Anyone switched to 87 octane?

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ramffml

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You won't unless your truck badly needs a tune. Computer will pull timing before you can notice as long as your motor is in good condition, you'll just lose a bit of power and economy. If it's enough to matter to you is a different question.

That's not exactly correct. The computer will adjust yes, but you can/may definitely notice the engine pinging, especially under load. My engine did it since the day I picked it up new, it doesn't have a "problem", it doesn't need a tune, it's just the way these hemi's are.

Even Ram says in the manual (paraphrasing): "some amount of pinging is normal". And yes it pings far less on 89/91.

So while it's fine to tell people to run 87 if they want, factually it's incorrect to say they won't notice. Many of us do notice the sound. Keeping in mind what pinging actually is, and that's it not exactly good for your motor, you may want to run 89 anyway even if you don't notice it as "not noticing" doesn't mean it's not happening. One possibility is that you might just be deaf ;)
 

2012RAM1500RT

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I'm not going to tell anyone how or what their truck does and no one is going to tell me how or what my truck does. Guess I have the only one that does different. Yes it may want to ping and I may be losing "some" power but the computer or tune may be able to catch it when it starts to make a sound the human ear can't hear so that's ok with me. I've been a mechanic for 46 years, I know exactly what pinging/spark knocking is and will do whatever it takes to keep it from pinging if it does. It doesn't so I'll leave it alone and do what I've been doing. By the way my hearing is fine also!
 
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Docwagon1776

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Passed through your area recently and saw the truck stops south of Indianapolis had $4.99. Guess you'll get to find out soon. I'm still buying 91 for the car, though.

Nevermind, either it was an error on their part that they corrected or I didn't see it correctly the first time, came back through and it was $4.59.
 

Docwagon1776

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That's not exactly correct. The computer will adjust yes, but you can/may definitely notice the engine pinging, especially under load. My engine did it since the day I picked it up new, it doesn't have a "problem", it doesn't need a tune, it's just the way these hemi's are.

Even Ram says in the manual (paraphrasing): "some amount of pinging is normal". And yes it pings far less on 89/91.

So while it's fine to tell people to run 87 if they want, factually it's incorrect to say they won't notice. Many of us do notice the sound. Keeping in mind what pinging actually is, and that's it not exactly good for your motor, you may want to run 89 anyway even if you don't notice it as "not noticing" doesn't mean it's not happening. One possibility is that you might just be deaf ;)

I run 89 and I generally hear it when I fart, but not always. If my truck pinged enough to be heard by human ears I'd take it in for warranty work, personally.
 

2012RAM1500RT

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My company work truck is a '12 Ram 2500 with the 5.7 Hemi. I have no choice but to run 87 in it since I don't pay for the gas in it. I do occasionally hear it ping under a load but it carries 9500 lbs constantly from day one and has 224,000 miles on it, I don't like it when it pings and know it's not good for it but hasn't "destroyed" it so far either. Let me just add that I am not anti high octane. I use to argue for 93 octane more than anyone, it's just that they have made the computer work with the timing so well that I just don't have an argument anymore. They also took away my argument taking away the 10 cent increments and made them 30 to 40 cent increments.
 
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ramffml

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I run 89 and I generally hear it when I fart, but not always. If my truck pinged enough to be heard by human ears I'd take it in for warranty work, personally.

It's just odd when people make a statement like "your truck won't ping on 87" as you did. So many people hear it ping, it cannot all be guys on a forum just making up complaints to fill the day. You do have to listen hard for it as these trucks are pretty quiet, the 80s caprice I used to drive it pretty much hit you in the face and I cannot unlearn that sound. I hear it in the city too, so many guys running around with ticking manifolds and pinging engines. Perhaps the problem is worse in some climates with humidity, elevation, and ethanol levels playing into it.

I've never mentioned the pinging to my dealer for several reasons. A) you just know, with 100% certainty, they will return it with "cannot reproduce". And if you do manage to drag them along by the shorties (their time is more precious than gold apparenty) and by some miracle they confirm it pings they will just say "the manual says some amount of ping is normal". The only time they're going to give you more than 10 seconds on this is when it comes in with a rod sticking out the block. And B), I don't want to be "that customer" that complains about everything, they tend to just write you off after a while. My truck has gone in for other several other things already and I need them for other problems that can't be solved by running the truck they way they recommend it (89).
 

Dusty

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I went back and forth between 87 and 89 when I fist got my 5th gen 5.7L no e-torque and noticed that for flatland highway driving with no load there was no noticeable difference in the feel. I did this tracking in 2019 and did a miles per dollar comparison and the difference was about 3 cents in favor of 87. But my daily commute to work is 22 miles with 1 stop light and 1 stop sign and a ton of hills. The same comparison there was about 4 cents in favor of 89. I took a trip with my trailer 28" and about 6200 lbs and this went to 9 cents in favor of 89. Now since I rarely do flatland highway driving with no load I have just stuck with 89. I figured even though the prices have gone up the difference between 87 and 89 then and now is still $0.20 so percentage wise the miles per dollar should still favor the same direction but possibly slightly more.
In theory producing more power with a higher octane fuel in an engine that varies the timing accordingly, should allow a lower throttle pressure (less throttle) to accomplish the same task.

