[xxxBlakexxx]

OK, guys, let me take a step back on this to try to clear up some confusion. Here are some fuel basics:

1 - Always use the fuel octane rating recomended by the manual! There are no hidden secrets here.

2 - Pining is not really a problem. A ping is a slight knock. All cars will ping a little at full throttle especially when it is hot outside. This ping is the caused by increased pressures in the cycliner head due to the high load.

3 - Dirty cyclender heads can also cause knock or ping due to cabon deposits actually reducing the head volume. This will raise pressure and result in pre-mature ignition.

4 - Think of octane as meaning "resistance to knock". Knock is when fuel ignites too soon. It can be destructive to a motor if it takes place for a long time. Modern cars have "knock sensors" which will detect knock and alter the engine situation...timing and/or fuel (I believe) to reduce the knock. They work to an extent.

5 - 87 Octane gas ignites at lower pressure/temp and burns slower. 93 Octane gas ignites at higher p/t and burns faster.

6 - When high octane fuel is used with a high compresson engine you can make more power because of the added compression. This products more work. The high octane fuel simply allows you to take advantage of the high pressure. Make sense?

7 - If a high octane rated engine uses low octane gas, the fuel will ignite early resulting in knock. Ultimately, this will mean that the car will loose power.

8 - If a lower octane rated engine uses high octane gas, the fuel will not be able to ignite properly. However, you will not really loose or gain performance. Most of the unspent fuel should pass out the exhaust and the detergents should keep the car clean.

9 - ALL fuels are really the same! Except for the octane rating. All the gas companies could merge, and it would not make a difference. The industry is tighly regulated by the feds. All fuel quality is the same. PERIOD. Gas is like milk. Milk is also tightly regulated by the feds. All 2% is the same. All 1% is the same etc... Just like octane. Make sense? What might be different is the pump station. Old tanks will have more water and sediment at the bottom of the tank. Try to avoid getting fuel when a fuel truck is present...it stirs the tank up. And, if you get any dirt, the dispersants in the fuel should move it out.

10 - If you are worried, use a fuel injector cleaner every so often. Ford does NOT recomend their use, however. So do not tell Ford that you used one if ever a warenty issue. How do they work? Most of them have ingredients that make the head burn hotter in order to burn-out deposits. The higher heat can damage the engine.

11 - Do not under estimate the power of octane. I have seen studies where a basic Honda engine has been used to produce 750 hp by doing nothing more than changing spark timing, adding race fuel, and increasing compression. However, the intense heat, would blow up the motor quickly.

Ok. I hope this helps. This subject can be really confusing as the industry has allowed society to pay for gas for years that we don't really need. You can use a chip program to take advantage of higher octane fuel. The chip will alter the spark timing, but without increasing pressure, you will not get a huge advantage. Chip companies claim 15 - 20 hp increase. Increasing pressure even a little can result in much, much more hp than that.