VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 What grade gasoline do you use?

An old Model A guy recommended I run 89 Octane rather than the regular 87 Octane in my '32. Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems to sound and run a little better with 89 in the tank.

Any one have similar experience or know if this is indeed a better grade for these engines ? I suspect they were designed back when gas was real gas, no corn in it

I did a search here but no luck…..

I use the lowest octane gas available. The cars in the '20's were designed to run on 50 octane, in the '30's 60 and in the '40's 70.
Todays 87 octane is much higer than the old low compression engines required....and due to the fact that the higher octane gas burns slower (to eleminate pinging) it could produce less power.

also prior to WWII regular grade contined no lead. You had to pay more for the "Ethyl" grade which was leaded if you had a high compression engine that "pinged" on regular grade. The lead slowed the burning process and raised the octane.

I use 87 unleaded but no ethanol......Non ethanol fuel is available around us and I use it in all my cars, boat and mowers.....

Mac

Cheapest I can find. In Mongolia we ran on God only knows what grade of fuel, but it was affectionaltely called "crap gasoline". In Russia we used grade A80 which is supposed to be 80 octane. Both grades had a terrible odor, but the old 30 coupe (with the 194 stovebolt) ran fine. Timing was set at about 18 degrees advanced and plugs were at 0.4 nominally.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

I may have run down to S.Carolina with some jerry cans and fill up.
I'd like to see some old photos of a Stovebolt in Mongolia !

Run with the 87 octane and you will be fine.

Come on down.....We have two sources within 5 miles and others within 20. Tons of Magnolias all over the Clemson Campus.

Mac

Been riding my HD motorcycle all over the Smokey Mtns. of TN this past week. There was quite a few stations with NO-Ethanol fuel. Couldn't believe how good my bike ran up and down the mountains. The power and idle were so much better. I will be looking for "100%" gasoline when I get home. Yes it cost more but the benefits of how good my bike ran is worth it.

Sure is wasn't that Tennessee whiskey and not the non-ethanol ? That hooch will make anything feel good….for a while .

Right you are chevy1937, plugs were at 0.04. Decimal point in the wrong place in the original post. 0.4, nearly half inch, would be quite a wide gap.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

I brought home two quarts of flavored moonshine. One of Blackberry and the other of Butterscotch! Man, they are tasty and will hit you like a brick while you're drinking it down like candy. Almost didn't want to come home!

I use only Non Ethanol Gasoline. If you go to 1931 Chevrolet Club page they have a non ethanol service station locator. Used very much in marine engine applications.

Don

A couple station were I live have non ethanol gas but only in 91 octane.