I am thinking about raising the octane to help the engine to mid gas. wondering what everyone runs in their 20R’s?
I ran 91 when i first started driving my truck(20R/22R hybrid) then i realized i didnt go any kind of crazy on the engine to have to worry about pinging because of anything other than timing so i stepped down to 89 and been running it for years now
You can get away with the 87 if it's the daily. If you're not going through gas that much get the higher octane. I got pretty high compression and haven't run into pinging unless I have too much advance. If you're major concern is keeping fuel for a long time get ethanol free. Boat fuel stations tend to have that type. If you want power it can be made with higher octane but you're talking race gas with the right setup to get good gains. I think propane makes more power too.
Back when my truck was a daily (until 1999) I used 89 (mid-grade). Back then, 87 usually did not have the detergent/additive package premium did. 89 was just a blend of 87 and 91, so I got 50% of the detergent addidtives. Lately, I've noticed that 87 even has the same detergent package... BUT... My truck is no longer a daily and sits a lot (driven 1200mi/yr). A tank of gas now lasts about 1-2 months. So, now I use premium (91) with Stabil, extra-concentrated (about double recommended). I suspect this info won't be much help to OP since I have totally different requirements. But i thought I'd add my $0.02...
If your engine is stock, 8.4 to 1 comp ratio, 87 octane is more than adequate. If you are having detonation issues with a stock 20R consider "decarbonizing" the engine. You can look for the process online. If your engine has been rebuilt(?), how was it done? With the proper preparation you can run 9.5-9.7 comp on 87 octane fuel easy enough. 87 octane should actually run better than 89 or 91 as 87 does burn a tad bit faster. With a clean combustion chamber and an eye on your ignition timing a 20R will run fine on New Mexicos 85 octane. I've run many a 20/22R hybrid in my Celicas. Typical comp was 10.2-10.5 to 1 on crap Cali fuel. Really though, your should give a bit more info about the engine you're running before going on about what octane fuel to run.
I apologize for the lack of information, I am a bit new to all of this and I also am a new owner to my truck. As far as I can tell it is all completely stock and has never been rebuilt. I will definitely look into the "decarbonizing" process more as it probably needs that done. I don't know the comp ratio off hand but it is a stock 20R. I have had it for 2 months and have put regular shell gas in it and run it 1-3 times a week to keep it clean. I appreciate all the help and am just trying to keep it running well and preserve the great shape it is in. As I learn more I am going to do little things here and there around the motor but I am planning on keeping it relatively stock as far as the 20R is concerned.
Honestly, Air/Fuel/Spark/Oil is all that engine needs to keep running. Just fill it up and put miles on it and enjoy it
I wasnt being literal dude. Obviously timing, compression, COOLANT among other things are completely necessary. Just saying if its running just keep these things in it and itl keep on going. Sincerely, Part of the 99.9%
