Re: "octane myth" & "synthetic oil

[Dave Head <dhead@sundial.sundial.net>]

At 08:42 PM 11/1/96 -0800, you wrote:
>This is a copy of a AAA article  printed without permission:
>US motorists waste about $1.7 billion a year buying premium gasoline that
>their vehicles don't need, AAA said last week. Typically, exotic
>automobiles, some sport-utility vehicles and cars with high-performance
>engines -- less than 10% of the vehicles on the road -- are among those
>that require the high-octane fuel.  Yet, many consumers fall for the
>"octane myth," mistakenly believing that the premium gasoline provides
>better performance and a cleaner burn, the AAA said.
>No need to say anymore!!!!!!!

However - for engines with knock control ignition systems, which YOU happen
to own, performance can be DRAMATICALLY limited. What is your point? Most
later model Audis and VWs use knock control. Use a lower octane and your
timing advance is automatically cut back.
If I want to limit the boost on my tq back to stock, sure I can run 87. If I
want PERFORMANCE, then I run 93.

Re: Your previous post about synthetic oil.  There are literally hundreds,
if not thousands of articles about the value of synthetics. Try putting
conventional gear lube in your transmission and differentials and see how
well your Audi runs (it CAME with synthetic gear lube). Then see how well it
runs when its 20 below out. Put conventional oil in your crankcase and blow
a heater hose on the freeway and see if it protects it when your engine is
so hot it still blows water back out 20 minutes after shutdown. You want to
drive a Yugo down the road at 50 mph, then conventional lubricants may be
fine for you. You want your engine to survive extreme limits of operation,
then use a synthetic.

The military has used synthetic oils in turbines and reduction gears since
the early 70s. They recognize its value in extending operating parameters
and long life when properly filtered. Brings me to my next point.

Bypass filtration systems are in use in virtually every large volume
crankcase for diesel engines, turbines and reduction gears. Conventional
filters can only filter down to 10-12 microns. A bypass filter can filter to
1 micron - small enough to filter out a water molecule.

You state you worked in internal combustion design. So that tells me you may
know how a gas plasma wavefront is ignited in a swirl pattern. I'm just an
old man who operates my vehicles on the ragged edge and wants 'em to survive
- which they do quite well with 93 octane and synthetic oil. BTDT... I do my
testing out in the field, not in the lab.

So knock off the flame bait and go work on your Audi.




********************************AUDI FAN***********************************
                                       EMCM(SW) Dave Head  
87 5KCSTQ 179K miles and counting... 1.8 bar boost - Whee!
                                              Maitland, Florida
******************************************************************************