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Fuel for Track Day Use - What types and where to purchase?


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Max

Tue Aug 01 2006, 03:27PM

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OK I thought it would help to offer you the low down on fuels for use at trackdays and some advice from Roland at GTT about Octane and pinking

:

Ignition Timing & Fuel Octane

Hi Guys, here's some info for you regarding how & why timing & fuel octane effect power;

First some octane facts for you, nice & simple no heavy reading or showing off;-

OCTANE

1) The higher the octane the slower the fuel burns.

2) The slower burn means its shoving down on the piston for a longer period as opposed to a short jab. So more time is spent per cycle 'working', and a more controlled burn is achieved as well.

3) Octane in the UK is rated as Ron

6) The highest octane unleaded fuel you can get is around 106 Ron (cool blue)

IGNITION TIMING
1) A higher octane fuel will benefit from an advanced (ie earlier) spark. Within reason if you dont advance the timing for the better fuel you wont gain any power, but then you wont hurt anything either.

2) A lower octane fuel requires the timing to be retarded,(ie a later spark where the piston is furthur up the bore),if you do retard the timing you lose power but the engine runs fine. If you dont retard the timing the engine pinks (the US boys say ping) this loses power too but also runs serious risk of an engine blow up if driven under high load for any period (eg nailing it in 5th or 6th)

3) The anti-knock sensors in theory retard the timing automatically when it pinks. In reality the car still pinks and this is not going to save you .Never rely on the Anti Knock Sensor. They are better than nothing ,but only just!

4) Pinking can be heard as a light 'tinkling' or 'rattling' under load. ;-Stereo off,windows closed, ear towards windscreen,use at least 3rd gear up a hill and floor the throttle . Try at 3000,4000,5000,&6000 rpm. One tiny little 'tinkle' (only) under these conditions is usually ok. If you can 'never' get the car to pink then it begs the question 'Could this car use a little more advance?' -which would give more power in the process.

5) Assuming the knock sensor is not cutting the timing back ,you will not gain power merely by adding a higher octane fuel.

Thanks Roland

------------------- ------------

Clearly you want to get hold of the highest octane rating you can for use on the track.

For details of 76 Cool Blue 106RON see here:

http://www.aaoil.co.uk/frameset.cfm?page=http://www.aaoil.co.uk/crude_news.cfm/section/latestnews/flag/2/editID/207

But it's expensive and also out of stock on this site

Alternatives posted there are about �80 for 25L :o :o )

BP do a high octane fuel at only a few petrol stations

http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9009077&contentId=7016847

BP Ultimate 102 unleaded is now available at the following further BP retail sites:

Bryon Connect
407 High Road (A406 North Circular), North Finchley, London, N12 0AP

Premier Connect
99 Chaseside, Southgate, London, N14 5BU

Also available

All Saints Self Serve
Commercial Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 4BU

Chicheley Park Connect
Tickford Street, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9BD

Newbury Centre Filling Station
758 Eastern Avenue (A12), Newbury Park, Illford, Essex, IG2 7HU

Newham Way Service Station
Newham Way, (A13 Westbound), Canning Town, London, E16 1QX

Tudor Filling Station
London Road (A20), Allington, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 OHE

Wavendon Gate Connect
Newport Road, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, MK7 7AG

The most widely available highest octane fuel in the UK is TESCO 99RON and Shell V-Power 99RON (Replacing OPTIMAX). To find out where this is avaiable close to the track you will be on find out from their websites here:

http://www.greenergy.com/products/99_octane_locations.html

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=uk-en&FC2=/uk-en/tailored/shell_for_motorists/fuels/vpower_p/zzz_lhn.html&FC3=/uk-en/tailored/shell_for_motorists/fuels/vpower_p/vpower_p_about_ga_1602.html

Find SHELL V-Power (OPTIMAX) 99RON find it here by typing in the postcode of the race track (remember to check the OPTIMAX box

):

http://www.shell.com/home/PlainPageServlet?FC=/uk-en/html/iwgen/shell_for_motorists/app_station_finder.html

Finally for BP ULTIMATE 97RON try here:

http://www.bp.com/iframe.do?categoryId=4503052&contentId=59129

Racetrack postcodes can be found here:

http://www.scnm.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=771

If anyone knows of any more please post up in here

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Dave

Tue Aug 01 2006, 05:37PM

Confessed Mini Addict

Registered Member #140

Joined: Mon Mar 13 2006, 12:00AM
Location: Southampton
Posts: 5045

Do you know how much it is usually??

