Fuel check question
 

I have a question.

A bunch of us were having issues with fuel at a Division race in Sonoma. A few I believe were DQd a few on the edge. We were told to add some fresh, replace with fresh all that good stuff.

I bought some fresh fuel right out of a sealed barrel. Took it up and had it tested. I was told it was perfect. I asked what perfect was, and was told that it was right in the middle of the scale for the temperature.

If when a fuel goes stale or loses it's light ends from sitting in the car too long my question is this.

Why does fresh brand new fuel start out at the middle of the scale and not toward or at the top???

If going bad from sitting or you got the last 5 from the bottom of the barrel usually equates to flirting with the bottom of the scale, shouldn't fresh fuel start life at the top of the scale?

Re: Fuel check question
 

Great point! Can't wait for the answer. Jim


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Re: Fuel check question
 

When I worked for NHRA in the 80`s I did fuel check. The numbers should run in the middle. Low numbers means fuel is old and losing its octane. High numbers means there is more then just racing fuel in there. I think NHRA should throw out the low numbers, if the fuel is old and bad it does not make the car go faster. They have always tested like that. Hope that helped or Im just full of *****........:eek:

Re: Fuel check question
 

Whether or not that was helpful, you still might be full of *****! Ha ha!

Re: Fuel check question
 

I went to the PRI show in Orlando and asked the Sunoco technical representitives how long the shelf live is on their racing fuel. They told me 1.5 to 2 years. With that said, I went to a race with fuel that was about 1 year old, it had lost it's color purple. I told the NHRA fuel check person that I was claiming Sunoco purple, well it passed the fuel check, but he told me to add some fresher fuel with color so that he can recognize it by the color. The car ran the same with the older fuel as well as with the fresher fuel.

Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA Stock!

Re: Fuel check question
 

Yeah, but even when you buy " fresh" gas, how long was it sitting in their drum ???

I got a bad reading from Englishtown last year & they said, give me another sample
& the second sample passed.

If no one else believes you Bender, I believe ya.......


Pistol Pete
1374
I/SA

Re: Fuel check question
 

I've had Sunoco sit in a vented fuel cell and in jugs over the winter, go racing and never have a problem in fuel check. It's pretty stable stuff. On the flip side, VP has a high "pop off" rate. The fuel check guy at Atlanta told me the best thing to do would be to drain the fuel cell each week and put the fuel back in a sealed container, or at least plug the fuel cell vent. Seriously?

You know it's volatile stuff when we've generated a habit of holding our hand over the cup while waiting in the fuel check line. :rolleyes:

And for those that didn't read the Atlanta thread, beware purchasing any 112 octane blue VP at your local bracket track. It's not on the approved fuels list, and it doesn't check as anything. The southeast VP rep said it is something they formulated that's "close" to Sunoco Blue, but a little different in this spec or that, and they just sell it to the bracket tracks. Why have a readily available fuel and not have it on the list?

Re: Fuel check question
 

We've had the opposite effect. I have not had good luck with Sunoco checking in recent years. I have bought from tracks and sealed drums. Each time I take Sunoco to fuel check it is a problem. I have had great luck with VP C-12. After laying in the sand at Atco last year in 90 degree weather draining the sunoco and wasting gallons of C-12 trying to flush the system I think I 'm just going to stay with VP for now. For the amount of bracket racing I do...I would love to just run Sunoco at the cheaper price, but I don't want to switch the car back each time I want to race stock. Has anyone else had issues getting Sunoco purple or Blue to pass?

Re: Fuel check question
 

I bought fresh Sunoco purple at Numidia last year and went to Englishtown the following week and it failed fuel check at the Supernationals. I put in 2 year old Sunoco purple and it passed (Brian Bachedler said it was "dead on").

I'm all for what Bob Bender was saying - let anyone who fails on the low side race. They're not gaining anything.

Re: Fuel check question
 

Bob, What end of the scale would $3.00 pump gas read on? Av gas? That could be your answer right there...