Quote:
Originally Posted by 2msport
I agree with that train of thought.
I'm wondering however if you use the tune to take advantage of the 100 octane, and you get the extra power. Where is that extra power coming from? Increased boost? (potentially harmful) or Just better burn in the cylinders. (not harmful?) Or does it not matter and the extra power generated can be considered too much for the N20?
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Since SoCalDave called me out on this question I will try to answer this one.
More octane allows you to be more aggressive with your tuning with less chance of detonation - explosion on the upstroke of the piston - no bueno. Higher octane primarily gives you a bigger bang and takes heat out of the explosion allowing you to adjust the two biggest things that increase power - timing and boost. Ethanol mixes increase octane and burn cooler but the downside is you need more volume compared to traditional fuels which can be a challenge with the limits of todays direct injection motors. We had to run 30% more Ignite 108 ethanol fuel in our pro drift car but we were able to get over 800 whp out of our S54.
The challenge is as you add more octane, more boost and more advanced timing your tune needs to be more precise - the margin of error gets very thin as things escalate. This is where one of the core debates starts - comparing ECU flash tuning and piggyback technologies - which one is technically more more precise as you get closer to the razors edge.