No Lead or 110 Octane Turbo Blue?

[Blue Hyena]

Have been trying to clean up the carbs on a 82GS750E. Done the usual, drained tanks, and carb bowls. fresh gas and Seafoam. Ran better. Tried a couple gallons of 110 octane/Tubro Blue...and a cap full of Seafoam again....the more I ride it, the better it runs...running near 100% now.
Any harm in running a higher octane? Will it help clean the carbs? Will the lead harm the valves or plugs?

Thanks,
BH

[Steve]

Higher octane only has higher resistance to temperature-induced detonation.

There is no more energy in it (it has fewer BTUs per gallon).

There are no more detergents in it.

The only thing "premium" about it is the price.

Stick with the lower octane, as long as your bike does not "ping" when using it.

Does using higher octane gas do any harm? Yes, it can. Not only does it have less energy, it burns slower. Unless you advance the timing to light the fire early enough to complete the combustion by the proper time, the incomplete combustion can leave deposits on the valves that can affect the engine. If the deposits are heavy enough, they can actually start to glow enough to light the mixture before the spark.

.

[blowerbike]

i have had great luck using 115 octane fuel in bikes with semi gummy carbs.
facts...
ride to the station 15 miles with the bike missing and sluggish/dropping cylinders on the low side.
add 3-4 gallons of the good stuff and by the time i got back the bike was running smooth all through the RPM range.
was i lucking? maybe...
but it did work for me this time.
psssssss.
it was a 1500 gold wing that ran great for the rest of the season.
the next year...same problem.
i did the same procedure.
it didn't help that time.
i may have been lucky the 1st time but it sure smelled good!

[raistian77]

Have been trying to clean up the carbs on a 82GS750E. Done the usual, drained tanks, and carb bowls. fresh gas and Seafoam. Ran better. Tried a couple gallons of 110 octane/Tubro Blue...and a cap full of Seafoam again....the more I ride it, the better it runs...running near 100% now.
Any harm in running a higher octane? Will it help clean the carbs? Will the lead harm the valves or plugs?

Thanks,
BH

Like Steve stated high octane fuel is not only a waste of money but also can cause problems for non-high compression motors. Also Seafoam is great stuff, I love it. However, it wont properly clean carbs, you need to bite the bullet and do a strip and dip. Do it right!!!! It will keep you from coming back to post problems you are still haveing that have to do with slight passage blockages. Cleaners strong enough to properly clean carbs with blocked passages wont burn so there is no cleaner strong enough to pour in the tank and clean the carbs.

If you do it right, you wont regret it.

[tatu]

What is Seafoam?

[raistian77]

What is Seafoam?

A petroleum based gas/diesel additive. I works well to keep carbs and valves clean. It is not a solvent, tends not to damage tanks and coatings. Works well as preventive maintenance but it can not unplug blockages in carbs.

People tend to look for "miracle" fluids. As I used to tell my techs "There is no chemical fix for a mechanical problem"

[Ross]

Turbo Blue is 112 UNLEADED . Normally running gas with a higher octane in a motor that doesnt have enough compression to utilize the higher octane gas, will cause it to run hotter. And make less power.

[Nessism]

Normally running gas with a higher octane in a motor that doesnt have enough compression to utilize the higher octane gas, will cause it to run hotter. And make less power.

Run hotter? Evidence?

[Ross]

Dont really know why in a technicle sense. It has to do with the burn rate of the fuel itself, and the minimum compression ratio it needs to be burned effiecently. Somethings I know but to explain in words is a little difficult., Just always have known that. Someone may be able to chime in and give a tech. exp.

[Nessism]

Dont really know why in a technicle sense. It has to do with the burn rate of the fuel itself, and the minimum compression ratio it needs to be burned effiecently. Somethings I know but to explain in words is a little difficult., Just always have known that. Someone may be able to chime in and give a tech. exp.

Sounds like urban legend to me although I'm not closed to the possibility.

[Rkt-Rch]

Sea Foam !!! Know it/Use it/ Live it !!! It's great and help in reducing those pain in the $@##% Carb cleanings.. LOL Anyway Iv'e been running these same cabs now for two years without pulling them and useing Sea Foam here and there and it seems to be doing it's job.. Good stuff.

Plus I love to see the blue smoke !!

[Steve]

Turbo Blue is 112 UNLEADED . Normally running gas with a higher octane in a motor that doesnt have enough compression to utilize the higher octane gas, will cause it to run hotter. And make less power.

Run hotter? Evidence?

Dont really know why in a technicle sense. It has to do with the burn rate of the fuel itself, and the minimum compression ratio it needs to be burned effiecently. Somethings I know but to explain in words is a little difficult., Just always have known that. Someone may be able to chime in and give a tech. exp.

I have never heard that it will run hotter, but using higher octane fuel in an engine that does not need it WILL make less power.
Higher-octane fuel has fewer BTUs per gallon, so there is no way that it can make more power by simply using it.

Higher-octane fuel burns slower, so the incomplete combustion would tend to lower temperatures, not raise them.
The way to get combustion complete by the proper time is to advance the spark timing.

The only reason to use higher-octane fuel in the first place is because the mixture is lighting itself (before the spark),
probably due to higher temperatures caused by increased compression ratios.

By the way, it is the higher compression ratios that yield the power increase in an engine.
Because of the problems that are introduced, you need to use higher-octane fuel that does not light itself in the heat,
then you need to advance the spark to light the fuel earlier so it will complete combustion at the proper time.

As far as I know, there is no minimum compression ratio needed to burn high-octane fuel efficiently.
It makes more sense to use a fuel that will burn quicker, to minimize the time that pressure is building inside the combustion chamber,
so why use a slow-burning fuel if it is not needed?


Here is some outside reading:

The Federal Trade Commission

Minnesota Department of Commerce

straightdope.com

Finally, from that "ultimate authority", Wikipedia.

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[tatu]

Seafoam. Thanks, it might be similar to stuff we call Red X,