2.9L & 3.0L V6 Tech General discussion of 2.9L and 3.0L V6 Ford Ranger engines.

87 or 93 octane gas??? what do you prefer?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 10-19-2006
dixie789456's Avatar
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: bayamon, pr
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
87 or 93 octane gas??? what do you prefer?

just wanted to get your thoughts on it. the book says 87 so i put 87. we have 93 here. what would you prefer in your truck and why? mine is a 2006 3.0 what would be the "better" gas?
 
  #2  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Charlestown, IN
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
run 87.......if it runs funny(pinging or "dieseling" when you shut it off) go to the next up grade of gas..........i run 89 in my 4.0 OHV because with the 87 it pings.....
 
  #3  
Old 10-19-2006
GrafixGuy's Avatar
RF Veteran
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 8,703
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
can you top off with a diff type of gas...(mix together)? cause I wanna try 89 and just for the record my truck has 145K miles
 
  #4  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Charlestown, IN
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
yea you can mix gas octains..........the correct octane will be the average of the 2.....so if you mix 93 with 87 your octane will be 90.........
 
  #5  
Old 10-19-2006
04lvl2's Avatar
RF Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Palm Bay, FL
Posts: 5,600
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am with Maurice on this, I run 93 only because of the BAMA tuner. Otherwise it would be 87
 
  #6  
Old 10-19-2006
slodsm's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville NC
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You should always run the lowest octane gas you can without detonation, it will produce the most power this way.

Higher octane gas is a slower less volatile burn and more controlled so when run in a lower compression engine with a less agressive timing curve, it actually produces less power.

The only reason some people have to run a higher octane on a high mileage vehicle is because the deposits on the valves and combustion chamber actually lower the overall area in the chamber increasing compression by default and create more heat requiring the 89/91/93 to resist detonation. A simple can of Seafoam engine cleaner from AutoZone sucked through your brake booster hose will clean that out though and you can go back to the cheap stuff just fine.
 
  #7  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Charlestown, IN
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by slodsm
A simple can of Seafoam engine cleaner from AutoZone sucked through your brake booster hose will clean that out though and you can go back to the cheap stuff just fine.
are you serious?
 
  #8  
Old 10-19-2006
evnmn3's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 871
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
87...its cheaper...


na...ive never had need for anything else
 
  #9  
Old 10-19-2006
bwester04's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Round Rock, Tx
Posts: 2,641
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I run 93 because of the bama tuner.. otherwise 87 is what i'd use
 
  #10  
Old 10-19-2006
jtslmn720's Avatar
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Kent State, Kent Ohio
Posts: 7,367
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
87, all i need, no pinging...
 
  #11  
Old 10-19-2006
5speedin2.3's Avatar
Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Livonia, Mi
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
yeah man try some seafoam, it works wonders.
i had a valve that was sticking and it fixed it.
 
  #12  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Charlestown, IN
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by 5speedin2.3
yeah man try some seafoam, it works wonders.
i had a valve that was sticking and it fixed it.
how did you use it? put it in the fuel tank?
 
  #13  
Old 10-19-2006
n3elz's Avatar
RF Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Kennett Square, PA
Posts: 10,623
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
If your 3.0 engine is vin code "V" ("flex-fuel") rather than "U", there may be some benefit from running higher octane gas since the timing advance limits appear to be wider on those models.

But for a vin code "U" (non-flex-fuel) I wouldn't go over 89. The reason is that high octane gas burns more slowly, albeit more powerfully, and if you put high octane in and do not advance the timing you may still be combusting when the exhaust valve opens. This is bad for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that the "quenching" of the flame causes incomplete combustion and carbon buildup.
 
  #14  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Nowhere
Posts: 3,481
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
93, the engine seems to run a lot smoother
 
  #15  
Old 10-19-2006
slodsm's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville NC
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by lifted97ranger
are you serious?
Very :)

That stuff is the bomb man, but it isn't some fly by night "engine restore" crap, if you use it on a weak motor, it will get worse because on some, carbon is all that is keeping the valvetrain sealing.

The way I have always used it is 1/3 in the gas tank, 1/3 in the oil (do this shortly before changing the oil, say a day or two at most to clean out oil passages a bit) and the last third takes two people. Have a buddy in the car hold the RPM's to about 2k because you are about to make a serious vacuum leak. Pop off the brake booster vacuum line and throw it in the remainder of the can. The car is going to suck it all out drawing it through your intake and cleaning valves and combustion chamber while doing so. It will smoke like you have never seen while doing it, you won't have mosquitoes for a month or so lol. Once it's all sucked out, throw the booster line back on and let it smoke. After about 5 minutes take it out for a drive. It is going to blow massive amounts of smoke for about 5 miles or so and then clear up like nothing happened and that is it man.


