by mikeschn » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:42 pm
I just had to throw this out...
Q: What is meant by Octane?
A: The Antiknock Index, commonly referred to as Octane, is a measure of a gasoline's ability to resist preignition, or engine knock. The Antiknock Index posted at the retail pump, such as 87 Octane, is the result of a formula which most closely depicts the average resistivity of the gasoline to engine knock. This average is displayed on the gasoline pump with a sticker showing (R+M)/2 Method.
The Research Octane Number, or R in the equation, is a measure of the gasoline's ability to resist knock at low speed under relatively mild operating conditions, such as city type driving. The Motor Octane Number, or M in the equation, is a measure of the gasoline's ability to resist knock at high speeds and under severe operating conditions, such as towing a boat or climbing steep hills. The average of these two numbers defines how well the gasoline will resist engine knock under most conditions.
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...