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Fuel - Regular or Unleaded

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Okay, so maybe I'm wrong? Would I be throwing away money to put 91 octane gas in my TR when I could be using the 87 octane instead with no under--performance?

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David, I tried all three levels of fuel in my TR6 and found no difference in operation. I would even run 100 octane AV Gas once in a while which did nothng more than give a "nice odor" to the exhaust. After I upgraded my engine I found that I need 91 octane though.

The stock compression on your TR6 is 7.75:1 and we effectively lose another full point of compression at our altitude.

My TR8 is still stock with 8.1:1 compression and I use 85 in it with no issues.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I use premium(97 i think?) in all my cars with no problems at all....I figure since I am a car enthusiast and I plan to keep all my cars(well most of them) for a long time I don't mind paying the extra $, plus I work for an oil company so it helps justify the cost....whether or not it actually does anything I am not sure.
 
A similar question comes up in antique car magazines. People ask if their Ford Flathead V8 can run on unleaded. These engines were built from 1932 through 1953. All were low compression. Very similar CR to the late model TR6. I recall reading tha answer saying the gas available in the old days was not as good as we have today. During many of the eraly production years there was no leaded gas. I can't remember when leaded gas became available. The bottom line was that unleaded was fine for the low compression ratios.
Ford also produced a special "Denver" head for the Flathead. The CR was higher to compensate for the higher altitude.
One of my long term projects is a 1951 Ford F1 pickup. I have a fresh Mercury Flathead in the garage. This project may be sold to allow me to concentrate on the TVR sittng in the drive waiting it's turn.
 
Found this ad for Amoco in a book I was given, (TRIUMPH GUIDE by Dave Allen and Dick Strome copy write 1959.
The book has pictures of early Standards through the TR3's and service info.

Don
 

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Our last 110 Octane pump (close to home ) closed last year. No wonder, I think it ran about $6.75 a gallon at the begining of that season.

I like to mix my own .......... a dash of lead, a little Marvel mystery oil and a 97 unleaded octane.

You have to listen very closely ,but you'll recognise how happy the old tractor engine run's.
 
Octane has nothing to do with power. Higher octane gas simply has additives that make it a little harder to ignite. This is used in higher compression engines to prevent detonation (namely the fuel ingiting before the spark fires due to heat created due to pressure) that can damage the engine.

This is why some guys who mod their engine to get really high compressions (the best way to get big increases in power) use aviation gas.

As above, if there's no pinging (detonation), no need for spending the extra $. The relatively low compression of US TR6's is the main reason the UK models had much more horsepower.
 
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