Which gas to run?

03SteedaGT

New Member
Oct 27, 2003
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Knoxville, TN
I know this has been covered before but I had a friend telling me that he is making more horsepower and getting better mileage by running 87 octane in his stock 02GT. I was wondering if anyone could explain this to me. I have ran 93 in mine since it rolled off the showroom floor. Am I hurting it? or just wasting my money since the timming is set so low from the factory? please any info would be nice.
 
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Tons of people do what you are doing, I was one of them. I now have a chip in mine so I have to run 93, but if I had it to do over again I would stick with plus at the most.
Also Ford has a "theory" behind all of the rough start problems that have been bothering a lot of '02 and '03 GT's. They think that for some reason the engines cant handle the extra octane. Also they feel that it is causing excess evaporation in the lines thus causing the crappy starts a lot of us have at first start after the car has sit for a while. I think its a bogus theory.
Look at it this way though. A car runs 89 for many years, it starts spark knocking so you add in plus. It cures it and for a few years your fine, then it starts knocking again, so you move to 93 and it cures it. Now that your at 93 where do you go from here? Rough cycle huh ;).
Oh well, thats my .02c :D
 
I would say it is a personal preferrance thing. I run mostly 87 but once in a while I run 91. The higher octane fuels also have more detergent in them for cleaning engine vitals, so I am told. I figure if it is just a few cents a gallon, once a month, then it isn't hurtin me too bad, lol.

Bo
 
Hmmmm, that's interesting. I run 93 octane in my stang since I put the Superchip. I was told by the performance shop where I bought my Supechip, that I had to run on 93 octanes...is this true? Or am I just hurting my wallet? Anyways, the Superchip is coming off because the KB Kit is coming on pretty soon!
 
I usually use 89 and on some times ill use 93 becasue its good to use it every once in a while. but no matter what octane you get always get it from the same gas station brand. i usually fill mine up at sunoco or sometimes shell if i cant make it to sunoco.
 
el_kid_1 said:
Hmmmm, that's interesting. I run 93 octane in my stang since I put the Superchip. I was told by the performance shop where I bought my Supechip, that I had to run on 93 octanes...is this true? Or am I just hurting my wallet? Anyways, the Superchip is coming off because the KB Kit is coming on pretty soon!

thats true, if you got it tuned on 93 octane, you gotta use 93 octane
 
if I remember right higher octane fuel has less BTU it can put out which means less pressure in the cylinder due to less heat

all of such can cut power, gas mileage, and such

is it cleaner burning? doubt it
more detergents?
doubt it

just makes the car less prone to detonation

so if your car isn't detonation why use it?
 
03SteedaGT said:
I know this has been covered before but I had a friend telling me that he is making more horsepower and getting better mileage by running 87 octane in his stock 02GT. I was wondering if anyone could explain this to me. I have ran 93 in mine since it rolled off the showroom floor. Am I hurting it? or just wasting my money since the timming is set so low from the factory? please any info would be nice.

Unless you have advanced timing, 87 octane is fine.