Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 14:35:49 -0600
Reply-To: Chris Smith <chris.smith@AQUILA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris Smith <chris.smith@AQUILA.NET>
Subject: Re: Cheap emergency gas can for INSIDE your van (Was: Mercedes
gas can for spare tire)
In-Reply-To: <16d.98394d3.29ae88ab@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Ouch.. there are a few misconceptions floating around here:
Octane rating of pump gas is the speed of the flame-front as measured using
a rather hard to explain method. a slower flame front equals a higher
octane rating.
The amount of "UMPFH" of a particular fuel is not tied to the octane number.
"But professor Bum, why do sports cars go faster with high octane fuels?"
Simple, the higher octane allows the fuel to burn at a more controlled
rate, thereby allowing the cylinder to compress it more before
ignition. In other words it won't 'go-off' on its own as easily. The
modern high performance car uses a very high compression engine that
requires a high octane rated fuel. If a lower octane fuel is used the car
will actually hear the knocking and retard the spark to keep the engine
from going "BOOM".
It only seems like the high octane fuel has more power, when really it's
the car that is cutting it's power instead.
"So what is white gas or camp fuel"
White gas is not available today in it's original definition. White gas
was highly refined auto fuel. It was often used as the basis for WWII
aviation fuel. Today the old B-25s and such can't run their engines at
100% due to a lack of proper fuel. Camp fuel or Coleman Fuel is really
just a mixture of toluene and benzine. They are both found in gasoline and
are naturally clear thus the confusion.
"so what about my car?"
I have used a wide variety of fuels in my vehicles over the years with
mixed results. Camp fuel works ok in emergencies but has so much crap
floating around in it that it always leads to injector or carb
troubles. The "Emergency Fuel" sold by penzoil and others is ok for a
short distance, but if your plugs were marginal before you put it in, they
may need replacement after using it. Alcohol is great for very high
compression engines, but use gas to start the motor. Methanol is even
better, but again, use gas to start or kiss the motor good-by. The stuff
you see drag racers squirting into the blower is actually good old
fashioned pump gas. LP is really great, but the motor will need to be
built for it to get any sort of performance. The stuff has only 65% the
power of gasoline, but has an octane number off the charts. A well built
LP motor may have a compression ration of 15:1 or higer.
Of course this is all from memory, as prone to failure as it is, and may
contain a few factual errors..
Your results will very
Serving suggestion shown
contents may settle during shipping
if this is not what you expected, please alter your expectations
Chris Smith
Unemployed Bum