California SC's...

darkstar_one

Registered User
Hi, im wondering if anyone know if the SC's sold in the great state of California have been severely de-tuned due to the SMOG laws here. Im wondering because the highest octane we have here is 91. 87 being the lowest... Currently I put 89 Octane in my car due to the gas prices here. I see no difference between the 91 and 89, car doesnt buckle under full throttle nor does it detonate... I have pushed the car to 120+ MPH. and no kind of bucking or stumble at WIDE OPEN THROTTLE... anyone? thanx.
 
I had a cali 94 SC and it had EGR, but the computer compensates for the performance loss from the recirculation. If you are running your car on 89, then whats happening is your eec is pulling timing and keeping you off of the sensor. You might not 'feel' a knock but if you running it has hard as you say then you are knocking. Think of it this way... pay .10 more for premium gas or rebuild the motor.
 
If I told you how far I had to back the timing down on my car when I got to L.A. from NYC, you would be looking to import high octane fuel. Running 89 instead of 91 is certainly not doing your car any favors and wont be helping your wallet for long either.

Paul
 
I most always run 91+ octane in my car, but i've always wondered about those octane boost formulas. Does anyone really know if they're a joke or if they actually work?
 
If you can get your hands on toluene (should have it at your local ace hardware store [only California seems to not have it]), you can significantly boost your octane rating safely. Most octane boosters only raise you a few tenths not a full # and they are costly. Toluene can be purchased in 5 gallon buckets for about $2.50 a gallon.

Paul
 
I have an '89 SC 5-speed SC, and I live in San Diego. My experiance has been that I must run 91 Octane with octane booster (I use outlaw brand). Even then, it will ping a little under heavy loads on hot days. I have also found that it is sensitive to the brand of gas. It will always hesitate a lot using arco or mobil gas. This puzzles me because I had a supercharged truck that seemed to like mobil gas. both cars do not like arco. I hope this helps
 
It seems the discussion is moving away from EGR and EEC compensation to the quality of gas available in Cali. A higher octane gas will resist detonation and provide a more stable environment for combustion.

Hey so the question is if the EEC pulls timing to prevent knocking then why would people hear/feel a knock ? Wouldnt they feel less power if anything ?
 
Looking at the original post, the discussion started by darkstar_one was focused toward tuning, available fuel in California and why to use what octane.
The EEC is programmed from the factory to only allow up to 8* of timing to be pulled. If you are pulling that much timing, you are already in trouble regarding detonation and if you can hear it in an SC, life is really bad inside that combustion chamber.
The EGR does not pull timing, it is an Exhaust Gas Recirculation unit designed to improve emmissions.
Hovering over the original question about detuning, I won't say the tuning is different for a Cali car, however, different year SCs with different processors have different tunes from the factory. The use of an EGR on particular cars may have been a contributing factor in this.
sd_iconoclast, most likely there is an underlying cause that is creating the knock you are experiencing in your SC beyond the lack of quality fuel in Cali. The SoCal group is getting together on the 30 at Qualcomm stadium in San Diego for a small BBQ and drag racing. Swing buy to meet with the crew and we can look at pinpointing if there are other factors causing your detonation. In the mean time, you may want to look for some Torco brand additive pictured below. I have only heard great things about it from several forced induction groups, though I personally haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Paul
 

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BT_Motorsports:
Actually, I was trying to say that I do not think my detonation problem is bad, just that I can get it to ping if I try, and the brand of fuel seems to affect it.
I am very interested in attending the BBQ at Quallcomm. What time? and how do I sign up?
 
i think my 90 may be a california model on the sticker under the hood it says legal for sale in california my 89 doesnt say that , my 90 doesnt seem detuned or have extra pollution controls , i believe it has egr but its been a while since i looked . it seems to run ok on 89 octane it pings in the summer on 87 ,, my 89 with colder plugs and 180 thermostat can run 87 octane with no pinging
 
Actually, I was trying to say that I do not think my detonation problem is bad, just that I can get it to ping if I try, and the brand of fuel seems to affect it.
Well, if you are getting detonation at all, then there is a problem. I agree about the brand of fuel having an effect out here, I have noticed some companys still use MTBE and others aren't.

sd_iconoclast, just post in the following thread that you are coming so Val knows how much food to bring: http://www.sccoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48387
Here is a link for info on the event: www.racelegal.com
Spectators: $5.00 (12 and under - Free)
Racers: $20.00
Friday Night Event Hours:

- Gate and tech open at 6:00 PM sharp.
- Racing begins no later than 6:30 PM.
- Tech closes at 10:30 PM.
- Racing ends at 12:00 AM.
- Trophies awarded at 12:00 AM.

If you plan to race, get there as early as possible, last time we went, we arrived around 6:45 and waited on the tech line for over an hour!
Last note, they are big on no alcohol or drugs at the event.

Paul
 
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