silvermike Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Hello, What would happen if I put 89 octane gas in my Mach 1? What if i put half 89 and half 91? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Alonso Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 (edited) You would increase the likelihood of engine detonation and having drivability issues. The stock engine tune is aggressive and the engine has a high compression ratio, hence the need for premium gas. Edited July 18, 2006 by Tony Alonso Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RancorKeeper Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 The Mach 1 has 10.1:1 compression and since Ford recommends 91 octane, I'd suggest sticking to that, especially during the hot summer months. If you're really feeling the pinch in your wallet, do the half 89-half 91 every 3rd tank. You should be ok with that. In the cooler months, you could probably go half 'n half every other tank. But if you start hearing pinging or engine knock under hard acceleration, stick with the 91 octane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 How can 1 or 2 octane make that much of a difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Alonso Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 (edited) The engine computer is sensitive to the efficiency of the combustion, especially to meet emissions regulations and prevent detonation. Lower octane gas on the stock tune will cause problems. It is not worth the potential damage to your engine to do this. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question90.htm Edited July 19, 2006 by Tony Alonso Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phorty Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 You can get away with putting less than premium in many performance cars even if they require it. However, I wouldn't recommend doing this with a Mach 1 with high compression and aggressive computer right from the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildosvt Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 Ive heard it hurts the cat's too? Any truth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldracer Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 It doesn't hurt the cat's....it hurts the pistons and rods pretty bad though.....don't cheap out if you can't afford $0.20/gal to save your motor, get the car sold....replacing the engine is probably around $5Kish+, a really bad trade-off in my book. The higher the octane #, the more resistant it is to burning quickly...or before ignition takes place,(detonation)...very destructive to the weak factory parts... We are blessed with 93 here in Hell, er Florida... I put a Superchip 93 octane tune into our 2002 GT that has a Steeda CAI & DynoMax catback, plus a shift program...it also has Steeda full length Zinc subframes, Nitto 555's, all synthetic fluids and Brembo slotted cobra rotors and calipers with steel lines. The end result was a .8 second improvement in 1/4 mile ET and about 8-9 mph improvement, and that came on a 99 deg day here at the track in Bithlo 13.9 @100.6 was the new best time for an A/T Vert that weighs 3874 w/o the 225 lb driver,(me)... It had run 14.7 at 92.2 stock....... I was highly impressed, I plan to re-run it this Fall when temp & humidity are much lower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.