51 2R16 dump truck
Many others.

[PackardV8]

1. I used to run 100 octane avgas in my race cars. Never had any problems.
2. Right now, the 100 avgas is $6.59 a gallon at Felts Field, Spokane.

thnx, jack vines



PackardV8

[Tom Bredehoft]

His opinion was 100 octane was too much for most cars and could burn the valves and possibly a piston.

Help me out here. I thought that higher octane gas had a higher ignition point, not that it burned with a hotter flame. What are the facts?

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction) 353 hrs.
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[Dan Timberlake]

Interesting comment about a Studebaker being "tight" and thus more resistant to valve burning.

Some Engines made when Leaded fuels were available have experienced valve seat recession (wear) when run on no lead. Mostly reported as a problem with hard working engines, like in boats, or small car engines.
An acquaintance (Doug Bethke, SCCA National champ) towed his Corvette race car with an older 6 cylinder Ford van in the early 80s.
http://www.islandnet.com/~KPOLSSON/v...e/vett1980.htm
The engine had valve rotators but non-hardened seats. The valves sank over 1/16 inch into the heads in less than a year, but there were a lot of towing miles.

I have not found any posts here complaining about valve recession on a Studebaker.

An engine with non-hydraulic lifters can experience tightening valve clearances as the seats recess into the head.
A too-tight valve will burn.

Generally higher octane is a waste of money.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...53C1A962958260

I suppose the ignition "delay" that higher octane fuel has could in theory simulate retarded ignition timing.
The curve that vintage centrifugal/vacuum advance systems provide is quite basic.
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/twincam/pi...tion_curve.gif
http://www.giant.net.au/users/wight/images/Igniti2.gif
Even some modern electronic curves are straight lines with a few kinks
http://www.mklsportster.com/dynaadvance.jpg

They are a poor match for the complicated 3D curve that an engine really needs.
http://www.experimentalfuelinjection...ges/3d_map.jpg

Combine that with a carbureted engine's miserable cylinder-to-cylinder air-fuel ratio consistency, and the ignition timing at any one running condition has to be "retarded" to be OK for the cylinder with the greatest needs. All the others are already running retarded at least a degree or 2 from the setting that would really provide best torque and lowest Exhaust gas temperature.

My take on ignition timing is, describing it as retarded or advanced based on idle setting, or without knowing the centrifugal advance curve and vac advance curve, plus a LOT about that engine's cylinder to cylinder requirements at different speeds and loads, can not portray a very complete story.
Yet many folks are satisfied or even pleased with how their engine runs with basic timing nudged back to avoid serious detonation while driving.

[fmarshall]

All you need to know about high octane fuels:
http://www.rockettbrand.com/dealers/dealers.htm

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63 Avanti R2, 4-Speed, 3.73 TT
Martinez, CA