octane rating and engine performance
In Texas, the minimum octane rating is 87. On a recent trip to Glacier, I noticed a lot of the fuel in states like CO, WY and MT, the octane was 85, and you had to buy the mid-grade to get 87 and abov...
Forum Discussion
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
News flash: Why are you people talking about "boosted" engines? The OP has a 5.0 Ford.
A 5.0 Ford. Not an ecoboost, not an Indy engine or even a top fuel engine. He owns a 5.0 Ford.
A 5.0 will not detonate on an average day in Denver on the cheap stuff they sell there. End of story. There is a reason Denver fuel has less octane. :R
OK, so after great debate, it seems that the most commonly taken stance is that since the altitude is higher and there is less air and pressure in the cylinders, then there is no need to worry about the 85 vs 87 rating on my 5.0.
Now, as I understand it, the octane has all to do with preventing detonation, which my logic believes to be usable power in the engine.
If at 85 and under load in the mountains, the engine will R E T A R D ignition to reduce knocks & pings (correct?) then to me this means that it is reducing engine performance further that just based strictly on altitude alone.
So....if I run the 87 or higher under load, then the computer might not be so inclined/required to R E T A R D ignition thus giving me more usable hp/tq??
FYI, I guess R E T A R D spelled any other way is considered offensive and deleted out like it was a cuss word or not PC.
