My Good Chevron Fuel Experience

[Bikeman315]

I recently switched from less expensive Valero to higher price-point Chevron. First full fill with Chevron and I swore I noticed more responsive acceleration. It may very well be all in my head. It probably is in my head because (according to my wife) my head has a lot of empty space dedicated to thinking about performance vehicles.... Anyway, for me, when I'm ripping down a country road, fresh air coming in through the open windows, Sport exhaust mode engaged and roaring like an angry beast, and I'm feeling like my Mach 1 simply OWNS said road, I don't care about the gas marketing, fuel technology etc. All I know is that I paid $80.00 for Chevron gas, and I am having a blast with the perceived increased performance. Even if it is all in my head.

Sponsored

 

[Duece McCracken]

Datalogs is the only good way to judge fuel. See your ign corrections, timing advance. Compare logs. Actual performance data.

In my area, based on the 100 something logs I've pulled on my various turbo platforms, and mustang, Shell Nitro 93 is very bad in my area. Lots of pulled timing. Total disgrace of a fuel. Sunoco 93 is my go to. Never had issues, constsnt performer. Winter gas is another story though. There's no chevron in my area to test. Now im mostly E85, so I care less about testing gas, and more about E content, lol. Im at sea level, so my air is dense, which makes my vehicles fuel demands quite specific.

 

[Bobby57]

Datalogs is the only good way to judge fuel. See your ign corrections, timing advance. Compare logs. Actual performance data.

In my area, based on the 100 something logs I've pulled on my various turbo platforms, and mustang, Shell Nitro 93 is very bad in my area. Lots of pulled timing. Total disgrace of a fuel. Sunoco 93 is my go to. Never had issues, constsnt performer. Winter gas is another story though. There's no chevron in my area to test. Now im mostly E85, so I care less about testing gas, and more about E content, lol. Im at sea level, so my air is dense, which makes my vehicles fuel demands quite specific.

Thanks for this sharing this.....takes the conjecture out of it. I have an nGuage supplied by Lund as part of the recent tune I received (the first engine tune I have ever done). They mentioned that they customized the firmware, so I cannot say if they modified anything to do with data logging. In any event, I am not readily finding a resource on how to interpret the column labels...

 

[K4fxd]

They mentioned that they customized the firmware, so I cannot say if they modified anything to do with data logging.

They are known to lock out views of anything important.

 

[Bobby57]

They are known to lock out views of anything important.

That's too bad. I am not comfortable with being purposely kept in the dark about what is going on with my car. It looks like I am going to have to start investigating plucking down more money to go with an alternate tuner/tune....too bad.

 

[K4fxd]

That's too bad. I am not comfortable with being purposely kept in the dark about what is going on with my car.

It's a thing with Ford tuners. Most guard their tunes like fort knox. Yet from the tunes I have actually seen they mostly make the same changes....... Yes Ford does things a bit diffrent but it is still a 4 stroke ICE......

 

[Bobby57]

They are known to lock out views of anything important.

The tune was done remotely by a guy near me they recommended for doing some mods and the tune. Unless that guy did a lockout for them after the tune was completed, it would seem that the logging would contain everything, else they wouldn't be able to tweak the tune?

As a first step I would like to find a reference for the cryptic "channel" column headings.

 

[Bullitt0819]

Couple of anecdotal data points (note oxymoron):

- My engine builder--a speed shop owner and locally-renowned race engine builder--told me the engines that come into his shop in the best condition have been run exclusively on Chevron premium (best we can get is 91-octane). It's all he'll use in his cars, even with a $0.50/gallon or more premium. The Bullitt gets it; Costco gas has given no problems in all my other cars (and tractors).

- I lived in San Jose for over 20 years and mostly used 'Rotten Robbie' gas from a nearby station (including in my '08 Bullitt). The SJ Mercury News ran a story on his business; he had several stations in the area and his family name was Robinson (had the best price on piston aircraft oil, too). He revealed that during economic bad times, he would send trucks to (somewhat) remote places like Sonora, Jackson, etc. and load them up with name brand gas from local stations since few people were traveling to those areas. So, the cheap, 'generic' gas you got at those stations might well have been Shell or Chevron's finest.

- Yes, gasoline is a good detergent--and a good parts cleaner if you're careful with it--but it can't help much in an injected car (PI or DI); you'll still get gunk buildup inside the manifold. I had to take the manifold off my mom's 2000 Lincoln LS to repair wiring that a rat had chewed-through, and was appalled at the thick, sticky, tar-like buildup on the inside of the manifold. I should have cleaned it out--not sure how I'd do it; carb/choke cleaner maybe--but registration was due and I had to get it smogged (and this car doesn't even have a PCV valve). I already had a catch can installed in my '19 Bullitt, but if I hadn't I would have ordered one toot suite (traps about a teaspoon of sticky blow-by every 1K miles or so).

- Techron is still available in bottles; ordered some the other day to run a tank with it through my '96 Ranger, which will be due for smog in a couple months (still needs tailpipe readings). Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't, but with that and (K&N) air filter cleaning and fresh oil and gas it's been able to pass with no problems. Edit: Techron smells suspiciously like old-school mineral spirits (as do a lot of 'snake oils').

OK, four things.

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

You understand that gasoline is a detergent, right?

I believe solvent would be a better description.

 

[KingKona]

I believe solvent would be a better description.