I have been suspicious that when towing my 7000 pounds of trailer and tractor I see a slight increase in fuel mileage with 89, and my trip has lots of hills. The problem is that even though I can see a computed difference from trip-to-trip, it is so slight that other environmental factors (temperature, wind, weather, traffic) and driver input could have as much or even more bearing on the result as any difference in engine performance.

As another contributor stated, casual driver testing cannot produce a uniform test.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 69980miles
 

HEMIMANN

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My three Hemi all run fine on 86 Octane. However, I definitely notice a two or three MPG increase when running 91 octane (actually, it's a 2 or 3 MPG drop when I use 86 octane as I normally run 91 octane). Most of my driving is in hot, dry Southern New Mexico. A cold winter day is 50-degrees and most of the summer is in the 90s with a very few days that hit 100-degrees. I found a recommendation in one of the Owner's Manuals that called for 91 octane so that is what I try to use.

So I'd imagine 89 octane wouldn't be much improvement in mileage, just performance like others said.

Here, both 87 and 89 are mandated by state law (via agri-lobby) to contain 10% ethanol, but 91 octane doesn't have to. So comparing 87 & 91 here is a lot more than octane rating only.
 

2012RAM1500RT

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I have nothing to gain or lose by saying this. I talked the company I work for to let me try 3 tanks of 89 octane to try to prove the mileage would make the difference in price. 6 one way, a half dozen the other. They agreed and after 3 tanks of me trying hard driving wise to make it work all I could come up with was 1/2 to 1 MPG better. They know how to figure it as well as I do.
I knew that 30 more miles to the tank wasn't going to sway them but I tried so hard because it definitely responded better from idle to 3000 RPM for me but they could care less about that so I'm back to 87 octane but I tried my best!
 
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HEMIMANN

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I have nothing to gain or lose by saying this. I talked the company I work for the let me try 3 tanks of 89 octane to try to prove the mileage would make the difference in price. 6 one way, a half dozen the other. They agreed and after 3 tanks of me trying hard driving wise to make it work all I could come up with was 1/2 to 1 MPG better. They know how to figure it as well as I do.
I knew that 30 more miles to the tank wasn't going to sway them but I tried so hard because it definitely responded better from idle to 3000 RPM for me but they could care less about that so I'm back to 87 octane but I tried my best!

All the more evidence for 87 unloaded, 89 towing.
 

Gr8bawana

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My three Hemi all run fine on 86 Octane. However, I definitely notice a two or three MPG increase when running 91 octane (actually, it's a 2 or 3 MPG drop when I use 86 octane as I normally run 91 octane). Most of my driving is in hot, dry Southern New Mexico. A cold winter day is 50-degrees and most of the summer is in the 90s with a very few days that hit 100-degrees. I found a recommendation in one of the Owner's Manuals that called for 91 octane so that is what I try to use.
There is no way you get a 2-3 mpg difference in mileage going from 91 to 86. It's your imagination.
22xifs.jpg
 

Gr8bawana

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Look up PEA detergent for fuel system cleaners, literally the only stuff that works you can buy. The only other one available you need to buy with the gas at shell. Only two products have 25% PEA (same stuff in techron), redline si-1 and amsoil PI, and that is it. Not even techron has the same % as redline or amsoil fuel system cleaner. Sorry bro, did mean to bring facts to your tired snake oil joke, but hey facts are always in fashion?

bringing jokes is always a good idea on Friday, work harder though you can do better.
Yup it does all that and more simply because it says so on the label. o_O

af01f72325b65e36b648e2acad2bd4a24a3815c27ad9b63fd6fa4e582225be5b.jpg
 

Burla

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Irishthreeper

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I’ve never towed with anything but 87 but on the drive from Melbourne Fl to Gatlinburg Tn over the past 4 days I burned 89. (Georgia had it for 4.29-4.39)
Not sure if it was the 89 or the Endurance tires I just had put on the 5W but I got 10.5 on the mostly flat I75, hand calculated and 10.9 on the EVIC. ‘21 2500 6.4 with 4.10’s
 

Fediej

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Nevermind, either it was an error on their part that they corrected or I didn't see it correctly the first time, came back through and it was $4.59.
Across much of the country over the last week or so gasoline prices have actually dropped some. But don't worry, they'll most likely go back up before you know it.
 

backfist

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Never really noticed a difference in the few times I tried a tank of 89
 
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