Fuels

[Powdered Toast Man]

LPG - usually Caltex, Mobil or BP
91 ULP - Caltex, Mobil or BP

I used to use Shell 91 and LPG pretty much exclusively because of the Coles docket discount but after using a tank of BP or Mobil I noticed more power on both petrol and gas. Then there was the Shell LPG issue in the media a while back and I haven't used Shell fuel since (well a Shell servo anyway).

[mik]

i`ve not had any trouble with shell fuel myself, but my mate a council worker in Nth Melb tells me the council egas drivers in there depot are instructed by their mechanic not to use shell gas as it causes problems in their vehicles.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Because I like not having black oil

dirty oil doesn't mean it is no good. clean oil doesn't mean its still ok. many/most new oils have detergents in them so naturally as they work, the oil darkens.

sorry to go off topic.

bp ultimate for me.

[66FAIRLANE]

Have used BP Ultimate exclusively in the Fairlane since its inception. Runs great, no issues. But every couple of years develops a flat spot off idle. Open up the Holley and the acc pump check valves look and feel like jellyfish. Replace them and we're off again for another couple of years.

I use anything in the EL wagon.....................anything.

[FgNewbie]

Originally Posted by falcon convert

I see heaps of you guys insist on using 95 or 98 fuel. I can understand this if the car has been specially performance tuned, but for a regular run of the mill n/a 6, why is 91 or (shock horror) e10 so terrible?
Ford specify that 91 and for that matter E10 is OK. What do you guys know that I don't? Is there any decent evidence to prove the lesser fuels are damaging? Or is it purely a performance thing and if so is this just seat of the pants feel or has it been properly proved?

I believe some people commented in a recent thread that E10 was a false sense of economy as they used more petrol. I also believe I read a similar comment in a motoring article online.

If you read the link I posted earlier, relative to boats, they are against ethanol. They say if water gets into it, it seperates and damages the motor.

Re Ford 6 n/a, FG manual says: *QUOTE*
All petrol vehicles except Turbo and XR8 can use unleaded petrol with a minimum octane rating of 91 (RON).

Premium unleaded petrol with a minimum octane rating of 95 (RON) is recommended for enhanced performance, fuel economy and trailer towing. */QUOTE*

If you want I'll post the turbo and XR8 stuff too.

I won't use ethanol or 91, (am I wrong or is 91 being replaced with an ethanol/91 mix ?)

I tow, so reading the manual I believe I should be using 95 as a minimum. Prior to my FG, 98 had always been good to me so I'm sticking with old habits.

[GreenR]

Well reading all this I filled my NA 6 with 98 for the first time today. Normally don't cos the price tag scares me ( don't work full time). Not really sure what to expect, if anything. But why not

[phil.50thxr6]

always use bp 95 cause it is the closest to my house and work, only fuel i have ever used in my fg

[Airmon]

I use 95 because my car misfires on E10 and just generally doesn't like it. I dont get any extra Km out of 95 over normal 91 but don't have much choice.

[blueluvr]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

Yep - that was it. Optimax used to foul up the carbie jets etc & gum things up internally.

did this happen to you or are you going off hearsay? Not saying anything but there were a lot of furfies going on when this fuel was available.

I wrenched in one of the busiest bike workshops in Sydney during the time optimax was in pumps, and we also ran it as a fuel in our 3 formula extreme bikes in 99 through to 00, and I never saw gummed carbs, or engine internals due to the use of optimax.

But in saying that, the fuel wasn't for every bike. I saw a few fouled plugs on bikes using the fuel that weren't "optimised" for it, and a few cranky running engines due to being rich, but nothing as serious as gummed engines. If they were gummed up, the fuel was only a secondary cause, as a healthy and correctly jetted bike had no issues whatsoever with this fuel.

