87 Octane!
87 Octane! With gas prices going through the roof as of late, has anyone considered an 87 octane friendly head and cam setup? I'll be doing heads/cam the first of next year and wanted to get anyones take on this idea. Just wondered if there is good power to be had with low compression and say a set of AFR's?
Larry
Larry
11 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
Likes: 1
From: The South
My take: I'd just stick with high compression and high octane. If the $0.20 a gallon premium on high octane is going to make that large of a difference then modding a muscle car isn't a good idea at this point in time.
Originally Posted by blkZ28spt
My take: I'd just stick with high compression and high octane. If the $0.20 a gallon premium on high octane is going to make that large of a difference then modding a muscle car isn't a good idea at this point in time.
11 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
Likes: 1
From: The South
Compare how much heads/cam cost, plus the supporting mods, to the $0.20 a gallon that running 87 would get you. We are talking about a 6.7% premium for 93 octane vs 87, assuming gas is about $3/gallon.
Originally Posted by blkZ28spt
Compare how much heads/cam cost, plus the supporting mods, to the $0.20 a gallon that running 87 would get you. We are talking about a 6.7% premium for 93 octane vs 87, assuming gas is about $3/gallon.
I'm not trying to justify the purchase in gas savings.
Last edited by S1LV3R; Aug 15, 2005 at 06:21 PM.
In the end, the issue is cylinder pressure. A good cam designer can compensate for the loss of CR in certain rpms, although your total power potential is reduced. Another way is to leave the CR high and run less timing and run midgrade gasoline. When you want high performance, put in good gas and reload a normal program.
I agree with the others. You are spending money to raise your car's HP. Cutting your CR will reduce your HP. If you spend $250 to gain 10 HP for another mod (a pretty good ratio for mods beyond a cut-out and a lid) that covers the differential for a lot of gasoline assuming the CR lost is worth just 10 HP.
I agree with the others. You are spending money to raise your car's HP. Cutting your CR will reduce your HP. If you spend $250 to gain 10 HP for another mod (a pretty good ratio for mods beyond a cut-out and a lid) that covers the differential for a lot of gasoline assuming the CR lost is worth just 10 HP.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Originally Posted by blkZ28spt
My take: I'd just stick with high compression and high octane. If the $0.20 a gallon premium on high octane is going to make that large of a difference then modding a muscle car isn't a good idea at this point in time.
I completely agree with that. I never understood why people care about how many miles a gallon our cars get this much. 
Save the money on heads/cam right now and buy yourself a cheap beater that will run on 87. Putting regular gas in a heads/cam LS1 is about as intelligent as sticking your dick in a pencil sharpener.
Originally Posted by Damian
Save the money on heads/cam right now and buy yourself a cheap beater that will run on 87. Putting regular gas in a heads/cam LS1 is about as intelligent as sticking your dick in a pencil sharpener.
:leaving
buy a beater thast good on gas and drive the car hear and there . your building the car for more power so why sacrafice power on the table to save a few bucks. if your worried about it , id say just leave it stock. it is possible to build a setup to use 87 but when it comes down to it is it worth the loss in power youll get?
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 1
From: Just This Side of Damnation
But if you bought a $3000 beater that got 30 mpg to save .20 per gallon you'd have to go through 15,000 gallons in that car to pay for it (not including tax, title, plates, maintenance, and insurance). 15k gallons at 30 mpg is 450,000 miles!
but your also talking 10mpg MORE than the camaro would get so dont forget to add that to the math .
fbodys have a little over 15gallon tanks so thats 150 more miles the beater would go with same amount of gas.
fbodys have a little over 15gallon tanks so thats 150 more miles the beater would go with same amount of gas.
Originally Posted by Lithium
I completely agree with that. I never understood why people care about how many miles a gallon our cars get this much. 11 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
Likes: 1
From: The South
Originally Posted by S1LV3R
Not talking about MPG. We're discussing a possible low octane set up!
Originally Posted by blkZ28spt
But what is the difference between worrying about your gas mileage and wanting to buy regular octane instead of premium?
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 1
From: Just This Side of Damnation
Some people have little trouble with 87 octane, some do. Common issues are reduced power and odd behavior. Timing is pulled if it starts pinging, resulting in the reduced power. I suppose if you're really pinched it may be worth a try, but proper octane is best in the long run.
The question about buying a beater is one of saving money. If you spend thousands to save (maybe) .20 per gallon it will take you a long, long time to get your money back. Miles saved on your hotrod and increased longevity are positives, but you're still spending lots of dough to save a little.
The question about buying a beater is one of saving money. If you spend thousands to save (maybe) .20 per gallon it will take you a long, long time to get your money back. Miles saved on your hotrod and increased longevity are positives, but you're still spending lots of dough to save a little.
87 Octane
Originally Posted by S1LV3R
With gas prices going through the roof as of late, has anyone considered an 87 octane friendly head and cam setup? I'll be doing heads/cam the first of next year and wanted to get anyones take on this idea. Just wondered if there is good power to be had with low compression and say a set of AFR's?
Larry
Larry