Hi kids,
Just returned "to the real world" (e-mail?) and have this comment.
We did a 3500 mile trip, calif, ore, id, ut, back to colorado. Driving a
Tacoma mit supercharger. (known for pinging problems, if you didn't already
know.)
The pinging started as we decended out of Reno (4000' going down hill). The
truck was basically undrivable with any sort of boost. (using 91 octane in
calif.) In oregon, 92 is available! even at sea level I could detect a
difference! A few places in eastern Ore. (above 4000' with 92 octane) the
truck ran better than ever before. Upon refueling in ID (91 oct) the
previous performance levels (from before the trip) returned.
Am amazed at the difference in 1 oct!!!! (am worried about the poor tiger
sitting home with its 10.5:1 motor . . . .)
Plans are for a 9.o:1 stroker . . .
David (Durango)
> Listers,
>
> I read the new today, Oh Boy!
>
> Here is the story behind the drop in premium gas octane from
> 92 to 91. It
> has to do with some Union 76 patents, the first being the
> '393 patent (U.S.
> 5,288,393) and four subsequent ones granted Unocal that
> essentially block
> other refiners from making octane above 91 on a cost
> effective basis without
> infringing. As a consequence, as a group, the other oil companies have
> decided to dodge the bullet by lowering their octane to 91 using the
> non-patented method. Isn't it wonderful how our patent system
> stimulates
> technology?? You might think that at least at the Union 76
> station you could
> get 92 octane, right? Wrong! Since they all have to pump
> their gas through
> the same pipe, they are all forced to sell 91 octane gas.
>
> When I first heard from Steve Sage about his pinging problem, I was
> skeptical that a change of 1 octane point could be so
> significant. Lately,
> though this problem has hit the press and a lot of people
> with older, high
> compression engines are noticing pinging problems. From what
> I read, the
> problem will get even worse when they phase out the MTBE in a
> couple of
> years and start using ethanol instead. Then, we'll be lucky
> if we still can
> get 91 octane.
>
> I think this story is going to get even more interesting as
> the impact of
> what has been happening becomes more widely known.
>
> TTFN,
>
> Bob
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