99% of Kawasaki carbed road bikes of that era were quite lean, as were a lot of Hondas larger roadies, and it was in these bikes most people LOVED the fuel as it fattened them up without jetting it, esp the ones with K+N's and pipes. Most yamaha roadies on the other hand weren't very happy with the fuel as they tended to be a little on the rich side to begin with. Add to that some wear in the needles and emulsion tubes (happens in any big mileage carbed bike) and you now have an optimax related problem. It was in these bikes we did not recommend the use of optimax. But do you blame the fuel itself, or the worn carbs and/or sad engine?

The only time I ever saw gumming issues was due to lack of use. I won't argue that optimax didn't last very long in a bike tank before it went "off", and I put money on betting anyone who may have had gumming issues it was purely down to old fuel due to not being used often enough.
Your average bike carb only holds about 75 mls or so in each bowl, which is vented to the atmosphere of course. Put 75ml of most fuel nowdays into a vented container and see how long it lasts............


but I digress, it's a car forum.... I just used to really hate all the anti optimax wives tales back then.

[camac]

In my 03 BA XT, i only use Caltex Vortex 95 & 98. Cleanest fuels you can by, and get get good km's out of both.

[noosacuda]

Only 98 in my 440 six pack,anything else pings, 91 or 95 in our shopping trolley Honda CRV. I wont use ethanol in anything (unless it was made and tuned to run on it) besides, i don't have sugar in my coffee, so why the hell would i put it in my car?

[castellan]

Originally Posted by blueluvr

did this happen to you or are you going off hearsay? Not saying anything but there were a lot of furfies going on when this fuel was available.

I wrenched in one of the busiest bike workshops in Sydney during the time optimax was in pumps, and we also ran it as a fuel in our 3 formula extreme bikes in 99 through to 00, and I never saw gummed carbs, or engine internals due to the use of optimax.

But in saying that, the fuel wasn't for every bike. I saw a few fouled plugs on bikes using the fuel that weren't "optimised" for it, and a few cranky running engines due to being rich, but nothing as serious as gummed engines. If they were gummed up, the fuel was only a secondary cause, as a healthy and correctly jetted bike had no issues whatsoever with this fuel.

99% of Kawasaki carbed road bikes of that era were quite lean, as were a lot of Hondas larger roadies, and it was in these bikes most people LOVED the fuel as it fattened them up without jetting it, esp the ones with K+N's and pipes. Most yamaha roadies on the other hand weren't very happy with the fuel as they tended to be a little on the rich side to begin with. Add to that some wear in the needles and emulsion tubes (happens in any big mileage carbed bike) and you now have an optimax related problem. It was in these bikes we did not recommend the use of optimax. But do you blame the fuel itself, or the worn carbs and/or sad engine?

The only time I ever saw gumming issues was due to lack of use. I won't argue that optimax didn't last very long in a bike tank before it went "off", and I put money on betting anyone who may have had gumming issues it was purely down to old fuel due to not being used often enough.
Your average bike carb only holds about 75 mls or so in each bowl, which is vented to the atmosphere of course. Put 75ml of most fuel nowdays into a vented container and see how long it lasts............


but I digress, it's a car forum.... I just used to really hate all the anti optimax wives tales back then.

I believe you are right, spot on!

[flappist]

I used to use optimax in my AU Ghia and BA GTP almost exclusively as it was the only 98 ron available.
Later I used Ultimate as the servo was about 40km closer and now I use Vortex98 or Ultimate, whichever is available but have used Mobil and Shell Vmax.

The only one I have a problem with was the United 98 ethanol which I tried twice and had quite bad results so I have not used it since.

[Peter B - CV8]

Originally Posted by castellan

I believe you are right, spot on!

Yes - quite right. The gumming issues were all with carbied bikes that were only used every weekend or so. The Optimax seemed to have the shortest "shelf life" of all the unleaded fuels.

[GreenR]

Originally Posted by noosacuda

i don't have sugar in my coffee, so why the hell would i put it in my car?

Haha gold