Gasoline - Top Tier for 2024

[HEMIMANN]

Gang,

Top Tier gasoline certification continues to shrink in my region (upper midwest) - by a lot.

We've lost Top Tier Certified Gasoline stations Mobil (pulled out of state to save distribution costs), SuperAmerica (sold to Marathon, which elected to sell only their cheapo non-Top Tier Speedway gas), Kwik Trip (dropped Top Tier during pandemic and doesn't intend to return), and now Holiday (Erickson family sold to Circle K of Canada, which dropped Top Tier).

Guys, that's the great majority of gas stations we have up here at the end of the pipeline in Minneapolis metro region. We have a few Shell, Arco, Costco (always crowed with lines of vehicles due to their cheapness), Marathon, and that's about all that's left anymore.

Unreal, at the exact time it's needed more than ever for small, high stressed engines for EPA mileage regs. BP claims on their website:
"All grades of bp/Amoco gasoline with Invigorate® exceed TOP TIER™ detergent requirements and provide enhanced benefits to our consumers, such as cleaning your engine,3 that TOP TIER™ fuels do not. "

We have a few BP's left too, but not many. Most stations are Speedway, Kwik Trip, and Holiday here. None are Top Tier.

What's a guy to do? Make special trips to out-of-the-way Top Tier stations? Carry bottles of PEA around with you all the time. This is ridiculous in the year 2024.

TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands - TOP TIER™

TOP TIER™ Gasoline Brands. All retail locations within the licensed country must meet the high standards of the TOP TIER™ program.

www.toptiergas.com

 

[chaosh1]

I recently switched from Chevron to Costco ( Costco is chevron sub the additives in our area) and so i started using Archoil fuel system treatment for for gas cars, but have pretty much always used costco diesel and Archoil Diesel additive. We have tons of top tier and crazy high prices here in Los angeles

 

[HEMIMANN]

Both Chevron and Costco are Top Tier.
Look at the list in the link provided. Did everything but read it for you.

 

[chaosh1]

Both Chevron and Costco are Top Tier.
Look at the list in the link provided. Did everything but read it for you.

Yes, but there is also I difference in the additives in the costco gas even though it's still chevron gas.


Yes they are both top tier, not sure what your getting at with that comment though.

But the point I was making was, start using additives.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Yes, but there is also I difference in the additives in the costco gas even though it's still chevron gas.


Yes they are both top tier, not sure what your getting at with that comment though.

But the point I was making was, start using additives.

Read your post. You switched from one Top Tier gas to another Top Tier gas, but started using additive.

This implies you think the new gas does not have Top Tier gas. Look how it's written.

 

[chaosh1]

Ok, you have 2 choices drive and get top tier or don't and start using additives. Pretty simple.

No implications, there is a huge difference between costco gas which meets minimum requirements to be top tier and Chevron, which has the best additives of all the top tier companies. Night and day difference between the two. So I say again the point I was trying to make was start using additives. Now obviously I didn't because your snarky comment let me know that.

Drive or don't, you opened the convo so have a great night. I got stuff to do and never intended on arguing on message boards as one of them.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Ok, you have 2 choices drive and get top tier or don't and start using additives. Pretty simple.

No implications, there is a huge difference between costco gas which meets minimum requirements to be top tier and Chevron, which has the best additives of all the top tier companies. Night and day difference between the two. So I say again the point I was trying to make was start using additives. Now obviously I didn't because your snarky comment let me know that.

Drive or don't, you opened the convo so have a great night. I got stuff to do and never intended on arguing on message boards as one of them.

Where does it say that anywhere? What % additive in Costco vs. Chevron?

C'mon, man.

 

[KansasArt]

I think it boils down to economics. I bet 99% of consumers don’t know what Top Tier gas is. There is a family owned BP near me that’s a old fashioned gas station. Wife works the register, husband/mechanic works the 2 bay shop. They just had to replace the pumps because they couldn’t be upgraded anymore. $25 grand per pump. They eliminated 2 pumps because volume is way down over the years. She said it began when grocery stores started selling cheaper quality gas at $.02 to $.05 less per gallon. People just look for the cheapest gas, quality be damned.

 

[quickster2]

Costco's here in SE MI and Perryville OH used to state on the pumps 5X the additives and also Top Tier. Now they just say Top Tier. No Chevron stations near me. We fill up with mainly Costco and Marathon petrol as they are both on our normal travel routes. When I'm traveling I get Shell or Valero, again, both Top Tier. BP is for some reason very expensive around here except at 1 station where I get my non-ethanol fuel for the boat, toys, and lawn equipment. Thx for the update @HEMIMANN

 

[Burla]

This didnt test chevron but out of the gas's they tested shell after the merger early 2000's has the best gas, meaning old shell gas was no where near the top. I would say anyone worried, simply get a boroscope and send it down a spark plug hole, if it is caked, run some redline si-1 in the tank, maybe some sea foam through the lines, boom your like new. Yeah we need a new test with costco and chevron, but it isnt that complicated, you just need a cheap boroscope and know how to remove a plug.

