Mike,
Higher octane doesn't burn slower, it actually burns ffaster and that is the advantage of it.

Lower octane burns slowly, higher octane explodes and suddenly ignites.

Really the change is a shift from burning to explosion.


With higher octane it is fast and therefore at the right time, as oppose to a gradual burn as the temperature and pressure increase.


basically if you look at the "burning" graph with respect to time, you could see a peak and, smaller variance and most reactions happen closer to the peak of the "wave" and it is "sharper"

in case of lower octane the burning process is spread over time and the curve would be a bit more flat. As such it is a bit harder to programme a system for.


It would be very naive of me to say that a higher octance would not have ANY side effects in a engine made for 87. Because I can't claim I own the thermodynamic business. It is just that mathmatically it seems that higher octance is better, it just could be that you are not going to gain anything passed a certain point.


Jesse,

There are some rules to technical posts and writing. There are also some defacto rules to an "average" discussion outside the vicinity of a bar. You didn't exhibit a knowledge of those either. Hence I rather admit that "you are right"