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hardrock · 09-23-2005, 05:13 AM

Can someone give me a clue why 83 and 85 octane gasoline is avalible out West at cheaper prices, but not avalible in the East? The only octane I can get is 87, 89, 93.

Thanks

hardrock · 09-23-2005, 05:13 AM

Can someone give me a clue why 83 and 85 octane gasoline is avalible out West at cheaper prices, but not avalible in the East? The only octane I can get is 87, 89, 93.

Thanks

Gary RVRoamer · 09-23-2005, 05:51 AM

83 and 85 octane are blended for use at high altitudes. At eastern US altitudes, they would cause severe engine knock.

LandHo · 09-23-2005, 08:53 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Roamer:
...At eastern US altitudes, they would cause severe engine knock. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

YEP, that is correct.

Tom N · 09-24-2005, 06:38 AM

Not true.

85 and 85 are the same blend.

These diffenece in octane rating is because of the altitude. When they pump 83 at a higher altitude the change the octane rating to 83. If you buy 83 and drive down to 3000' you have 85 ib your tank.

Paul Heuvelhorst · 09-24-2005, 12:46 PM

This has nothing to do with how 83 and 85 octane fuels function where you live, but Hardrock mentioned that these octanes are available "out West at cheaper prices."

It is my recollection from our travels that you won't find any octanes available from the Rockies west lower than 87, 89 & 93, and none of them are cheap at the moment. (We just returned from a week at Gold Beach,Oregon and paid over $3.00/gal. on the entire trip.)

So, I guess my question is, "what part of the USA does someone from Orlando, FL consider 'out West'?"

Just curious! 8^)

hardrock · 09-24-2005, 04:02 PM

Thanks for all the replys.
Paul, to answer your question: "what part of the USA does someone from Orlando, FL consider 'out West'?"

I consider out west states like, Colorado, Nevada, California, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Wyoming, and Washington.
Although, I didn't buy gas in all of these states,
I hope they teach geography the same in California, as they do in Orlando. So, what part of East, or West don't you understand?

Just Curious, Hardrock

Paul Heuvelhorst · 09-24-2005, 07:37 PM

Well, Hardrock, since I was born in the "mid-west" (Michigan), but raised and lived mostly along the Pacific Coast in California, I have to say that anywhere we want to travel, other than north or south, is east...

You obviously know the western states... my facitious question was responding to your comment about gasoline octanes I've never seen west of the Rockies, and believe me, we've traveled them all for most of our 44 years of marriage. We live in the northeastern Sierra mountains at an altitude of 4500'. There is no octane lower than 87, and I've only found 85 octane when we traveled through the plains states and Canada.

Enjoy your travels.

hardrock · 09-25-2005, 03:54 PM

Paul,
Let me see if I've got this right. You said: "We live in the northeastern Sierra mountains at an altitude of 4500'. There is no octane lower than 87, and I've only found 85 octane when we traveled through the plains states and Canada." So, If I read this right, your altitude is higher than the plains states. You've found 85 octane gas at lower altitudes than the Alleghany,Catskills, Appalachian, Adirondack, and Blue Ridge Mountains. I guess now, I don't understand about why lower altitudes in the plains states don't have severe engine knock.

Bob (WA0MQE) · 09-26-2005, 07:29 AM

I live in Colorado at 6,500 feet. Colorado does have 85 Octave Unleaded Regular, 87 Octane Unleaded Super Regular, and 90 Octane Premium. We travel every winter through parts of New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. In these southwestern and lower elevation states they offer 87 Octane, 88/89 Octane and 90 Octane. The prices for the 85 Octane in Colorado is typically, although usually a little higher then these states' 87 Octane low grade fuel. And of course the Colorado 87 Octane is higher yet, and this is the octane were supposed to burn in our motorhomes and newer vehicles.

It's my understanding the 85 octane was created years ago, before fuel injection and carburated engines needed this lower octane fuel to match the thinner air and to burn clean. Since the advent of almost every vehicle being fuel injected and the computer which compensates for thinner air it's not even needed anymore. There's been discussions on this subject to eliminate 85 octane in Colorado and make the 87 octane the low grade, but this would change the pricing structure to a lower price like the other states mentioned above. So what's the chance of that happening?

Bob

YosemiteBobR · 10-13-2005, 05:30 AM

I talked to a tanker delivery man here in California. He says that the 87 octane was needed to compensate for the additional additives in the gasoline especially in California. It is designed for a better anti knock. The lower octanes have less additives. May not be from the horses mouth but close to it.

TXiceman · 10-13-2005, 09:09 AM

Generally 2 points on the octane rating won't mean a bloming thing to the engine. I'd sure not believe a delivery man on this issue. Kinda like asking the Pizza delivery fellow what is the best tire to run on your off-road truck.

Ken

YosemiteBobR · 10-13-2005, 09:44 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Generally 2 points on the octane rating won't mean a bloming thing to the engine. I'd sure not believe a delivery man on this issue. Kinda like asking the Pizza delivery fellow what is the best tire to run on your off-road truck. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, you are right, except for the pizza delivery man, our pizza delivery man is the president of our rock crawling clup.

hardrock · 10-15-2005, 11:46 AM

Thanks for all the replys, but I was wondering about 83 and 85 octane. I know I bought some west of the Mississippi, and my 8.1L(454)Chevy ran ok on it at a cheaper price.