I am building a 440 from a 1977 Fury police car, which I will install in my 1972 Satellite for street-only use. I am on a very tight budget, but I know that the engine needs to be bored out and I will need new pistons. What compression ratio pistons should I order?
rating over 91. In some areas, you can buy 93 octane E10 or
E15, but if you want straight gasoline, the best you can find
is 91. If you’re in a 91-only area, or suspect that you might be
soon, you might want to limit compression to 9.0:1.
Rhode Island seems to be one of the states where the fuels are 10-15% ethanol, but you can still buy 93 octane (see the bizarre map of “designer” gasoline requirements at tinyurl.com/ gastypes) Unless you want to plan ahead for the day when the whole country comes down to California’s 91 octane level, you’ll be safe in the 9.5:1 area, as long as you don’t make the timing curve overly aggressive. Good luck with your buildup!