Investigation: Best brands of gas for your car

Investigation: Best brands of gas for your car

youtu.be

 

[Burla]

I recently switched from Chevron to Costco ( Costco is chevron sub the additives in our area) and so i started using Archoil fuel system treatment for for gas cars, but have pretty much always used costco diesel and Archoil Diesel additive. We have tons of top tier and crazy high prices here in Los angeles

Why use the archoil? I cant find any info on it and it's use or non use of PEA, the best known carbon cleaner when added to gas. The info I found showed a little naptha and petroleum distillates. Polyether Amine % has be be listed in msds or sds sheets and any additive worth buying has to post sds easily accessed.

Since gas is a solvent and can clean all by itself, adding another solvent like weak naptha just isnt gonna clean anything. You are gonna need a powerful "detergent" that when added a few ounces per 25 gallons of gas can clean deposits. The only way around this is process, as in you can put a lesser solvent and it will work great if you put it 1-- on the target deposits, as you get with sea foam though lines, alcohol directly on deposits work. There is plenty of paper out there on this and many boroscopes to back this up, such as chris fixes youtubes that are helpful actually seeing what the white paper says. His tests proved sea foam when put through vac lines is very effective. Plus we see at least 3 out of 3 examples of redline s1-1 also melts away carbon and all you need to do is add that to the gas tank = highest % of PEA along with amsoil pi.

 

[chaosh1]

Why use the archoil? I cant find any info on it and it's use or non use of PEA, the best known carbon cleaner when added to gas. The info I found showed a little naptha and petroleum distillates. Polyether Amine % has be be listed in msds or sds sheets and any additive worth buying has to post sds easily accessed.

Since gas is a solvent and can clean all by itself, adding another solvent like weak naptha just isnt gonna clean anything. You are gonna need a powerful "detergent" that when added a few ounces per 25 gallons of gas can clean deposits. The only way around this is process, as in you can put a lesser solvent and it will work great if you put it 1-- on the target deposits, as you get with sea foam though lines, alcohol directly on deposits work. There is plenty of paper out there on this and many boroscopes to back this up, such as chris fixes youtubes that are helpful actually seeing what the white paper says. His tests proved sea foam when put through vac lines is very effective. Plus we see at least 3 out of 3 examples of redline s1-1 also melts away carbon and all you need to do is add that to the gas tank = highest % of PEA along with amsoil pi.

So I looked into your statement about Redline and it seems like it is the best for gas engines. Ill try it on my turbo jeep and see. However its not rated for diesel (unless im reading it wrong. Redline doesnt show it as an option for cummins ) and archoil still seems to be one of the top cleaners for diesel engines. Thanks!!

 

[Burla]

So I looked into your statement about Redline and it seems like it is the best for gas engines. Ill try it on my turbo jeep and see. However its not rated for diesel (unless im reading it wrong. Redline doesnt show it as an option for cummins ) and archoil still seems to be one of the top cleaners for diesel engines. Thanks!!

Redline does have diesel additives as well, more then they do gas, but I have no information on them and do not know about any boroscoping them to verify. They do advertise them as detergents as well but I have not seen the sds as I have with si-1. Something to look up for diesel guys, perhaps a thread on additives just for diesels. I'm more then 20 years removed from my cummins days.

 

[quickster2]

This didnt test chevron but out of the gas's they tested shell after the merger early 2000's has the best gas, meaning old shell gas was no where near the top. I would say anyone worried, simply get a boroscope and send it down a spark plug hole, if it is caked, run some redline si-1 in the tank, maybe some sea foam through the lines, boom your like new. Yeah we need a new test with costco and chevron, but it isnt that complicated, you just need a cheap boroscope and know how to remove a plug.

Investigation: Best brands of gas for your car

Investigation: Best brands of gas for your car

youtu.be

Shell V-Power 93 is and was the factory fill fuel for both Ferrari & the Dodge Viper.

 

[HEMIMANN]

I guess I'm down to always spiking with PEA unless I happen to rarely be around a Shell, Arco, or Cenex. I don't even look at the price anymore, need to keep this truck in good shape. Can't afford and don't like new offerings.

Related topic - I'm thinking of changing from 89 to 91 octane gas. Default spark timing set for 89 octane, but there is such pure base stock. It's blended 87 and 91.

I know my engine runs better on 89 than 87, but would it run better on 91? Engine knock ret*tards on 87, but not on pure 89 or 91. How does the combustion go with 89? Part knocking part not?

