Date:         Wed, 14 Jul 1999 07:28:41 -0400
Reply-To:     Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mid-grade fuel, was: RE octane rating
Comments: To: "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>

It all comes from one pump and one nozzle at the station, but they still
have separate tanks under the pump, and those separate tanks are still
filled with two separate fuel stocks, and the "mixed stuff" that comes out
of the pipeline down at the tank farm.

The Ultra-94 is at a separate pump because Sunoco *may* be buying the
double-refined, octane-additive-enhanced fuel stock that Amoco brands as
their "Ultimate". Keep in mind, the fuel industry is no different from the
pickle industry, the car industry, or any other mass producer. The
refineries put out a single product, then lots of other companies "brand"
it.

Cheers.

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree


-----Original Message-----
From:   Karl F. Bloss [SMTP:bloss@ENTER.NET]
Sent:   Wednesday, July 14, 1999 12:26 AM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Re: Mid-grade fuel, was: RE octane rating

> This is FYI hearsay, something I read on this list (I think).
[snip]
> Mid grade is the swill that comes out of the pipe when they switch from
> regular to high octane or vice versa, and the gas is mixed. For marketing
> reasons, they can't throw it away, so they sell it a "mid grade". The
> octane varies widely.

Sorry, I don't buy it.  FWIW, Sunoco appears to mix their stuff on
the fly.  They have regular, mid-grade, and premium all coming from
one pump with one nozzle.  Ulta 94 is a separate pump.

Oh well, Bev runs best on 87 regular grade anyway.

-Karl

Karl and Kristina Bloss, Trexlertown, PA
'87 GL Weekender  "Beverley"
Mechanic list: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/vwshops
Busses by the Trail - Oct 15-17, 1999: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/bbtt
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