Need advice please - motor blown after dyno, has Whipple.

[331GT]

I’m told now by several tuners to ONLY use Shell/Chevron here. Supposedly the regulations are looser here and there is a +/- 2 octane regulation. I have no idea how true that holds.

gotcha. good luck with it. sucks you're in this position.

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[Cambur]

That sucks man! Had to go through something like that not too long ago. Ended up with an aluminator for a little bit more than what you indicated for a short block. Aluminator does have upgraded rods and pistons, along with billet oil gears. Look into Jeggs. Ordered mine and was received in about ten days...

They are 2.5 months out everywhere. It’s Ford, not the dealers. Which is why I might consider having one build if I can find a reputable enough builder. Anybody know one? One that will stand by his work!

 

[Bikeman315]

no shit. red flag right there!

but now the talk about Costco fuel has me feeling uneasy, I have done many fill ups at Sam's Club (same diff). I have only used their 93 when on a 91 and up tune, and i did use their 87 when i was completely stock many times. my car is also not boosted like OP's, only exhaust and tune. I was under the impression gas at any of the reputable big name places is essentially the same minus maybe some detergents or additives specific to say Shell vs BP vs Exxon, etc. I always thought unless you're going to some random mom and pop place out in the middle of nowhere, you dont really have much to worry about regarding bad gas.

If i am uninformed, please correct me!

I’m told now by several tuners to ONLY use Shell/Chevron here. Supposedly the regulations are looser here and there is a +/- 2 octane regulation. I have no idea how true that holds.

For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Costco gas. Their Top Tier 93 is as good as anything out there. In addition they turn their loads so quickly that there is virtually no chance of in tank contamination. Is it possible to get a bad tank? Of course. As likely as getting a bad tank from Shell, Chevron, or any other top brand.

 

[Bikeman315]

The “us” is me and my son. It’s really his car and he has for sure put premium in it. Certainly a hard lesson learned on fuel quality regardless!

Did you have the fuel tested? If not you’re really reaching to blame it for you issues. I’m sorry this happened to you. I sucks for sure. But it is reckless to randomly blame the gas without first testing it.

 

[331GT]

For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Costco gas. Their Top Tier 93 is as good as anything out there. In addition they turn their loads so quickly that there is virtually no chance of in tank contamination. Is it possible to get a bad tank? Of course. As likely as getting a bad tank from Shell, Chevron, or any other top brand.

gotcha. thanks! this is exactly what i was wondering. i had the same thought about busier stations vs ones with fewer customers, and therefore a greater chance that fuel will sit in the tanks for extended periods of time. i would be shocked if something like sams club/costco would use some cheap fuel, i assumed it was standard with any other big name brands and the costco price discount is more related to them selling such large quantities relative to other gas stations.

 

[Cambur]

Did you have the fuel tested? If not you’re really reaching to blame it for you issues. I’m sorry this happened to you. I sucks for sure. But it is reckless to randomly blame the gas without first testing it.

I’m not looking to blame anyone or anything. (notice I haven’t mentioned the tuner yet!). I’m trying to figure what actually went wrong so we (and hopefully others) can avoid this situation again. If I find it was simply negligence on the tuner, I might change my mind. For now… find the best route forward while also not making the same mistakes again.

 

[Rapid Red]

Who buys & runs Costco or Sam's Club fuel, for a Mustang?

My lawnmower & weed eater gets a better grade of fuel.

It sucks to be cheap, and the rewards are GREAT for it.

 

[Bikeman315]

I’m not looking to blame anyone or anything. (notice I haven’t mentioned the tuner yet!). I’m trying to figure what actually went wrong so we (and hopefully others) can avoid this situation again. If I find it was simply negligence on the tuner, I might change my mind. For now… find the best route forward while also not making the same mistakes again.

Certainly a hard lesson learned on fuel quality regardless!

This is the comment I was referring to. You might not be actually blaming the gas, but you are certainly inferring that it could be.

 

[IPOGT]

For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Costco gas. Their Top Tier 93 is as good as anything out there. In addition they turn their loads so quickly that there is virtually no chance of in tank contamination. Is it possible to get a bad tank? Of course. As likely as getting a bad tank from Shell, Chevron, or any other top brand.

I have heard quite a few stories about Costco gas. Not good ones either. I don't understand the concept of using budget gas in a high performance car. The gas may be great, but I suspect there is a storage and/or delivery moisture issue.

 

[Zrussian13]

I’m told now by several tuners to ONLY use Shell/Chevron here. Supposedly the regulations are looser here and there is a +/- 2 octane regulation. I have no idea how true that holds.

They are absolutely correct. Az gas sucks in general but shell/ chevron are the only options I'd use. From my personal experience the mustang likes shell over chevron too. When you get it put back together I'd consider running octane booster in each tank too. 1/3rd bottle of boostane goes a long way for knock protection.

 

[K4fxd]

The real crime is $4700 labor for an engine change.

 

[CJJon]

no shit. red flag right there!

but now the talk about Costco fuel has me feeling uneasy, I have done many fill ups at Sam's Club (same diff). I have only used their 93 when on a 91 and up tune, and i did use their 87 when i was completely stock many times. my car is also not boosted like OP's, only exhaust and tune. I was under the impression gas at any of the reputable big name places is essentially the same minus maybe some detergents or additives specific to say Shell vs BP vs Exxon, etc. I always thought unless you're going to some random mom and pop place out in the middle of nowhere, you dont really have much to worry about regarding bad gas.

If i am uninformed, please correct me!

If you were going to the dyno what would you put in?

 

[Call_Me_Bruce]

I hate to sound trite, but this is a good learning experience. Expensive one for sure, but after this you'll be much more experienced and know what needs to be done to avoid issues like this. Plus you'll gain the experience of either rebuilding what you have or going with a new engine.

I have an older Chevy Silverado and I'm planning on rebuilding the transmission myself. For me it is more of the intellectual curiosity of doing the rebuild and the satisfaction of learning on how to do it. My friends think I'm nuts, tend to agree with them. And automatic transmissions are black magic. Thankfully it is not my daily driver, so if I screw it up, won't cause me too much pain.

Good luck with getting it put back together.

 

[CJJon]

Here in AZ it is 91 Octane.

Which is foolish to use for a dyno run. Even 93 is pushing it IMO. The tuner should have asked and then charged you for a bottle of boostane.

 

[CJJon]

For the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Costco gas. Their Top Tier 93 is as good as anything out there. In addition they turn their loads so quickly that there is virtually no chance of in tank contamination. Is it possible to get a bad tank? Of course. As likely as getting a bad tank from Shell, Chevron, or any other top brand.

Except it was 91...

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