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AVGAS

Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 10:34 pm
by wattorator
Hi all i have a NK 3.5 DOHC and i will be traveling to the east later in the year. I want to go the outback highway via Kalgoorlie/Warburton/alice Springs. I have found out that the only fuel being available between Laverton WA and the NT border is Diesel (no good for me) or Avgas.

Has anyone run avgas in there 4by b4 or is there anything to be wary of??

Or is there any additive to take along for the ride to help the engine run smoothly??

Thanks

Wattorator

Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 10:38 pm
by CRUSHU
you will want to check and see if it is leaded or unleaded avgas. you will suffer from harder starting, and lower performance with avgas. if it is leaded you will kill your very expensive catalytic convertor.
also, if the EPA find you with avgas in the tank, the fines start at around 5K

Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 12:35 am
by assasin
avgas only comes as a leaded fuel however there is two grades green colour= high lead content or blue colour= low lead content. The green is becoming very hard to get now if you can at all as I have not seen this for a while now.

Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 12:28 pm
by zerosignal
Hmm, with Aviation Gasoline, performance should be slightly better due to high octane levels but as was said in previous post.... it has the lead. Your catalytic converter should last approximatly 50 mtrs running on it and then chernobyle itself..... pray it only comes out the back of the exhaust and doesn't explode like a bomb. You will need to clean O2 sensors once a week as well. If you tune a vehicle for this stuff you can get some spectacular results

Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 12:34 pm
by -Scott-
zerosignal wrote:Hmm, with Aviation Gasoline, performance should be slightly better due to high octane levels but as was said in previous post.... it has the lead. Your catalytic converter should last approximatly 50 mtrs running on it and then chernobyle itself..... pray it only comes out the back of the exhaust and doesn't explode like a bomb. You will need to clean O2 sensors once a week as well. If you tune a vehicle for this stuff you can get some spectacular results


OK, I'll bite. Precisely how will lead in the fuel cause the catalytic converter to explode?

AFAIK, the normal failure mode is a lead coating on the platinum grid effectively passivating the converter - the lead coating prevents the grid from acting as a catalyst, and the converter becomes an expensive exhaust restriction. I don't see how an explosion can result. :?

Scott

Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 3:04 pm
by CRUSHU
zerosignal wrote:Hmm, with Aviation Gasoline, performance should be slightly better due to high octane levels but as was said in previous post.... it has the lead. Your catalytic converter should last approximatly 50 mtrs running on it and then chernobyle itself..... pray it only comes out the back of the exhaust and doesn't explode like a bomb. You will need to clean O2 sensors once a week as well. If you tune a vehicle for this stuff you can get some spectacular results


Avgas in a standard low compression engine will result in lower performance, and harder starting.
As fot the "chernobyle effect", it will melt down and block the exhaust, but will not explode.