funny thing about AVGAS..

[Petzschler]

reading the Sticky Thread and it reminded me about something..

friend of mine runs a small local airport. long story short.. been filling up every other week with 100LL green in my 99 Cavalier
for the past 2 months now. 3 things I've noticed:

1. A power increase (prolly due to the comp making a more agressive timing curve)
2. A fuel milage increase (about 9% gain average out over a month)
3. The catalytic converter has yet to give up the ghost.

what gives?
thought LEAD was instant death to catalytic converters. and why the higher milage? is higher octane leaded fuels more effiecent then
no-lead lower octane blends? i was under the impression that lower octane has more BTUs.

i wanted to run this in my daily driver first, before I started using it with my 360.

any opinions?
cheers.

 

[Renegade]

Hmmm... I don't know but, I wouldn't think that lead would be very good... Now if you had a diesel and ran Jet fuel, no problem....

 

[ramcharger]

I always had to jet up when using 100 octane of better. Maybe the cav was running rich to start with due to another problem? The lead should be in the process of destroying your oxygen sensor as well as your cat.

 

[dusterdon]

are you sure its leaded? A lot of avgas is unleaded or low lead.

 

[64dartwagon]

Part of this is due to avgas being oxygenated.

 

[Petzschler]

Hmmm... I don't know but, I wouldn't think that lead would be very good... Now if you had a diesel and ran Jet fuel, no problem....

are you talkin about JP-8?.. thought only diesels ran that. what benifit would that be for a gas engine?
cheers.

*RADIO EDIT*
nevermind.. just reread your answer LOL

 

[Petzschler]

are you sure its leaded? A lot of avgas is unleaded or low lead.

I do believe the LL stands for low lead?

64dartwagon,
you mean it has extra oxygen molicules in the fuel?

 

[hemifish69]

A&P mechanic here:

100 Low Lead avgas still has a lot of lead compared to old auto fuel.

There is no unleaded avgas, but some recips can be certified to run auto fuel.

Avgas is NOT oxygenated.

 

[64dartwagon]

.

Avgas is NOT oxygenated.

Well in this great p.o.s. state o' mine the signs are posted at the local airport stating that it is. And it has been for some time, as the fuel that I used to get back in the late 80's and early 90's was as stated directly on the pump. And the fuel that we get here during the winter months is also oxygenated at the regular pumps for our cars. For the cars it helps to burn the fuel more efficiently supposedly, and for the planes at higher altitudes where the air is thinner.