What brand of gas do you use?

[crete]

Given the octane level is the same is it true all gas is relatively equal and the only difference is in the additives that make it burn cleaner for the engine and the environment.

I've been using Chevron for years with their techron additive paying from $2.28 to today's high of $2.65 for 91 octane and I'm curious to know if other brands work the same way for better or worse.

What brands of gas do you use in your X's that you find works the best for you? Feel free to include what you're paying (I know it might be shocking to some).

[kirkX5m]

Mobil 91 oct 2.63usd Rancho Cucamonga, CA

[motordavid]

Have used every brand, (and some no name "brands"), available on the entire east coast. Have even run cheapo regular on some long dis. shots back to NJ/NY; the thought being that a tank of regular, consumed in half a day has/had zero impact on performance while hauling azz up the interstate.

I am a closet Chevron fan, but mostly for our Vette based on the ConWisdom of that car's fuel tank sender fragility and occas. gas gauge glitches.

Imo, gas is gas, in 99% of the situs, and other than "bad gas", the brand(s) is purely mkting and psychological. (I don't rec'd a steady diet of regular/87 Oct.)

These aren't ProStock drag cars...that engMgmtSys does a very effective job, imo. However, if one has a Jones for a brand, it's a fairly free economy. My 2Cts. BR,md

PS: Current gas prices range from 2.18 to 2.42 for Prem/93 and 2.02 to 2.25 for Reg/87 in our lil'county.

[rocketir]

Chevron when I buy 91 octane.

[rocketir]

Here is a good article on octane and why you should run premium when the manual recommends it.
http://www.superchargersonline.com/content.asp?ID=105
The 3.0l engines have a 10.2:1 CR and the 4.4's have a 10:1
Not sure if the heads and block are Aluminum? Anyone know?
MotorDave: "I think" that at your elevation you can get away without using premium. However I am not sure. Maybe someone in the mile high city can tell us.
Jes

[Curious Joel]

I almost always use Sunoco 93... I think they're one of the only companies around here that doesn't use middle-eastern oil, or that's what I hear anyway.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by rocketir

Here is a good article on octane and why you should run premium when the manual recommends it.
http://www.superchargersonline.com/content.asp?ID=105
The 3.0l engines have a 10.2:1 CR and the 4.4's have a 10:1
Not sure if the heads and block are Aluminum? Anyone know?
MotorDave: "I think" that at your elevation you can get away without using premium. However I am not sure. Maybe someone in the mile high city can tell us.
Jes

Rocket, thanks...pretty good art., but there are hundreds of sim. stuff on net. It is one of The arm wrestles and comes up on every car board about once per Qtr.

I live at 5K, but most of the driving in my "area" is at elevations less than that. My pitch on running an occas. tank of reg or mid-grade on Trips, was that I cannot tell the diff, power/temp/mpg etc., when that tank of less than 91/93 is run through in just hours on a haulazz deal up the interstate.

As for CR...easy to get hung up on that ratio but lots of stuff in any given motor have ancillary effects and will affect that motor's performance based on many add'l considerations. I'll dodge the debate, but remember a plethora of very fast, very high HP per CI or CC, motorcycles run on reg w/out a hiccup and most of the UJM 4 mfg'ers rec'd regular. I realize those motors are not same species as 3.0 or 4.4; my point is not to get hung up on comp.ratio, esp when normally aspirated.

I'll get out of this gas thread; buy and run whatcha want.
I use prem. usually, (93 here anywhere on Right coast), but an occas. tank of 89 or even 87, vis a vis the effect on these motors, is like peeing in the ocean, imo.
BR,md

[JCL]

Hey MD, if we didn't debate fuel octane ratings every few weeks we would just be spending more time on stereos and tires!

Decent article, IMO, but written prior to the advent of engine management software that adjusts for pre-detonation. More applicable to supercharged engines than stock engines with modern electronics.

As to brand, I used to like Chevron, but it has been years since there was any difference in our part of the world (we have 3 times as many brands as we have refineries, they all fill the tankers at the same two depots).

I stick with 89 octane for all three current vehicles, but our 89 is pretty good, there are lots of regional variations. Don't understand using anything over 91 unless supercharged or other significant engine mods require it.

[crete]

I have a station near me called "Rotten Robbie" where gas is usually 5-10 cents per gallon cheaper than the major brands, but people tell me to stay away from these types of dealers as you don't know where they get their gas from and what is in it. Wouldn't they get the same kind of gas as the major brands get.

[SILENTx5]

I usually use either Gulf or Exxon