shell gasoline - worth the extra $$ ?

[K2e2vin]

Leaded fuel is also bad for your valvetrain, not to mention your health and the environment.

 

I think you got that backwards. When unleaded fuel came along, many engines had to use hardened valve seats.

[compsurge]

While it may be true that engine design changed as a result of unleaded fuel, bad things will happen to your engine if you run it on leaded fuel. Leaded fuel is NOT good for your valvetrain. It will causing pitting and erosion of the valves (there is a great photo out there about an EJ flying on avgas, but I haven't found it yet). It will also ruin your O2 sensor and catalytic converter. There is a reason why your filler cap says unleaded fuel only.

[sunny5280]

Is leaded gas still available? If so where and for what reason?

[Schwartz43]

Shell Did wonders for my 2000 Nissan Maxima! Other gas made it run sluggish and burned out quick!

[Redslaya]

Is leaded gas still available? If so where and for what reason?

 

airplanes still use leaded gas, i know that much. go to your local airport!

[nm]

Is leaded gas still available? If so where and for what reason?

 

Race tracks. You can get higher octane easier. If you build the car for it (which is either old stuff or off-road only), it doesn't have downsides beyond brain damage.

[K2e2vin]

While it may be true that engine design changed as a result of unleaded fuel, bad things will happen to your engine if you run it on leaded fuel. Leaded fuel is NOT good for your valvetrain. It will causing pitting and erosion of the valves (there is a great photo out there about an EJ flying on avgas, but I haven't found it yet). It will also ruin your O2 sensor and catalytic converter. There is a reason why your filler cap says unleaded fuel only.

 

If you can find it, that would be interesting to look at. Many sources say lead was a benefit as far as performance and reliability goes; only mentions I can find of leaded fuel regarding the valvetrain is the valve-seat issue. It was the EPA that phased it out. This is nothing new, they've phased out high-ZDDP oil(for cars) due to emissions(affects cat too) even though it helps reduce wear. Those oils are still available for diesel-applications(Rotella-T) and, of course, "off-road" applications.

 

Leaded fuel degrading the catalytic converter was mentioned before but yes, it does foul up the O2 too(especially when rich...some WBO2s are useless within several runs when dyno tuning). Though, consensus is if the tune is already fine then the O2 sensor will last much longer. I wouldn't recommend it for DD.

[compsurge]

Many sources say lead was a benefit as far as performance and reliability goes

 

I doubt it would be backed up with untainted data if the sources were funded by petroleum or automotive companies - both would have a lot riding on it. Of course engines would be more reliable if they had been designed to run on a certain fuel. I would highly scrutinize those sources.

[Nightmaresmk]

Wow no one actual read through my post. 110 octane is leaded. 100 octane is unleaded. Race gas additive unleaded. Using them to bump up your octane rating while racing will add no power but reduce the change of knock due to predetination. when you tune you tune on a few pulls.

No one pushes their car as hard and for as long as they do at the track.

I never said it would add power.

bumping up to 96 or so octane when your tuned for 93 at the track will serve no purpose over than a helping avoid predetination from hotspot in the cylinder.

I have Raced on a track on many occasions. Data logged runs. Talked with the guys who Race for a living. Confirmed it with My tuner (Bren) when he tuned my car. I have pulled 20 pases on the drag strip all in one morning(racing an olds 442 who was tuning as well). My motor is still strong 50k miles later. Drag strip back to back runs are hard on a car. watching heatsoak and knock pull timing. adding 2 gallons of 100oct knock went away. It's a buffer not a savior.

Simple concept that works.

[Merc6]

Depends on the car to a point. My turbocharged daily driver is advertised to run on 87 octane but the engine it's self is RPO coded KRD by GM for 91 octane in N/A (Volt & ELR) as well as all the other turbo applications. If yu run 87 and after it knocks, timing is pulled heavily pretty much and it drives like a heavy turd that keeps turtle heading to the very end. Some years have the E85 hidden int he ECU and you need injectors and either efi live or tuner to unlock it. Some have took the regal ethanol sensors and monitored the actual % of ethanol in the fuel and tune off of that.

