this is the motor...351 windsor bored .30 forged lower end parts, Edlebrock aluminum heads, mortorsport fuel injectors, BBK throttlebody, motorcraft sensors... mustang HO computer setup, high flow adjustable mass airflow...stainless header...Edelbrock water pump.
Does anybody have a way to improve octane for this engine?

 

Buy higher octane fuel?

 

Improve as in making it run on 93 octane or less?

 

You mean like bumping the timing so it responds to 93 octane instead of 87?

 

I'm thinking you don't know what you are asking. Or you are not asking it correctly. Or we just don't understand you.

 

If I understand he wants it to be able to run on lower octane? Maybe it pings on lower octane and thats all to common on a rebuild where attention to detail is not maintained...

just slapping an engine together without proper detail will net an engine that makes less power but requires higher octane fuel to do so because of pre-ignition and detonation

 

didn't say what i meant, what i mean is what can i put in 92 octane to improve it - or does anybody know if that stuff they sell at auto stores is really going to improve the octane very much.
I'm in the middle of a tank replacement cause the truck sat for a couple years, the fuel was crap and i want to be sure I'm using good stuff from now on. I'm just trying to find out what my best option is....retail octane boosters, or a tip to do it myself.

 

are you getting knock with 92 octane?

 

Ok that sounds more like it. It's a combination of you don't understand octane and weren't asking what you wanted to know. Octane rating has to do with the speed at which the fuel burns. The higher the number the slower the burn. This is important in high compression vehicles. ( 10/1 and up) higher compression makes fuel volatile and it can preignite causing pinging and detonation. Unless you add flat top or domed pistons you are not likely to have compression that high. For lower compression engines its important to have a faster burn to use all the energy and leave little unburned fuel behind. Unburned fuel creates carbon deposits which can get hot and cause detonation and ping. It can also increase compression ratios by taking up space in the cylinder and create detonation again. Often people "fix" an engine problem by upping to a higher Octane which temporarily solves the symptom but makes the problem worse.
Your problem seems to be that you had poor quality gasoline which left deposits in the system. To solve that you need higher quality detergent in your gasoline. All gasoline comes from the same crude oil. It is refined the same way. Often it comes in the same truck. What makes it different is the additives. My instructor ( a very knowledgeable man with many degrees, experience and world records ) swears by Techron by Chevron. There are several other cleaners on the market. Many of us have great success with a regular treatment of Seafoam. Carroll Shelby promoted zMax and even used it in his car line. Basically use the factory recommended octane from a good gas station. Then run a cleaner every couple of tanks. Watch your mpg for signs of build up and smell for vanishing. If you get pinging with you new setup and everything is running right you may need to go up to premium, but 100+ octane is really only needed for extreme engines and too high octane will only hurt performance.

 

Mayb e there a problem with the anti knock sensor.