 

[HEMIMANN]

I did some Jethro B. DeBodine 6th grade edumucation cipherin' and came up with some "Top Tier" PEA continuous dosage rates for when we can't find Top Tier Gas pumps.

Red Line Pl-1 says dosage is 15 oz per 3,000 miles. So, that depends on your gas burn rate. My 6.4L Hemi gets 15 mpg summer, 12.5 mpg winter deadheading.

Base on that fuel consumption (not sure what Red Line intended), a 15 oz bottle of their 30-40% PEA treats 200-240 gallons of non-Top-Tier Gasoline. My tank nominal size is 30 gallons, I usually fill around half tank = 15 gallons.

That makes 13 to 16 fuel ups per 3,000 miles. Make it 15 avg. That makes constant Top Tier PEA additive rate

1 ounce Pl-1 per every gas fill up of 15 gallons


That's not very expensive - a 15 oz bottle is $12.50 on eBay, if you run 12,000 a year, you only need 4 bottles a year.
Not sure if there's such a thing as too much detergent, in case you forget and spike at a Top Tier gas station.

 

[MontanaHandyman]

I did some Jethro B. DeBodine 6th grade edumucation cipherin' and came up with some "Top Tier" PEA continuous dosage rates for when we can't find Top Tier Gas pumps.

Red Line Pl-1 says dosage is 15 oz per 3,000 miles. So, that depends on your gas burn rate. My 6.4L Hemi gets 15 mpg summer, 12.5 mpg winter deadheading.

Base on that fuel consumption (not sure what Red Line intended), a 15 oz bottle of their 30-40% PEA treats 200-240 gallons of non-Top-Tier Gasoline. My tank nominal size is 30 gallons, I usually fill around half tank = 15 gallons.

That makes 13 to 16 fuel ups per 3,000 miles. Make it 15 avg. That makes constant Top Tier PEA additive rate

1 ounce Pl-1 per every gas fill up of 15 gallons


That's not very expensive - a 15 oz bottle is $12.50 on eBay, if you run 12,000 a year, you only need 4 bottles a year.
Not sure if there's such a thing as too much detergent, in case you forget and spike at a Top Tier gas station.

Dats sum gud figgerin' there, Jethro!

 

[Burla]

redline si-1 boroscoped, you can see the piston tops cleaning up from baked on carbon. You can tell the best part is it clean it near the rings first and then go towards the middle, that is a real nice feature on how this works. If you never ran it I would run two bottles, not at once but rather the next tank or two after the original tank of gas. Amazon 4 bottles is 49 bucks, ends up cheaper then case price got whatever reason.

Redline Complete Fuel System Cleaner Tested and Results...Does it works?

NOTE: I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH REDLINE OR ITS ASSOCIATES. I AM SIMPLY DOING THIS FOR GUYS WHO LOVE THEIR CARS AND NEED RESULTS INSTEAD OF YOUR "WORD OF MOU...

youtu.be

Does Redline Complete Fuel System Cleaner SL-1 Works? YES!!! With Evidence!!!

NOTE: I am not sponsored or affiliated with Redline and/or its partners. This is solely my own interest and out of my own pocket.Following my initial video ...

youtu.be

corey's befoe and after pics redline si-1...

 

[HEMIMANN]

Yep I remember those.
We know PEA works.
PIBA is unknown.

We also know Top Tier Gas of some type works per AAA experiment. Not sure if Top Tier specifies what additives are required, but we do know they specify how much, and it's more than API minimum required for sale.

So imma go with what is known to work, thanks to you guys. Four bottles on the way.

 

[MontanaHandyman]

redline si-1 boroscoped, you can see the piston tops cleaning up from baked on carbon. You can tell the best part is it clean it near the rings first and then go towards the middle, that is a real nice feature on how this works. If you never ran it I would run two bottles, not at once but rather the next tank or two after the original tank of gas. Amazon 4 bottles is 49 bucks, ends up cheaper then case price got whatever reason.

Redline Complete Fuel System Cleaner Tested and Results...Does it works?

NOTE: I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH REDLINE OR ITS ASSOCIATES. I AM SIMPLY DOING THIS FOR GUYS WHO LOVE THEIR CARS AND NEED RESULTS INSTEAD OF YOUR "WORD OF MOU...

youtu.be

Does Redline Complete Fuel System Cleaner SL-1 Works? YES!!! With Evidence!!!

NOTE: I am not sponsored or affiliated with Redline and/or its partners. This is solely my own interest and out of my own pocket.Following my initial video ...

youtu.be

corey's befoe and after pics redline si-1...

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Thanks for the heads up! Ordered 4 more bottles...which now gives me...well, maybe enuf to last me thru my old age??