Best Gasoline for your Z

[ZR1Billy]

I got this information from the Ford GT Forum. This is a FYI Only not sure if this has been discussed or not

The base formula for gasoline in most areas is mandated by law. So Shell or Mobile (or any brand) gasoline will vary from area to area. There are still over 100 boutique blends used throughout the USA and the winter formulas are different from the summer formulas. The difference is in the additives and detergents that are blended into that base fuel. The best additive BY FAR is Techron and it is only found in Chevron and Texaco (now owned by Chevron) gasoline's. Mobil, Shell, and the other majors use nitrogen blends that are much less effective. The worst gasoline by far is the raw base gasoline with no additives that is sold by Costco, Sam's Club, and grocery stores. In less than 10,000 miles a ton of carbon will build up on intake and exhaust valves which reduces both power and mileage without quality additives. I am currently a dealer for both Shell and Chevron but I only use Chevron gas in my cars.


Billy

[bldavis11]

Billy,

All quite interesting. But where is the independent data that shows these additives are better than nothing at all, and where are the studies that show Techron is superior. None of these things are new (e.g. Techron has been out for years), and if there was an ingredient that made Chevron's fuel superior to the others, I would strongly suspect that, in this multi-trillion dollar industry, the other major players would have an equally good additive.

I know you picked this up from another forum, but has anyone seen any independent data to substantiate this?

[Socalerv]

Gasoline has come along way from the creative blenders of the past. I have bought and sold gasoline in my past career and know just a little about this subject.

The biggest myth is Exxon, Chevron, etc has a refinery in every city and the gas you buy is theirs. In most cases not true. They exchange barrels, lift from a competitors refinery and the only thing different is the additive added when loaded into the transport vehice. Same gas that is sold at COSTCO without an additive package.

[PhillipsLT5]

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

[mike100]

San Diego Co only has one pipeline from LA/Long Beach. They only mix additives right before it goes into the tanker trucks at the Mission Valley fuel depot. it's the same gas. The only time you might have issues here is if the station got water in the tank etc.

[Aurora40]

It sounds like some of you are suggesting that since the only difference is the additives, then there's no real difference?

The only difference between DexCool and the green stuff is additives, they all have ethylene glycol as like 99% of the volume. But that 1% of additives makes all the difference.

The only difference between race oils and consumer synthetics are the additives. That makes one suitable for 10,000 mile change intervals, and one suitable for one-weekend change intervals.

I don't see why gasoline would be any different. The difference between deposits and not is the additives in the gasoline.

A while ago I read an article that said GM used Chevron gas for all emissions and fuel economy testing. I doubt I'd ever be able to find it again, but it seemed credible at the time.

[Socalerv]

It sounds like some of you are suggesting that since the only difference is the additives, then there's no real difference?

The only difference between DexCool and the green stuff is additives, they all have ethylene glycol as like 99% of the volume. But that 1% of additives makes all the difference.

The only difference between race oils and consumer synthetics are the additives. That makes one suitable for 10,000 mile change intervals, and one suitable for one-weekend change intervals.

I don't see why gasoline would be any different. The difference between deposits and not is the additives in the gasoline.

A while ago I read an article that said GM used Chevron gas for all emissions and fuel economy testing. I doubt I'd ever be able to find it again, but it seemed credible at the time.

I agree with you that the difference is the additive package. It is added at the loading Rack. This is for branded (Shell, Chevron, etc.) gasoline only. Additive packages main components are friction modifiers, detergent modifiers for deposit control. There is no doubt that they help, but how much I do no know.

By the way No refineries in Las Vegas, Florida, Phoenix, etc., etc.

[mgbrv8]

I keep alot of my cars hangared at a local small airport. Now I put AV gas in alot of my pre 80s cars but I was wondering if it was okay to put a mix in the Z after I replace my injectors. I have run it in my 84 for years but that's the newest one I use it in. I love the way they run and how well the AV gas holds up over time. Just curious?

Dave

[Kevin]

I keep alot of my cars hangared at a local small airport. Now I put AV gas in alot of my pre 80s cars but I was wondering if it was okay to put a mix in the Z after I replace my injectors. I have run it in my 84 for years but that's the newest one I use it in. I love the way they run and how well the AV gas holds up over time. Just curious?

Dave

if the octane is too high you're going to damage your cats

[mgbrv8]

Aww good point but I forgot to mention I no longer have cats. I have the OBX headers and flowmaster exhaust.

Dave

[mike100]

The only bad side effect from running 100LL was toasted cats- but a little bit mixed in my old cars so I could run N2o always worked fine.

[Bill]

It's not the octane that hurts the cats, it's the lead, AV gas is LowLead not un leaded!

[robrtr]

Does anyone have any experience with ethanol-free gas? I've heard that ethanol is an injector killer. A little googling found a couple of sites that purport to locate suppliers of ethanol-free gas. Is it worth the extra miles to find such a supplier?

pure-gas.org
www.buyrealgas.com

[bldavis11]

Does anyone have any experience with ethanol-free gas? I've heard that ethanol is an injector killer. A little googling found a couple of sites that purport to locate suppliers of ethanol-free gas. Is it worth the extra miles to find such a supplier?

pure-gas.org
www.buyrealgas.com
Yes and no. Eventually Uncle Sam is going to force this crap down our throats, so you might as well get used to it. If your Z has original injectors, they are not going to last terribly long with the ethanol-blended fuels. However, once you replace all 16 injectors with new or rebuild ones (SS guts), then you should never have a problem again (except for the degraded gas mileage).

Hope this helps.

[VetteMed]

Yes and no. Eventually Uncle Sam is going to force this crap down our throats, so you might as well get used to it. If your Z has original injectors, they are not going to last terribly long with the ethanol-blended fuels. However, once you replace all 16 injectors with new or rebuild ones (SS guts), then you should never have a problem again (except for the degraded gas mileage).

Hope this helps.

As I understand it, it's not a corrosion issue requiring the use of stainless steel, but rather a difference in the materials used to protect the coil windings in the injector. Ethanol eats away at the material formerly used to protect said windings.

[sammy]

please beware of using av gas in your car it has additives that keep the gas from freezing @20,000 feet which really change the burn rate of the fuel and can burn up pistons . i would go get some unleaded 100 oct there are places in most towns that carry it .and unless you have a 12 to 1 motor you wont see any benefit from octane higher than 95 in our stk zr1s .