I like the sound of this one: SUNOCO GT PLUS (109RON, 99MON, 4.5% oxygen) - Unleaded

Just dont like the warning that one comes with though : Please note that due to the very extreme design of this high power fuel it is by nature very unstable. Make sure that you do not expose the fuel to direct sunlight and do not keep containers open. Do not leave fuel in the vehicle's tank for longer than 48 hours.

Think i'll give the Cool Blue a try if they get any in before the track day.

MINI Project 261hp and counting... : MINIProject.co.uk

Max

Tue Aug 01 2006, 10:24PM

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Registered Member #23

Joined: Sun Jan 15 2006, 12:00AM
Location: On a Canal Somewhere

Posts: 3915

You will need a hand pump to get the fuel into yr tank

I would not recommend the one that I recently purchased as it pumped 106RON all over my hands at Bedford Autodrome :roll: :roll:

Hobzy

Thu Aug 03 2006, 10:50AM

Registered Member #46

Joined: Wed Feb 01 2006, 12:00AM
Location: Clanfield Nr Portsmouth
Posts: 150

Dont forget BP do a high octane fuel at only a few petrol stations

http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9009077&contentId=7016847

Supposed to be very good but fooking expensive. Might try a 20L jerrycan for RAF Marham.

Max

Thu Aug 17 2006, 10:46PM

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Joined: Sun Jan 15 2006, 12:00AM
Location: On a Canal Somewhere

Posts: 3915

Roland usually has a few 25L canisters in stock, so you could try giving him a bell?

Now available from Roland, you just have to collect from GTT at Blandford

http://scnm.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=942

Thanks Roland

Roland_GT_Tuning

Fri Aug 18 2006, 05:28PM

Registered Member #153

Joined: Thu Mar 30 2006, 12:00AM
Posts: 49

Hi guys, Ive tried the cool blue the Sunoco GT and the new 109 GT Plus.
I felt the Cool blue was maybe better,neither pinked (used neat) but the GT Plus sounded a bit harder? If you run a decat then you can run leaded fuel which is much nicer to the engine. The 02 sensors in theory dont last as long but I havn't had a problem with them (yet). If you use Sunoco Supreme at 25% with 75% optimax its not too expensive; still bags of lead in it ,and with a (neat) Ron of 114 and a very impressive (and more important) Mon of 110 its still going to have good octane even diluted. Leaded fuels are not 'oxygen releasing',but tbh unleaded fuels like Sunoco GT Plus contain ethenol alchohol to release oxygen during the burn will cause marginally lean burn unless mapped accordingly.
Best Regards Roland GT Tuning

Max

Thu Aug 24 2006, 05:56PM

Founder Member

Registered Member #23

Joined: Sun Jan 15 2006, 12:00AM
Location: On a Canal Somewhere

Posts: 3915

Thanks for the info on Shell V-Power 99RON which has replaced OPTIMAX, details added above and here...>

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=uk-en&FC2=/uk-en/tailored/shell_for_motorists/fuels/vpower_p/zzz_lhn.html&FC3=/uk-en/tailored/shell_for_motorists/fuels/vpower_p/vpower_p_about_ga_1602.html

Hobzy

Thu Sep 07 2006, 08:47AM

Registered Member #46

Joined: Wed Feb 01 2006, 12:00AM
Location: Clanfield Nr Portsmouth
Posts: 150

BP102 was superb but not worth �2.42

Max

Fri Sep 08 2006, 11:30PM

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Registered Member #23

Joined: Sun Jan 15 2006, 12:00AM
Location: On a Canal Somewhere

Posts: 3915

That's not what you said last Sunday when you came in all breathless off the track

Hobzy

Sat Sep 09 2006, 09:23AM

Registered Member #46

Joined: Wed Feb 01 2006, 12:00AM
Location: Clanfield Nr Portsmouth
Posts: 150

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


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