Outboard guidance, please

[Jegs]

G'day,

I am planning to buy an outboard & the first one I looked at specified unleaded petrol - 87 octane. Having used diesel only for many years, I am under the impression that
fuel with such a low octane was no longer available.

Would some kind soul enlighten me?

Thank you,

John G

 

[NickRobinson]

Higher octane will work ok-

(But like using Bombay Sapphire to make a G&T...)

N

 

[vyv_cox]

I suspect that's a minimum value. UK specs are higher than that, normally 95 now but I remember them being 92. In eastern Europe and Russia in the fairly recent past 87 would have been common.

 

[Jegs]

Tks

Thank you, gentlemen.

John G

 

[Greenheart]

Bit of a change of direction; I apologise...

...I read recently that petrol automobiles are likely to be phased out altogether within a generation. Presumably by tax, or by the economics of refinery...but (and I know I'm so much in the dark, it's not funny) would outboards be convertible to LPG?

 

[NickRobinson]

Yes but...

would outboards be convertible to LPG?[/QUOTE]

eg http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...w=lpg+generator+kit&_sacat=See-All-Categories

A two stroke would need oil injection as well as the gas.

A four stroke would be fine. (issues of safety/supply/warranties. all there but not insurmountable if economics dictate)

Or- as I did when left with 200 litres of methanol when making bio-diesel, my Honda 7.5hp ran from Burton to Llangollen on some of it, choke slightly out...

(which brings me back to gin!)

 

[Lakesailor]

Bit of a change of direction; I apologise...

...I read recently that petrol automobiles are likely to be phased out altogether within a generation. Presumably by tax, or by the economics of refinery...but (and I know I'm so much in the dark, it's not funny) would outboards be convertible to LPG?

Even if petrol engine vehicles cease production fuel will still be available for a long time to come.

No time to panic yet.

 

[VicS]

G'day,

I am planning to buy an outboard & the first one I looked at specified unleaded petrol - 87 octane. Having used diesel only for many years, I am under the impression that
fuel with such a low octane was no longer available.

Would some kind soul enlighten me?

Thank you,

John G

There are several different octane rating systems.

in the UK we use the "Research octane number", RON.

A perhaps better scale is the "Motor octane rating", MON

In the USA they use the "antiknock index" AKI which is an average of RON and MON

For the same fuel the AKI rating is 4 or 5 less than the RON rating.

This means that a fuel with an octane rating of 87 in the USA would have a rating of 91 or 92 in the UK
This may, in part, explain why you see such a low figure as 87 specified.

In any case, as already pointed out, it is the minimum you should use ... but it may equate to a minimum of 92 RON

 

[CreakyDecks]

Bit of a change of direction; I apologise...

...I read recently that petrol automobiles are likely to be phased out altogether within a generation. Presumably by tax, or by the economics of refinery...but (and I know I'm so much in the dark, it's not funny) would outboards be convertible to LPG?

As long as oil is coming out of the ground there will be petrol. There is no reason to legislate against it. There are already petrol engined cars that do 70mpg.

 

[Monique]

I think you may be headed in the wrong direction.

87 is a North American designator and IIRC, it is not the same as the Euro designations.

I seem to recall 87 will work well with Euro 95 but check it first.

GL