87 octane?
09-09-2009 | 06:46 PM
#2
I ran it for years with no problems. I don't get why so many people on here run premium. I actually run mid grade now (89). I don't have a tune, and have no "pinging" so I say forget about premium. I notice several gas stations that try to make premium $0.40 higher than 87 grade thinking that people won't notice. Thats when I make sure I don't accidently put premium in (those gas stations are also the ones that put the premium nozzle all the way to the left so you think its 87). But yea, you should be fine for your commutes to work.
Last edited by Tuffguy610; 09-09-2009 at 06:47 PM. Reason: .
09-09-2009 | 08:00 PM
#3
Taken from: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...emiumgas_x.htm
Burning regular when the owner's manual specifies premium won't void the warranty, nor damage the engine, even the most finicky automakers say. "You're giving up perhaps just a little bit of performance that a customer wouldn't really even notice, it's so slight," says Furey.
Automakers say they don't test premium engines on regular to check the difference, but some auto engineers estimate that power declines roughly 5%.
5% on a 300hp motor is 15hp, I run premium to get the most out of my car but most LS1's run perfectly fine on regular, you are just leaving some power on the table.
Burning regular when the owner's manual specifies premium won't void the warranty, nor damage the engine, even the most finicky automakers say. "You're giving up perhaps just a little bit of performance that a customer wouldn't really even notice, it's so slight," says Furey.
Automakers say they don't test premium engines on regular to check the difference, but some auto engineers estimate that power declines roughly 5%.
5% on a 300hp motor is 15hp, I run premium to get the most out of my car but most LS1's run perfectly fine on regular, you are just leaving some power on the table.
09-09-2009 | 09:20 PM
#6
hell the manual says 91+ so thats what i use...i never thought it would hurt anything but, here is my argument...why put in 87 if you dont want the max potential out of your LS1
....you might as well sell it.
....you might as well sell it. 
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09-10-2009 | 07:44 AM
#11
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09-12-2009 | 07:19 AM
#12
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From: South Jersey (15 miles from Atlantic City)
Why the hell would you try to save in my area the math would equate to about $3.40 or so on every fill up?? I wouldn't even use regular gas in a beater and i have a 08 Equinox and a 06 Cobalt. I wouldn't run regular or mid in my ls1 cars. It may not damage anything but i'm not giving up performance for a couple of dollars. If people need to save a couple of bucks they could stay away from cigarettes or a couple of cheeseburgers!
09-12-2009 | 02:47 PM
#14
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Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: dallas area,texas
idk yea you are prolly right but with the bs gas price that 93 octane sits there no telling how long cause that gas does not get used much by to many peole so i was wondering if it would still be good. i just have heard rumors that if it sits there too long it looses stuff. the middle grade mixes with the 93 and 87 octane thats why i thought it might be better to run. also the owners manual say tho use 91 octane for maximum proformance. but it also says you can use anything over87 and up. so thats why i was just wondering what yall thought.
09-12-2009 | 10:49 PM
#15
I ran 87 once and didnt like it, the only reason I used it was because they were out of premium and I was to low to get to the next gas station. As soon I left the gas station it started sputtering and my ses light came on. It would ping when engine was to running temp and it was at night when it aint so hot, didnt notice much of a mpg difference. So on that note 93 for me.
09-13-2009 | 06:41 AM
#16
The reason your owners manual recommends 89+ is due to the 10.5-1 compression ratio of the LS1. Thats pretty high to be running regular octane unless you have a lot of timing yanked from your tune. LS1 PCM's do have a timing table in them which is different from 98-00 vehicles to the 01-02's. The older PCM's have a max timing of 28* and the 01-02's only run a max of 19*. Stock tunes of course.
I was talking about this with a tuner a couple years ago and we had a theory that when the LS6 intakes were added to F-bodies (01-02) they had to cut power somewhere so they wouldn't be as fast as the corvettes those years. That would probably destroy the vettes sales if the Fbody was just as fast and thousands cheaper.
I was talking about this with a tuner a couple years ago and we had a theory that when the LS6 intakes were added to F-bodies (01-02) they had to cut power somewhere so they wouldn't be as fast as the corvettes those years. That would probably destroy the vettes sales if the Fbody was just as fast and thousands cheaper.
09-13-2009 | 08:47 AM
#20
its your muffler bearings. 93 octane has the same energy potential as 87, 93:
when the oil was cracked, they used 93% octane (8 chain hydrocarbons). octane can sustain under high pressure with out igniting.(helps against detonation). its not a cleaner, its not a more powerful fuel, its not jet fuel (refined kerosine). it doesnt make an old engine blow up....... but yes your ls1 will run on 87 octane, its your choice to risk the chance that your computer will protect your car and use its low octane fuel map, but it has to hear knock to change maps.....
when the oil was cracked, they used 93% octane (8 chain hydrocarbons). octane can sustain under high pressure with out igniting.(helps against detonation). its not a cleaner, its not a more powerful fuel, its not jet fuel (refined kerosine). it doesnt make an old engine blow up....... but yes your ls1 will run on 87 octane, its your choice to risk the chance that your computer will protect your car and use its low octane fuel map, but it has to hear knock to change maps.....