1963 Electra 401 Compression Ratio

[Buick Kid]

Hey, guys. First post.

Couple of quick questions.

I have a 1963 Buick Electra with a 401. Could anyone hook me up with the compression ratio for it?

I also have a 364 out of a 1957 Super, and the compression ratio on that is 10 to 1. Which translates into premium fuel, and I'm only 16, and sadly I'm not made out of money.

I'm hoping it's not 10 to 1, but if it is, is it absolutely necessary to run premium grade fuel? I'm not going to be racing it or anything, it'll be my daily driver, and I'm going to try my best to adhere to those pesky speed limits.

[Sergeant Major]

10.25 to 1 on the Electra (regular gas option is 9.0 to 1)

[Buick Kid]

10.25 to 1 on the Electra (regular gas option is 9.0 to 1)
Do you think I could pull off regular gas for that?

[Sergeant Major]

I use regular in my Cat, but put a lead additive into it and she still runs great.. Every once in awhile I'll put the higher octane in it.

[Buick Kid]

I use regular in my Cat, but put a lead additive into it and she still runs great.. Every once in awhile I'll put the higher octane in it.
Ok. I'll try that then. My dad has a lot of octane booster for his race car, so I could easily use that. Thanks for all the help, Sergeant!

[CoolRide]

My 64 425 wildcat is at the shop right now and I just asked him the same thing.
He told me try the cheap stuff and if it starts pinging try the next level up, makes sense to me.

[Sergeant Major]

That's what I did with mine... just used the cheap stuff...just didn't seem to be quite right...so I went up a notch...not bad..still didn't seem right then I hit the high octane...nice..but still...so I talked with a friend of mine that has a 67 LeMans..told me to get a lead additive...did it...no problem...then I worked my way back down the octane ratings...no problem at the cheap stuff level so far... (cheap stuff ..yeh right..none of it's cheap anymore...)

[DaWildcat]

My 64 425 wildcat is at the shop right now and I just asked him the same thing.
He told me try the cheap stuff and if it starts pinging try the next level up, makes sense to me.

Excellent advice.

And don't let the factory advertised rating of 10.25:1 scare you. Actual measured ratios are usually a bit lower. Two '67 430's I measured that were also advertised at 10.25:1 were actually in the mid-to-high nines. Buick engineering documentation supports this also.

Devon

[wkillgs]

Give the regular a try. If it pings, you can retard the timing a little.
If it still pings under light throttle, you might want to install an adjustable vacuum advance.
Just remember....pinging can kill your engine!

[Buick Kid]

Thanks for all the responses, guys!

I'll put Regular in it, and if it pings, I will definitely bump it a notch.

By the way, what is it exactly that makes the pinging sound?

[flynbuick]

Generally using octane booster is more expensive than just buying a higher grade of fuel. Most boosters I have seen are not worth too much.

[Buick Kid]

Generally using octane booster is more expensive than just buying a higher grade of fuel. Most boosters I have seen are not worth too much.
I will keep that in mind if I hear any pinging. I've been running on Regular, and I haven't heard anything yet. The car wasn't taking fuel very well, though. I believe it's due to the fact that the fuel filter needs replacing. I'm in the process of doing that now, then I'll fill her up and see what happens!

[lapham3@aol.com]

I have a local gas station that sells 87 and 90 octane at the same price. The 93 is 20 cents more. For my driving, the 401/425/430/455 stuff does fine on the 90-

[Buick Kid]

I have a local gas station that sells 87 and 90 octane at the same price. The 93 is 20 cents more. For my driving, the 401/425/430/455 stuff does fine on the 90-
That is good to know. I think I'll be all right, then.