E88 head in a Series 1 car?

[Captain Obvious]

djwarner, I've heard that kind of thing about acetone before, but I've never been able to verify the reliability of the info. Can you personally substantiate that info about adding acetone to increase octane? Have you worked at a refinery at which they did that? Have you got the credentials to back that up? Chemist or Petrochemical Engineer perhaps?

 

Please note that I'm not attacking here, I'm just trying to establish the credibility of that info. I'd love to be able to purchase lower grade gas and convert it to higher octane by adding a cheap compound to it, but I'd also like to be positive sure my info comes from a reliable source.

 

On one hand, it seems too good to be true, but on the other hand, I have absolutely no experience in that field.
 

[djwarner]

To be quite on honest, I got the info on the internet from someone who's credentials I was able to verify.

 

Unfortunately that was in 2008 and it has long passed into the sea of forgotten references. The last thing I want to become is the "some guy on the interweb said...."

 

So if someone can help with specifics, please speak up.

 

A quick google search gave this reference:

 

http://www.turbofast.com.au/racefuel13.html

 

BTW if you read the labels of MSDS on the so called "octane boosters", you will find the chemicals l listed above.

 

As for the info on how octane affects our engines, I learned this from a chemical engineer who worked for Shell Oil in their racing fuel group many years ago.

Edited August 5, 2015 by djwarner

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks for the additional info.

 

I haven't looked at the MSDS sheets for any of those products, but I would have expected them to be more nebulous. I would have expected the usual "proprietary blend of petroleum distillates". Some of them get away with that and some don't.

[Patcon]

On the E88 issue, I wonder if the there was no clear cutoff or transition to the newer head. Like many things on these cars they seemed to use up existing inventory in a haphazard manner. So the head could be correct even though some cars in a similar VIN range have one or the other head.

[madkaw]

Clear cut line in the e88 head variations?

It would be hard to say unless someone was positive they had original equipment and they had the head off to see the chambers. My 9/71 - IF it is all original, which I think it is, had the same chambers as the e31, or the early head. My head has been chopped .030 (39cc chambers measured)and is running fine on 93 octane.

Edited August 6, 2015 by madkaw

[loudoun]

Could the E88 head be an automatic only thing?  Personally, I think the E31s continued since I picked up a 71 for parts (HLS30-22279), and it still had the E31.  What do all you Series 1 automatic owners have?

[madkaw]

My car was an automatic, but not considered series 1 , so probably doesn't help

[djwarner]

As I stated above, my automatic was made 12/70 with an AT and an E31 head.

[SeafireXV]

My brother had and early '71 series 1 car with a production date of 12/70, and it had an E31 head. I have read on this site elsewhere that the switch to the E88 head started in January '71, so perhaps your car was an exception. If it was built in late December it could have been one of the first to make the switch. The changeovers, from what I have read, were never distinct. New parts would be added as they became available, so this could be a possible scenario?

[bartsscooterservice]

I think they where used up until the end of 71 or something like that, cause mine also has the E31 and is from 5/71..

It's been discussed before there's no clear transation from series 1 ( as we call it ) to series 2/3 etc..

 

My car for instance still has alot of series 1 features for a series 2 car, so maybe we have a new thing here and it's called series 1 1/2

[EuroDat]

Like Bart said. There is NO clear transition from what we all call series 1 to 2 and 3, some even say there is a series 4. Whatever, Datsun never used it, its something started in the US to "classify" different stages of development by enthusiasts

Series 1 is mostly classed by the rear hatch vents and vertical demister and other stuff of course but that seems to be the big indicator. I sereously doubt the change from the E31 to E88 would have happened at the same time. A lot of people quote 10000 units for the E31, but that seems incorrect A lot of people with later vin numbers claim to have them for when the car was new. The 3 dates I hear a lot are Nov 1970, Jan 1971 and June 1971, take your pick.

To the original poster. Is an E88 head original on a 17xxx 240z. Its built between Nov 70 and June 71 so it could be. You will always have doubt. If you change to an E31 you will probably have less doubt, because "most" people change to an E88 due to problems and not the other way around.