89 Octane availability?

[steventure]

I've never paid attention because I've always used regular unleaded. For those of you who have toured a lot across the US, or Canada and Mexico, have you ever had difficulty finding higher octane gas these days? Here's why I ask.
Building a 97 XJ which has a blown motor I'm highly considering replacing with a stroker from Golen, which runs on 89+. I emailed them and they said they could recommend a few octane boosters that will work if I find myself in remote areas with limited fuel availability. It would be dang cool and I've got some deep pockets right now, no wife or kids lol. But might not be worth the headache? Thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Maverick9110E]

I've never had an issue finding 89. 93 can be difficult sometimes. Typically it's 87,89,93 but I've been to a few places in PA where it was 87,89,91 or 90

 

[Desert Runner]

I've never had an issue finding 89. 93 can be difficult sometimes. Typically it's 87,89,93 but I've been to a few places in PA where it was 87,89,91 or 90

At least in Nevada, you can also find 85 octane, and a few other places as well. The wide differences I believe is due to those counties that mandate smog tests and those that do not. In Nevada, Clark and Washoe counties have a annual smog test due to higher vehicle and population densities. The other....COW COUNTIES as they are called do not. ETHANOL was, and now has, become a year long additive, for emission reductions, where once it was only for cooler times of the year due to inversion layers being formed. After MB#? was banned as a fuel additive, octane readings were lowered as the chemical had been used as a booster in gasoline. My old 1966 Mustang had a label sticker on the inside of the glove box recommending octane levels. For REGULAR GASOLINE it was 108 octane, premium was 112. My how times have changed.

I would price the aftermarket Booster additive, and figure out your expected annual mileage, how much MPG you think you will get, and how many cans you would expect to need to pack along. The stuff is not very cheap, and if this is your daily driver, just buying PREMIUM would probably be cheaper. It is also a good idea for a spare can in case you get some bad fuel somewhere. Stopping at a auto store before finding a gas station would get old quick. In Clark county, NV, 91 octane is the premium rating. Our fuel comes from a pipeline out of CA.aka... Alaska, and just south of the state border, AZ gets theirs from a pipeline out of TX I believe, and is cheaper (lower taxes& a longer distance). I do not remember that states fuel tier ratings off hand. The 85 or 87 reg, 89 mid, and 91...maybe 93 will be pretty standard, as state governments requlate with compromises with the oil companies for what blends are produced. CA has a complicated 4 or 5 tier blend requirement depending on location and time of year. This is also why fuel prices fluctuate separate from the price of a barrel of oil and the time of the year.

In Canada on my trips, it seemed to be standarized with what is offered here in the USA, just priced per liter rather than a gallon.

 

[Shakes355]

Octane availability decreases with altitude mostly. Less oxygen means less volatility. Higher elevations in the southwest tend to have 85, 87, 89.

You can generally run whatever premium fuel is available in your area, but it becomes an issue when you are traveling long distances and descending. Best bet is to fill up regularly and keep a booster available when fuel stops are far between.

Quick tip: Most octane boosters are a mixture of ethanol and isopropynol with a bunch of other stuff they also throw in injector cleaners. But HEET brand gas dryer is the same thing without all the crap and cost 1/3 the price. It's all just alchohol and in a 5-10% mixture can increase effective octane by a couple points.
Disclaimer:
*It is NOT a long term solution due to many factors that I won't get into here. Buying premium fuel is cheaper in the long run anyway and running too much alchohol in your system has many side effects*

But as an "in a pinch" substitute, it'll get the job done until you hit the next fuel station.

 

[steventure]

Lots of good info thanks fellas. Yes I was more looking at my options “in a pinch” if you will. Carrying a can of booster with me sounds like a plan. With a 5 gallon jerry can I’ll be able to carry some extra fuel as well.