Av Gas

[m325i 709]

Any one tried Av Gas in their car?

Is it bad for it?

How much improvement on a NA BMW?

[Juzzie Wuzzie 0]

Was going to run the '02 on it - but decided too hard to fill up!

[Guest Andrew]

Any one tried Av Gas in their car?

Is it bad for it?

How much improvement on a NA BMW?

unless you are upping the timing advance - I can't see any point.

[downlow 0]

Yeah i ran it for awhile when i had the 1.8 in there only because i was gettin it for free. runs much the same apart from the nice smeel, its quite abit more responsive but thats about it, not worth the $2 a litre ya pay for it unless its free.

It also roots ya exhaust system if you use it alot, eg. a race car will go through a full exhuast a race season!

cheers matt

Edited June 14, 2005 by downlow

[Grant 4]

Dumb question, but where do you actually by av gas from?

It's not as though you see service stations with it.

Cheers

Grant

[m325i 709]

Ardmore, Puke Mobil. You need a hook up or race licence though.

I rate it hard out in my old car. Responce is so sweet, like a super light flywheel. I though in an NA it may be even better as engine responce is a NA strength.

[rxsumo 33]

To answer some questions....

Where do you get AVGAS.

Try your local aero club, or alternately there is usually a Gas Station around a circuit that will supply the stuff.

At Taupo, its the BP Service Station a couple of km around the corner from the Track.

At Manfeild its the Mobil Station outside of the entrance to the track.

At Petrol Station prices it aint cheap.

You can buy it directly from the Fuel Depot, (in drums), but the cheapest way to buy it is in a 205lt (44 gallon) drum, and you will need a dangerous goods licence to transport it, and a dangerous goods store to store it in this quantity (check with your insurance company...most only allow you to have 20lt in storage)

You cannot legally use AVGAS in any quantity on the road legally, and as a result you will typically sign a form that you wont use a vehicle on the road with the stuff.

You wont be able to rock up and put AVGAS from the Service Station directly in the car, you will need to take jerry cans, because of the last reason.

Rally cars use AVGAS on the road, because of a loophole, that says that you can have trace elements of leaded fuel in your exhaust emissions. In theory the rally car is filled at the start of the special stage with enough AVGAS to complete the stage, and then are filled with normal pump gas for the touring section (Yeah Right!)

Whats the effect on your car.

DONT use it if you have any emission controls on the car. The lead will kill catalytic convertors, and will kill non-lead O2 sensors. If you have removed the Cat, make sure you have changed the O2 sensor.

I havent had to replace an exhaust yet though using AVGAS, and I've used it on multiple cars, with factory and non-factory exhaust systems.

I would suggest that unless you have a turbo car, or one of the high compression engine variants that really want 100 Octane fuel the benefits may be non existant

The other good side effect is that if your car has carby's then it might run smoother, as the fuel weight of the high octane pump gas is suited for fuel injection and not carby's, the AVGAS is probably a bit heavier (not too sure)

If you are going to use it on your car and put the car into storage, make sure that the car is run on pump gas prior to parking it up.

AVGAS is hydroscopic (absorbs water), and will cause corrosion within you fuel system if left for a month or so, and I have seen large deposit buildup in carby float bowls from sitting AVGAS.

[downlow 0]

You get proper aviation gas at the airport, the stuff from mobil is race gas which is about 100 octane, where as the aviation fuel is 110+ octane from memory.

cheers matt

[rxsumo 33]

You get proper aviation gas at the airport, the stuff from mobil is race gas which is about 100 octane, where as the aviation fuel is 110+ octane from memory.

cheers matt

sort of........

AVGAS is aviation fuel, supplied fresh to the airports, with a set parameters, and that includes a shelf life.

Racegas is generally AVGAS, that has been removed from Airport Tanks, and then drumed up and sold on.

Obviously leadfree Racegas is a special brew.

Neither of these products have a octane rating as such, as the RON scale that is used for pump gas doesnt exceed 100.

A comparative measure is that AVGAS would be between 118-130 Octane, depending on variations Summer/Winter etc, Racegas is at least 110 Octane

[chomies 0]

mobil runs avgas, same as airfield stuff except it's a tad on the old side - after a period of time airfields have to get rid of it due to moisture build up or somehting, which renders it "unsafe for aircraft" by protocol.

I know of a guy who's injected BDA escort rally car has done countless seasons on avgas with a normal 02 sensor, and it has no problems, although you can buy "lead friendly" o2 sensors if you must

[bumpstop325 0]

avgas has antifreeze init aswell. i have been told thats why it smells so good.

i love running avgas. Yes, time does affect the quality of the gas.

[wms 1]

The 13B J-port I run in my E30 turns into a feral angry psycho beast on avgas.

I'd gain an easy 20bhp just running avgas its that good.

Should I mention my car wont idle longer than 2 minutes on pump :drugs:

[rxsumo 33]

The 13B J-port I run in my E30 turns into a feral angry psycho beast on avgas.

I'd gain an easy 20bhp just running avgas its that good.

Should I mention my car wont idle longer than 2 minutes on pump :drugs:

I'm guessing that you dont have any heat shielding from your exhaust, either that or your idle circuit is too rich. Heat soak boiling the fuel in the carby or Plugs fouling with raw fuel.

No reason that a BP wont idle, most of the PP's I know of will idle quite happily on pump gas (albeit in excess of 1000rpm)

Unless you have cranked the timing miles too advanced, or have inserts added to the rotors, there will be no HP gains for a NA rotary. The compression ratio of the rotary is too low to require Avgas, or get massive power gains

The main advantage to the Avgas in a NA rotary, is the weight of the fuel, it runs better through the carby. The Avgas might also help with lubrication from the lead additive.

However its a different story for a turbo car...rotary or piston....

[ED1RTY 2]

Parts master stock it in 10 litre drums