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

Cute

 

[KingKona]

- Yes, gasoline is a good detergent--and a good parts cleaner if you're careful with it--but it can't help much in an injected car (PI or DI); you'll still get gunk buildup inside the manifold. I had to take the manifold off my mom's 2000 Lincoln LS to repair wiring that a rat had chewed-through, and was appalled at the thick, sticky, tar-like buildup on the inside of the manifold. I should have cleaned it out--not sure how I'd do it; carb/choke cleaner maybe--but registration was due and I had to get it smogged (and this car doesn't even have a PCV valve). I already had a catch can installed in my '19 Bullitt, but if I hadn't I would have ordered one toot suite (traps about a teaspoon of sticky blow-by every 1K miles or so).

Just to be clear, the issue to really be concerned about (and that I've been mentioning) is carbon build-up on the back of the intake valves. That is taken care of with PFI. With DI, valves are getting caked with carbon and snapping off. Big issue for all the manufacturers.

The gunk in your moms LS was probably because it needed maintenance like the PCV valve, which it most definitely has. And because it's 22 years old.

 

[Bullitt0819]

....

... like the PCV valve, which it most definitely has. And because it's 22 years old.

No, it doesn't (had an LS intake system apart lately? I have). The LS came with either a 3.0L V6 or a 3.9L V8, same basic engine is in the Jaguar S-Type:

" The base LS was powered by an all-aluminum 3.0 L DOHC V6 that was a variant of the Jaguar AJ-V6 engine. Optional in the LS was an all-aluminum 3.9 L DOHC V8, a shorter-stroke variant of the Jaguar 4.0 L AJ-26 V8.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_LS

The V6 has a PCV valve, the V8 does not, only employing a tube from the R/H valve cover to the throttle body. It was a surprise to me, after I spent some time looking for one. I've attached photos from the Ford factory shop manual of the instructions for pulling the 'tube,' as that's all it is (note page header), and a shot of the index from the manual showing a valve for the V6 only. I submit the official Ford shop manual--$200 when I bought it--is a better source of information than 'some guy on the internet,' who doesn't seem to know the car had two types of engines, one with a PCV valve and one without (they probably did sell more of the V6s).

"The gunk in your moms LS was probably because it needed maintenance ..."

I said as much, but you couldn't resist, could you? FWIW, I figured I only had a 50/50 chance of getting the car running again anyway, and I had to get it smogged ASAP.

Oh, and, solvent is the more correct term; I should have used it myself.

 

[KingKona]

No, it doesn't (had an LS intake system apart lately? I have). The LS came with either a 3.0L V6 or a 3.9L V8, same basic engine is in the Jaguar S-Type:

" The base LS was powered by an all-aluminum 3.0 L DOHC V6 that was a variant of the Jaguar AJ-V6 engine. Optional in the LS was an all-aluminum 3.9 L DOHC V8, a shorter-stroke variant of the Jaguar 4.0 L AJ-26 V8.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_LS

The V6 has a PCV valve, the V8 does not, only employing a tube from the R/H valve cover to the throttle body. It was a surprise to me, after I spent some time looking for one. I've attached photos from the Ford factory shop manual of the instructions for pulling the 'tube,' as that's all it is (note page header), and a shot of the index from the manual showing a valve for the V6 only. I submit the official Ford shop manual--$200 when I bought it--is a better source of information than 'some guy on the internet,' who doesn't seem to know the car had two types of engines, one with a PCV valve and one without (they probably did sell more of the V6s).

"The gunk in your moms LS was probably because it needed maintenance ..."

I said as much, but you couldn't resist, could you? FWIW, I figured I only had a 50/50 chance of getting the car running again anyway, and I had to get it smogged ASAP.

Oh, and, solvent is the more correct term; I should have used it myself.

O.k., so the V8 doesn't have one. But you have 0 proof that caused any build-up in the intake manifold. Could have been a lot of other things. The car's 20+ years old, there's a lot of other issues, I'm sure.

And, again, that's not at all what I was talking about/referencing.

 

[Bullitt0819]

O.k., so the V8 doesn't have one. But you have 0 proof that caused any build-up in the intake manifold. Could have been a lot of other things. The car's 20+ years old, there's a lot of other issues, I'm sure.

And, again, that's not at all what I was talking about/referencing.

AFAIK, the buildup is caused by crankcase gases ('blowby') that are vented into the manifold through the PCV system (some consider the Lincoln's setup to be a system; though it doesn't have a valve the tube has a calibrated orifice and, supposedly there's a wire mesh to prevent backfire flame from igniting the crankcase gasses). It was a sticky brown coating and, in hindsight I should have cleaned it off, maybe with a half-dozen cans of carb/choke cleaner but I didn't want to disturb the O-ring gaskets (one for each cylinder). If I f'd something up and couldn't get it back together and running good I would've just junked the car. For once, I followed the manual's admonishment to disconnect the battery, but it wouldn't pass smog the first time because that wiped all the ECU's data, which is all that's used for smog tests in CA for 'newer' cars. I had to waste a 100 miles' worth of gas for the ECU to 'relearn.'

I have a '96 Ranger whose gas pedal gets sticky every few years; I attribute that to sticky buildup behind the throttle plate. A (long) shot of carb cleaner takes care of it, but I've worried about the goop migrating to the intake valves. I did get a look at some of the intake valves in the Lincoln, from what I could see they were clean, so PI does make a difference. It's possible I wouldn't have bought my Mustang if it didn't have PI+DI; I've heard a lot of horror stories about DI-only cars needing cleaning--walnut blasting--of their intake manifolds every 50K miles or so. I put a catch can on my Bullitt; I usually remove it for the free dealer oil changes but recently I forgot, and the dealer didn't say anything.

Edit: It's a bit ironic, IMO, that the best way to prevent intake system gunk buildup would be to mount a big, honkin' Holley 4-barrel on top of it.

Sponsored