I run 93 octane in my 86 f150 with a 79 351 cleaveland. If i use that lucas octane booster. or the nos octane booster, or anything like that, can i ever stop using it? Or will i get the pinging?

What's the benefits of me using it? I read somewhere it doesn't really matter about the octane and such. Any help?

 

That engine should plod along on 87 octane just fine, unless you've done a serious buildup on it. Your compression ratio would need to be close to 10.0:1to require 93 octane and octane booster.

You can put different gas in there when you run it down nd out of the 93 - like put in a gallon or two of 91 and try it. light pinging doesn't damage the engine unless allowed to go uninvestigated. If that works...try doing the same but dropping down to 89...and then if you're like where I'm at and 89 is he cheapest (E10 blend) then be happy with the money you save on Octane booster and premium gas.

Octane booster's in a can often raise the actual octane of a tank of gas .1 - the .1 is concidered a "point" of octane. Most would think that if it says it raises octane one point, that it'd go from 87 to 88 - but that's not how it works.

 

Octane matters if you are using an engine that requires a higher octane. Some engines were designed to run on higher octanes. Compression ratios, cylinder head shapes and designs may require different octanes to prevent pinging in older engines. Today's engines run mainly on 87 octane, unless they are engineered for higher performance. (IE Lexus, Corvette, Cadillac, etc.)

If you use an octane booster, your engine doesn't tune itself to it. Therefore, you can cease from using it without pinging if you didn't ping before you started to use it.

If your engine was built to run on a lesser octane, you are wasting money trying to use higher octanes. The engine doesn't "know" you are using a higher octane and therefore cannot give more power.

Inasmuch as you are running a Cleveland engine post 73, I would say you may be able to run on regular. I am not sure, but I thought the Cleveland was discontinued long before 1979. Circa 1974. It was produced for only 4 years. You must mean "M" or "W"...

 

Whatever it is, its not a Cleveland if it was made in 79.

Like others have stated though, you have a serious problem if you need to run the 93 octane, to keep it from pinging.

You need to check your timing, and condition of the timing chain.

 

Can't add much to what's been said, above. Unless you have really modified that 351, it should run on 87octane. As also said above, if you are getting "Pinging" w/93octane, you should really look into your timeing or tuning. Just my 2 cents!

 

Like everyone else said, but from a web page.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/gasoline3.htm

 

In test, it is only designed for 2 - 5% of the cars and they are the super Exotics. I also do not get any better mileage. Not worth the money especially when it is $2.28 a gallon as opposed to the regular 87 at $1.88.

The only additive that I used is BG-44K once every 12,000 miles and fill at Chevron to get the Techron.

 

Your waisting money, the motor was degsined to run on 87, your also waisting resources, it takes more stuff, (oil and refining ect) to make super, so why be wastefull? and like said, if it wont run on low grade, my 87 f-150 351w 4bbl, does everyday, and ive never heard it ping, are you sure its not a lifter tick or something like that, maby timing?

 

A company my dad worked for had the 351C ina 1979 van.. They were still made, just not used very often.

 

A 1979 351C? Nope.

 

thanks for all the posts guys. yes, it is a very 'built up' motor. I don't have the pinging problem, i just always understood it that's the way it was.

and for the record, the engine is a 79 cleaveland. i've also seen a cleaveland in a 75 LTD.

 

"The engine doesn't "know" you are using a higher octane..."

You are correct, but since higher octane fuels generally burn faster (yes, faster) it stands to reason it MAY provide more power in the right engine (regardless of required octane for that given engine) under the right circumstances. Some vehicles benefit, some don't. I know this for fact, argue if you wish, but it will be useless if your trying to change my mind. I used to be on the other side of the fence, but true knowledge and experience have shown me the truth.

I run 87 when it's cool out 89 when it's hot (most of the time) and premium whenever I feel like having a little more torque or (from now on) going on a road trip. I even notice better MPG, not enough to make it worth the $$ during routine driving(maybe because I'm "enjoying" the extra power), but definitely is at steady highway speeds. The RPM's where I notice more power and get better mileage happen to coincide, not too suprising. For reference this vehicle is my 99 F150 4.6 auto.

I can't answer the poll as my answer isn't available, but it's somewhere in-between the 2nd and 3rd choices.

 

The 351 Cleveland


Produced for only four years 1970-73
Belongs to Ford's 335 engine family
Thin-wall cast big small block
Uses the smaller 14mm spark plugs
Separate front cover (bolted to the block) housing the timing chain and routing water so that water does not go through the intake manifold
features beefy main caps (wide enough to drill for 4-bolt mains)
Poor oiling system
Different heads for 2V and 4V versions
The 351M was produced in 1979, not the 351C.

 

No cleveland in a 75 LTD either.

Engine Identification:
======================
351C/M/400 335 series: 8 bolts in rectangular valve covers. Timing chain housing is part of block. Thermostat housing on block. Exhaust bolt holes diagonal.
351M/400 335 series: intake is 10.7" wide the 351C is narrow.
351W/302/5.0L 6 bolts on trapezoidal valve covers. Thermostat housing on intake. Exhaust bolt holes horizontal.
429/460 385 series: 7 bolts in rectangular valve cover
352/360/390/427/428 FE series: Intake goes under valve covers.
There are other indicators but these may help.

More about the 335 series engine in a tech paper here:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...00_Engine.html

 

It all depends on your comperession. Some engines have very high comppression and require higher octane. You 351 should be happy on 87. If it is pinging, plug the vacum advance and hook up a timing light to it and see what it is. Most likely your timing is off. Either too advanced or too retarted.