I hate to say it but in the end the only answer that will be the best answer is to say try it for yourself. I couldn't tell you how many nay sayers I have personally ran into in the last year alone just because of Snowest "chat".
When it comes to tuning and modifying, get yourself a good set of gauges you can trust, learn to read piston, plug, and combustion(color) readings off your pipe and exhaust system. Always start rich and work yourself to lean, if it feels too good to be true, work back to rich settings then back down a notch to be safe.
I personally chose to go this route as it's hard to sift out the internet BS out there about the whole AV gas 100LL is too dry for anything but a plane theory. My experience, awesome results. Watch Burandt in his newest video's (Dentention), there's a reason he runs 100LL Av gas in his sleds as well. It gets expensive after a while and AV gas is the best bang for your buck next to propane out there especially when you put on the miles he does in a season.
Saying that he runs it isn't gospel alone. There are extra precautions in case your super paranoid like everyone else and you can always add in your own lubricants or additives. I have tried adding injector oil for extra lube last trip with no visible benefits. The only damage the "dry" AV might have caused is my transfer hose cracked next to the drum and I had to cut 2" off and the hose seems a bit stiff. For all I know, it could totally be unrelated to AV and just needed replacing due to age. Everything on my sled is fine and haven't had to replace any hoses, and everything works as though it was factory. I have personally burnt over 500L of AV gas alone, and +200L of race in the last season alone in my 2010 TM8 OVS Tial setup. Here are my details:
2010 162 M8 SP
- 2009 M8 stock cyl head
- OVS Turbo Tial setup with Garrett turbo
- Factory oil injection, running Amsoil Interceptor oil
- 10-12lbs boost, up to +14lbs boost trials
- 4-8500ft give or take 1000ft, mainly 5-6000ft mostly
- TDR Turbo reeds
- 850miles now, turbo'd from day one, never changed reeds, pistons or anything else other than Turbo oil (planning to do reeds as a precaution)
You pretty much can run as much boost as you want until your charge temps get too hot on my setup then you will detonate even if you have straight 118, no benefit over AV. On straight AV at 4000ft and 10lbs on a really hard pull on the trail hitting over 85MPH I only once hit DET sensor. Just after the last trip +800miles did I take out the factory pipe sensor code 17. My '07 M1000 lasted +2000 miles on premium fuel before it went through a pipe sensor in the same riding conditions.
I don't have bad throttle response everyone complains about with straight AV. It runs awesome and consistant with no tuning, as good or better than any of the stock sleds in our group and has been the easiest sled I've ever had to tune with the PL box. I can't even believe the reeds have lasted the torture I put them trough the end of last season trying to run +14lbs without an intercooler.
I run a 55gal drum in my V-nose of my trailer and have an electric pump, I'm setup better than anyone in my trailer for having enough fuel for a 3 day riding trip and can fill up faster, anywhere...
I wish I could tell people more, but in the end you have to try it for yourself. I AM going to propane, just because it's more available than race or AV gas anywhere, it's cheaper, and not much to convert it over and I'm doing and intercooler conversion anyhow so it's really win/win to me. It'll be tough to tear down this sled because it runs so well on straight AV 100LL and 10lbs boost though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvdTryzvbiI&feature=related
im running a 08 D8 Pump gas i usually add about 2 gallons of 110 and non eth. pump gas per tank. think of switch to straight av gas. i run about 8-10 psi and ride anywhere from 3 to 8000 ft should i tone it down or add an additive? any comments are welcome.
