So....

Just wanted some opinions....

I was thinking about putting a couple gallons of racing fuel into our Mini. It is 126 octane. So, theoretically, if the tank is about 13 gallons, I put 11 gallons of 91 octane in and 2 gallons of 126 octane, I believe that would work out to a bit above 96 octane. Would this plus SeaFoam clean my engine any better than just running it with the 91 octane?

It has 94K miles on it and I am trying to get it all cleaned out. I don't know how well the previous owner took care of it, but figured if I could speed up the process, why not...


Or maybe just add 3 gallons. That should put me around 100 octane.

Opinions? Facts?

I'm just curious because I don't know how the car will react to a change like that.

Thanks!

 

Ummmmm....is the 126 leaded? Usually an octane that high will be leaded fuel, and you don't want anything to do with that. As far as cleaning better - no, it won't clean any better with the higher octane. If you're using some of the more top tier fuels, like Chevron, they already have cleaning additives in the fuel. Save the Seafoam for your PCV valve.

 

Ok,

So, there aren't a lot of "Chevron" stations around. A ton of BP, Shell, Casey's, Road Rangers.....

What would you recommend?

I am located in NW Illinois.

(Trying to find out if it is leaded or unleaded fuel now. And it is only 112 octane. Geez....Edumacate your employees beforehand so they don't spew incorrect info.)

 

ViperGTS, generally your car is not going to benefit from higher octane unless it is specifically programmed to take advantage of it. While the MINI will benefit from 93 octane compared to lower octanes, higher than 93 will probably not result in any more power. In fact, higher octane gas contains LESS chemical energy per unit volume than lower octane gas, so your gas mileage may suffer.

In addition, the highest octane UNLEADED race fuel that I know of is VP 103. 112 is almost certainly a leaded fuel, which can damage your catalytic converter and your oxygen sensors. Not to mention your lungs.

Race fuel doesn't usually come with any additional detergents or anything, so if you're trying to clean out the inside of the engine, the 112 octane fuel isn't going to help with that.

So, in short, I wouldn't bother with the race fuel.

--Dan
Mach V

 

Sunoco makes a 104 octane UNLEADED fuel. However like the VP it is not measured on the pump octane rating of R+M/2 and reads higher.
Anything higher like 112 is going to have lead in it.

Stick with BP or Shell in your area. You also want to find a station that has high traffic with a mix of nice cars that would actually use premium. Stale fuel does not run as well.

BP is not a top tier rated fuel. This is actually good. Top Tier means it has 10% ethanol. Ethanol is not as good for making power unless you have tuned for it. Also it will lower fuel mileage.

 

This site will give you a list of companies that make top tier rated fuel.
I have used BG44K as an additive to keep everything clean, and recently changed to Chevron Techron Concentrate My mechanic said it's basicly the same product and it's available at NAPA and some mass marketers. I use it 4 times a year, at the change of seasons.

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

 

Thanks for all the input and suggestions.

It is a leaded fuel, so I will stay away from it.

I knew that "upgrading" to a higher octane level would mean diminished fuel economy. I was just looking at cleaning my car out quicker and getting it in tip-top shape.

I usually use SeaFoam in the vehicles in the gas tank. I put Deep Creep in the PCV valve about a week ago with ok results. Not a ton of black smoke, but about 20 seconds of "spurts" of black smoke. So, at least it did something.

I will probably go with Shell around here then. They tend to have 93 octane fuel and the others don't. And it is "nitrogen enriched" or whatever they claim.

Thanks again for all the help here. It is really appreciated.

 

Almost all states now have 10% ethanol gas, so you're going to have a hard time avoiding it. It's true, E10 gets you slightly lower gas mileage than pure gasoline.

--Dan
Mach V

 

Deep Creep in the PCV valve is NOT the right seafoam...
That is like WD-40!!!
Regular sea-foam, or the aerosol engine cleaning/fogging one is the one you want....re-do it!!
Many folks have used the wrong one....it likely did not hurt anything....but the car will run better when you use the correct stuff!!
Also remember...MOST ALL fuel additives will reduce octane levels......

 

I am going to pick up the regular engine cleaning SeaFoam tomorrow and do it again. I had both on hand, but ended up dumping half in the crankcase and driving 100 miles before an oil change and the other 1/2 went into the gasoline. The Deep Creep has directions for direct intake injection, so I'm sure it didn't hurt anything. It's probably good for a upper cylinder lube.

I will definitely do the same with the normal SeaFoam this time around.

Thanks for the heads-up. I thought something was strange when it said it was a lubricant on the aerosol can. I thought it was like Marvel Mystery Oil (the cure-all).