 

 

TL;DR?

 

Skip past all that, my tune from my tuner allows me to run 87 89 91 and 93 octane w/o re flash as it has multiple maps kinda like it did from the factory. Once you fill up it selects the highest map and watches how the car reacts. I wish my Subaru was like that as the NJ gas attendants loved to try and fill em up with 87. They did that to me in my eco and damn I couldn't pass a single car for shat!

[Merc6]

Another factor if I missed it, avoid any gas stations in the vicinity of a 87 only gas station chain. BP and Shell will literally drop their 87 price down to try and compete but rape the 89 and 93 prices to the point nobody buys it and it gets old. By then they will be like "we ran out of 87 so 93 is gonna be the same price for now till we get more". Not scientific but more of a personal preference; if the 87 button looks like crap and 93 button looks brand new for like every pump I won't fill there ever.

[K2e2vin]

I use an app called Poynt to find good 93/premium prices

[Smithcraft]

Not recommended. There's a reason it's cheap.

 

Yes, because (my local Costco) they take an average of local stations and subtract 20 cents. And they still make a killing on it.

 

I use an app called Poynt to find good 93/premium prices

 

How do you get it to search by octane rating?

 

SC

[Smithcraft]

I saw this on YouTube, and it appears that it might be worth running for a bit to clean the intake out.

 

 

SC

[JJr]

For those of you who want to use additive to Shell fuel!

SBT

http://legacygt.com/i/customavatars/avatar932_3.gif

I use SeeeeeYa's cocktail which comprises:

 

• Acetone
  
• Marvel Mystery Oil
  
• Chevron Techron
  

I buy the fluids in 1 gallon containers, then mix-up three (3), 12oz batches at a time.

 

How to mix and use:

• Pour 4oz of each fluid into three spare additive cans/bottles at a time -this makes three (3) 12oz bottles (36oz total). FWIW, I use Brianna Salad Dressing (superb dressing BTW) bottles because they're compact, and the tapered neck makes it easy to pour into the tank
  
• First use - Add one 12oz can to an empty tank, then fill-up,
  
• Second use - Add one 12oz can to a 1/2 empty tank, run it until empty
  
• Third use - Refill then add one 12oz can to the full tank.
  

I now add about 2x year for 12-15K a year driving. More if more driving.

 

Amazing stuff. Definitely runs smoother and it cleans and lubricates your injectors, your valves, cylinders and any cat-converter(s). And it's much cheaper per oz than anything you get at the autoparts stores.

__________________

SBT knows his stuff!!!!I've been using this formula and schedule for the last 5 years! Plus Shell or Chevron 91 can't get 93 out west!

[jhough77]

pretty sure I got this off Jalopnik a couple weeks back. Hope this helps.

 

http://www.toptiergas.com/licensedbrands/

[doobaruGT]

FWIW, I'm now located close to a Shell and started filling up there. I've been loosely monitoring my gas mileage and I get about 20-30 mi more per tank on Shell than I do with other fuels. This has been consistent the last several weeks where my commute remains the exact same.

 

While there are certainly several variables to consider, I think I've accounted for the main influencers (i.e. highway speeds, road conditions, trip consistency).

 

Even if there are variations, and there are, I'm convinced that they aren't dramatic enough to influence an extra 20-30 mi on their own.

 

It's Shell for me from now on!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[coop3422]

In my s2000, I buy what ever the cheapest 91 is because the car isn't picky. When I had my WRX, I also bought 91 wherever. But my local Subaru club mentions that some of their Subaru's don't run as well w/ off brands, so my Spec B only gets Husky 94 or Shell 91. Which is a bummer because it's more expensive, and the car gets worse fuel economy than my s2000 lol.