Once you do this, it's done and over with BUT, if the motor is worn out and the rings or valve seats are beat up, it will be worse because of the new found cleanliness of it. If it's a healthy motor, it will make it clean again, if it's not, it will be dead lol.
 
  #16  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Charlestown, IN
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Originally Posted by slodsm
Very :)

That stuff is the bomb man, but it isn't some fly by night "engine restore" crap, if you use it on a weak motor, it will get worse because on some, carbon is all that is keeping the valvetrain sealing.

The way I have always used it is 1/3 in the gas tank, 1/3 in the oil (do this shortly before changing the oil, say a day or two at most to clean out oil passages a bit) and the last third takes two people. Have a buddy in the car hold the RPM's to about 2k because you are about to make a serious vacuum leak. Pop off the brake booster vacuum line and throw it in the remainder of the can. The car is going to suck it all out drawing it through your intake and cleaning valves and combustion chamber while doing so. It will smoke like you have never seen while doing it, you won't have mosquitoes for a month or so lol. Once it's all sucked out, throw the booster line back on and let it smoke. After about 5 minutes take it out for a drive. It is going to blow massive amounts of smoke for about 5 miles or so and then clear up like nothing happened and that is it man.


Once you do this, it's done and over with BUT, if the motor is worn out and the rings or valve seats are beat up, it will be worse because of the new found cleanliness of it. If it's a healthy motor, it will make it clean again, if it's not, it will be dead lol.
not bad......i dont know if i should try it since my engine has 88,000 miles on it......it has been babied for 88,000 miles, but it still is older......maybe when i get my newer vehicle next summer i will remember it....
 
  #17  
Old 10-19-2006
markw_06's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Red bay Al.
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Mine has 140,000 and i ran some threw my brake booster line and it didnt cause a leak.. Runs smoother and idles smoother.
 
  #18  
Old 10-19-2006
5speedin2.3's Avatar
Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Livonia, Mi
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
try the seafoam but dont put it in the oil...
run half in the brake booster and the other half with a half tank of gas.
chances are if you run it in the oil your going to get seal leaks and plug up your pickup tube.. bad idea..
 
  #19  
Old 10-19-2006
5speedin2.3's Avatar
Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Livonia, Mi
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
btw i use midgrade in my truck becuase it seems to run/idle better.
plus gas isnt $3.50 anymore..
 
  #20  
Old 10-19-2006
tideguyinva's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Posts: 629
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i just use plain old regular in mine always have always will. i dont have no damn sportscar so i do what i gotta do but the cheap stuff.
 
  #21  
Old 10-19-2006
slodsm's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville NC
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by 5speedin2.3
try the seafoam but dont put it in the oil...
run half in the brake booster and the other half with a half tank of gas.
chances are if you run it in the oil your going to get seal leaks and plug up your pickup tube.. bad idea..
And you are basing this opinion off of what? Seafoam doesn't harm seals whatsoever. It does ever so slightly dilute the oil hence why I stated CHANGE YOUR OIL SHORTLY AFTER. If you have only an opinion and no fact, please don't dilute the thread with information that can't help anything, it only furthers the damage to a good product and starts another internet rumor that will spread like a cali wildfire and within 2 months, Seafoam will be out of business because everyone now thinks it destroys motors.


Lifted97, last time I used it, it was in a 130k motor that had eaten about 400lbs of nitrous in it's life and I had no problems as the motor was taken care of and regular maintenance had always been performed. I used it because of a crappy idle when all the electronics were functioning properly. I am sure it had been beaten and abused a lot more than you Ranger so I wouldn't be concerned. Sludgy ill maintained motors are the ones it will let down.
 
  #22  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Charlestown, IN
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
ok....i will have to try that....
 
  #24  
Old 10-19-2006
ranger's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Imperial Beach, CA
Posts: 4,502
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
i run 93 and my truck purs like a sleeping cat, with 87 it seems slower no power but than again it is a 3.0
 
  #25  
Old 10-19-2006
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Huntsville, Tx
Posts: 827
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i pinged with 87. so i run 89 now. im flex fuel, so that prolly explains it.
 


Quick Reply: 87 or 93 octane gas??? what do you prefer?



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:02 PM.