What do you guys consider to be the cheapest mods
Autocross Junky
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What type of performance are you looking for? 0-60 or cornering power?
sw388integra, our cars would get no benifit from 100 Octane fule
sw388integra, our cars would get no benifit from 100 Octane fule
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From: Redmond, Washington, US
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by sw388integra
^^any car gets a benefit from 100 octane...a lawn mower gets a benefit
^^any car gets a benefit from 100 octane...a lawn mower gets a benefit
Zzyzx... should I even BOTHER explaining how an engine works? Might as well...
COMPRESSION... you only need higher octane if your engine is a higher compression. ALL higher octane is, is it means the fuel has a higher percentage of OCTANE, and less Heptane and other Hydrocarbon chains. NOW, why does this matter, OCTANE resist's combustion much better than heptane and the other hydrocaron chains below it. What happens when you compress something? It's gets ****ING hot, now, in a cylinder a piston is compressing a mixture of gas and air, now, if you're running low octane gas, it will combust due to the increase in temperature BEFORE the piston gets to top dead center, and cause knocking. NOW, our cars have a compression ratio of 9.9:1, for HX and EX, and 9.5:1 for LX, DX, anything over 10:1 will require octane higher than 87 for Optimum performance... and a compression of 11 typically reguires something over 90-91. If you think high octane in so special, why don't you go put diesiel in your car, it's easliy over 100+ octane and much cheaper than race gas... =-)
LASTLY, the ecu in our cars will adjust for knocking as well as adjust for higher octane gas.... THE THING IS, it takes several tanks of gas to actually cause this change. So, go ahead toss that race gas in, that's HARDER for your engine to burn, and enjoy all that performance increase...
The cheapest performance mod... 25$ 1 autox session,
2nd cheapest, performance mod, TIRES, without tires, your car no longer moves....
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From: Angleton, TX
Rep Power: 0 Nicely put...but sw388integra is still correct...most all engines benefit using a higher octane fuel. A more violent explosion occurs in the cylinder with it...therfore, parts are forced to move quicker. However, you are correct as well...our little motors don't NEED it...but it helps...and there is a noticeable difference when used vs. plain old 87 octane...even in a lawnmower.
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From: Redmond, Washington, US
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by fo50rd
Nicely put...but sw388integra is still correct...most all engines benefit using a higher octane fuel. A more violent explosion occurs in the cylinder with it...therfore, parts are forced to move quicker. However, you are correct as well...our little motors don't NEED it...but it helps...and there is a noticeable difference when used vs. plain old 87 octane...even in a lawnmower.
Nicely put...but sw388integra is still correct...most all engines benefit using a higher octane fuel. A more violent explosion occurs in the cylinder with it...therfore, parts are forced to move quicker. However, you are correct as well...our little motors don't NEED it...but it helps...and there is a noticeable difference when used vs. plain old 87 octane...even in a lawnmower.
Autocross Junky
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Rep Power: 380 Renamazazo, its not worth arguing over.. People have been Bombarded by Gas companys marketing to believe that Higer octane is allways better. Just look at how they are labled at the pump. "Regular (87), Premium (89) and Super (91)" Just by name they influence you to believe taht 91 is a better gas then 87
Heres some Info Taken from the FTC (Federal Trade Commision)
The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline
Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.
What are octane ratings?
Octane ratings measure a gasoline's ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders. Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (usually 87 octane), mid-grade (usually 89 octane) and premium (usually 92 or 93). The ratings must be posted on bright yellow stickers on each gasoline pump.
What's the right octane level for your car?
Check your owner's manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Regular octane is recommended for most cars. However, some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.
How can you tell if you're using the right octane level? Listen to your car's engine. If it doesn't knock when you use the recommended octane, you're using the right grade of gasoline.
Will higher octane gasoline clean your engine better?
As a rule, high octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car's engine. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the expected life of your car.
Should you ever switch to a higher octane gasoline?
A few car engines may knock or ping - even if you use the recommended octane. If this happens, try switching to the next highest octane grade. In many cases, switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, you may need a tune-up or some other repair. After that work is done, go back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine runs without knocking.
Is knocking harmful?
Occasional light knocking or pinging won't harm your engine, and doesn't indicate a need for higher octane. But don't ignore severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage.
Is all "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same?
The octane rating of gasoline marked "premium" or "regular" is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you're buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "premium" or "regular."
Heres some Info Taken from the FTC (Federal Trade Commision)
The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline
Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.
What are octane ratings?
Octane ratings measure a gasoline's ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders. Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (usually 87 octane), mid-grade (usually 89 octane) and premium (usually 92 or 93). The ratings must be posted on bright yellow stickers on each gasoline pump.
What's the right octane level for your car?
Check your owner's manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Regular octane is recommended for most cars. However, some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.
How can you tell if you're using the right octane level? Listen to your car's engine. If it doesn't knock when you use the recommended octane, you're using the right grade of gasoline.
Will higher octane gasoline clean your engine better?
As a rule, high octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car's engine. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the expected life of your car.
Should you ever switch to a higher octane gasoline?
A few car engines may knock or ping - even if you use the recommended octane. If this happens, try switching to the next highest octane grade. In many cases, switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, you may need a tune-up or some other repair. After that work is done, go back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine runs without knocking.
Is knocking harmful?
Occasional light knocking or pinging won't harm your engine, and doesn't indicate a need for higher octane. But don't ignore severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage.
Is all "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same?
The octane rating of gasoline marked "premium" or "regular" is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you're buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "premium" or "regular."
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From: Angleton, TX
Rep Power: 0 Guess we are arguing different points. Sure it is not NECESSARY to run higher octane in our engines...however, they can benefit from it. Take a regular ole car to a dyno, make a pull with 87 octane, then pour a can of 104+ in it and make another pull. You will see an increase in power made. I work at a refinery that makes octane, I'm not a kid...and you can noob on dezz nuts.
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From: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Rep Power: 0 well that all makes sense, but i have been wondering, is all gasoline of the same octance standard? as in, there's a local no-name gas station thats sells 87 octane cheaper than say, the mobil or citgo stations' 87 octane. would this still be ok to run, or would you think it might be of lesser quality, or not contain the additives?
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From: Angleton, TX
Rep Power: 0 Excellent question. A single tanker truck can service a few different service stations in the same area, providing the same gas, just selling under different names. The larger companies, for example, Chevron, adds their own additives to the gas. Thats not to say that a Chevron gas carrying tanker could not stop off and unload at a Citgo as well tho...it does happen. It varies on the area being serviced on how the gas is distributed...there really is not a cut and dry answer here. Clear as mud?
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From: Eureka, CA
Rep Power: 0 If you have decided on building up a d17, the most rewarding mods are a standalone ecu/air-fuel manager, the DH Racing pulley + throttle body, CAI, a cam (regrind/custom), and nitrous. All are relatively affordable, and are a decent bang for yo buck.
