if by 'that source' you mean the place off la paz, we hadn't even put any of that fuel in yet. We were still running on the stuff we got from the 76 on the 10 and citrus (our normal place) when the engine went.

 

I was running 100 octane from La Paz on Saturday and Sunday. No problems. That included a 5th gear pull to about 5800 RPM on the freeway. But perhaps my 100 octane tune is not the most aggressive, I don't know.

 

I definitely wouldn't buy race fuel on the road from sources of unknown reputation. At over $6 / gallon, there's a huge financial incentive to cheat the customer by mixing in a little $3.50 / gal gas.

I would also like to know about an octane tester. If for no other reason, I'd like to be able to test my stored gas when it's a month old. If a $500 octane tester can save you $2000 worth of engine damage, it's a real deal!

Mike

 

What are you guys running for ignition set-ups? My race car is my DD too, so i can't go very exotic in my tune, and funds are limited ( $1250 / mo child support payment FTL )

What plugs do you run ? Are the Magnecor 8.5 mm plug wires really worth it ? I've got a big event coming up next weekend and after my second place a couple weeks ago, i'm confident i can contend for the win.

Thanks in advance.
Chris

 

Forget the Magnecors They don't fit well and have caused problems for users.

 

I run NGK BPR7ES plugs. I gap mine to about .024" (they come gapped to about .030"). I change them twice a year. Much cheaper than running the iridium plugs, which you'd have to change or clean once a year anyway, given the abuse that racing imposes on them.

Mike

 

NGK also sells a mid price iridium plug. I think they are BPR7EIX. I ran them last year and have a fresh set to go in before dyno time this year. Somewhere around $7 ish per plug vs $2 or $3 for the BPR7ES.

 

I believe the regular NGK iridium is exactly the same as the OEM ones, except they don't come in a Mitsubishi badged box and they aren't marked up 100%. Can anyone else confirm or deny this?

 

inital guess confirmed...

OUCH!

 

Sorry to hear about that!! Are you guys considering building the motor for a move to SM/XP??

I'm curious, is the high octane you were running from the pump or from 5gal cans?

John

 

not at this point. it'll probably just get a new set of pistons/rings and get the head cleaned up. While it is tempting, $M is a little out of the budget. Besides I think 1 showcase car is probably all the butt kickin those SM guys can handle.

The gas was from a pump. We'll be taking a closer look at the tune when it's up and running again. Hopefully we'll be able to determine if it was just the gas or if there are other problems to deal with.

 

Good luck getting her back together. That makes me nervous to even drive mine

Once I get my ethanol sensor hooked up I will feel a little better because at least I'll alway know exactly what % I'm getting out of the pump . . .

 

Yeah, it makes me nervous, too. I'm about to get tuned for 104 octane race gas. I plan to switch maps (and fuel) between racing and the street. So I have to be really careful to:

(a) get the octane I think I'm getting from the dealer;
(b) store it properly to maintain octaine;
(c) not mix it with remnants of 93 octane left in my tank.

This is starting to sound sort of stressful.

 

Marshall,
Sorry to hear about your motor issues there. That really sucks, but brings up an issue that all you guys should be aware of.

You guys really gotta be careful with the tuning. Make sure your tuner is not turning off or numbing out the knock controls. It is also a really good idea to get your car tuned on a lower octane than you actually use in competition as a safety net. My SM car was tuned on 100 octane, but I always ran it on 104, that way I was sure it would be ok. Finally, only run on 5 gal sealed can gas for serious running at full boost. It holds its octane rating much longer than ground pumped fuels. The current crop of fuels, when exposed to oxygen degrade quicker than the gasolines of even a few years ago. Anyone with a lawnmower, who has tried to run it on 6 month old gas knows what I am talking about.

Maintain knock control
Tune with a little less octane than you plan to run
Use sealed gas containers

You will not be sorry.

Mark

 

Speaking of breaking things I had a lug stud snap on me yesterday. Heard it snap at the end of my run, figured it was something else knocking in the front. Pulled over, check tire pressures, then pulled back to the line for a rerun. Somebody then picks up my lug stud and nut from the ground at the line. Thanks Joe!

Just a word to the wise, if it's been awhile since changing your studs/nuts you may want to do it soon. Mine have 2 years and at least 70ish tire changes (15+ events/yr, 2 changes per event). Always tq to 80ft-lbs, no antisieze.

Brand is KYO-EI that RRE sells, def fatigue failure, I had a metallurgist at work take a look today. Got ARP's coming to replace them.

On the race gas/octane front after talking to Mark last year I switched from 100 to 104. I've also bee running from 5 gallon jugs which are typically $9.00ish per gallon. In NY we can get it for about $7.50 from the pump. Apparently one is safer than the other and worth the extra $$.


John