AMSOIL Scholarships Help MMI Students Get Started on the Right Foot
AMSOIL gives back in many ways – here is one way the AMSOIL family helps those who need help with a fresh start in life and career.
AMSOIL ‘Strong Start’ Relocation Grant helps a military leader transition into a new life.
In July 2014, AMSOIL entered a partnership with Universal Technical Institute (UTI) to become the official oil of its motorcycle and marine divisions, the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI). AMSOIL products are incorporated in the MMI training and curriculum, students work first-hand with AMSOIL products, and classrooms and labs are branded with AMSOIL paint schemes, signage, product displays and training aides. Upon entering their professions, many graduates become AMSOIL brand ambassadors, helping build brand recognition and demand that create outstanding opportunities for Dealers in the marketplace.
“We entered this partnership with the goal of educating students about the benefits of synthetic motor oil,” said AMSOIL Race and Events Manager Jeremy Meyer. “It has exceeded all expectations as students have seen the benefits provided by AMSOIL products firsthand, and they’ve carried that enthusiasm and loyalty for AMSOIL products with them as they enter the workforce as motorcycle and marine technicians.”
AMSOIL also offers several scholarship opportunities for MMI students. In addition to awarding three $5,000 Employment Scholarships per year, AMSOIL provides 36 students a $1,500 “Strong Start” Relocation Grant to help mitigate the expenses associated with relocating to an MMI campus.
After serving 20 years in the U.S. military, including tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, Sergeant First Class Robert Thompson earned the AMSOIL “Strong Start” Relocation Grant for the first quarter of 2016. He is now taking his beloved hobby and turning it into a sustainable career, using the grant to set up a temporary home base while he finishes the Motorcycle Technical Specialist program at MMI Orlando while his wife and six children hold down the fort at home.
“The shop that’s closest to my hometown is 45 minutes to an hour away,” said Thompson. “Once I have completed my course, I have dreams of starting my own repair shop.”
To date, AMSOIL has awarded nine Employment Scholarships and 99 “Strong Start” Relocation Grants to MMI students.
OCTANE EXPLAINED: DOES PREMIUM, HIGH-OCTANE GAS BOOST PERFORMANCE?
Save yourself a lot of money and use the lowest rating suggested in your owners manual. Typically the only cars which need premium fuel are older high compression engines (pre 1980’s) and the ever popular turbocharged engines. I run premium in my Ford Transit with the Ecoboost Turbo as it is required. The added compression demands it to resiste pre-ignition (reducing knock) and I’ve even verified maximum mileage on Cenex 91 even over the OK’d 89, but on typical fuel injection cars over the past 25 years lower octane ratings are no issue at all – Enjoy the article below…
Sioux Falls drivers – email me your favorite gas stop you get the best performance from and I’ll make a post listing any feedback we get. Thanks!! Email me at ches@syntheticwarehouse.com
A recent AAA report found that American motorists wasted $2.1 billion in the last year buying premium gasoline for engines designed to run on regular gas.
The reasons why are likely due to the following misconceptions about premium gas:
Contains higher energy content (increasing power and fuel economy)
Formulated with higher-quality additives (increasing engine cleanliness)
What is Premium Gas?
When motorists see premium 91-octane gas at the pump, they may assume it contains higher energy content compared to regular 87-octane gas. After all, “high-octane” is often synonymous with increased power and performance. The 91-octane gas should, they think, provide improved fuel economy and power.
In fact, octane has nothing to do with energy content or quality – it’s a measurement of the gasoline’s ability to resist engine knock. Higher octane denotes greater knock control.
What is Engine Knock?
On an engine’s intake stroke, the piston travels down the cylinder, allowing air/ fuel to fill the available space. Assume the cylinder holds 900cc when the piston is at bottom dead center. The piston then travels up the cylinder, compressing the fuel/air in preparation for combustion. Assume cylinder volume is reduced to 100cc when the piston is at top dead center. The relationship between the two volumes is known as the compression ratio. In this case, 900:100 is reduced to 9:1. The compression ratio indicates cylinder pressure, and more pressure equals more power and greater efficiency. That’s why high-performance cars and heavy-duty diesels typically have higher compression ratios than standard cars or trucks.
While higher compression seems like all up-side, it can invite negative consequences. Compression heats the fuel/air mixture, allowing it to burn more efficiently. If compressed too much, gasoline can ignite too early, causing uncontrolled and early ignition. This leads to a knocking or pinging sound, robs the engine of power and can lead to engine damage. Typically, the engine’s computer will detect engine knock and adjust timing and the air/ fuel ratio accordingly. Although this protects the engine from damage, it can substantially reduce engine performance and efficiency.
Most high-compression gas engines require use of premium gas to better resist engine knock and prevent the computer from detuning the engine to protect against knock-related damage. Using premium gas in a clean, mechanically sound engine not designed to use it, though, provides no benefit.
In engines with carbon buildup on pistons or in the combustion chamber, however, premium gas can provide some benefit. Deposits can reduce cylinder volume at top dead center, effectively increasing the compression ratio. This alone can lead to engine knock. The deposits can also become hot spots that preignite the mixture, leading to engine knock.
In these cases, a higher octane fuel helps resist engine knock and allows the engine to operate closer to its normal conditions rather than detuning to prevent engine knock.
For best performance, use the fuel recommended in your vehicle owner’s manual.
Higher Octane Doesn’t Mean Higher Quality
The other popular misconception is that premium gas contains a higher concentration of cleaning agents and other performance-improving additives.
While many formulators market a highquality premium gasoline, such as Shell* V-Power* Nitro+ or ExxonMobil* Synergy*, the premium gasoline at your local filling station may not be formulated to improve performance in any aspect other than octane rating. Quality can vary from brand to brand and station to station.
This is why we sell AMSOIL P.i.® (API) for cars and trucks and AMSOIL Quickshot® (AQS) for smaller engines. They provide excellent detergency to help clean dirty injectors and carburetors for maximum fuel economy and operability. Once you understand the truth about premium gas, these additives will better assist in overall performance thus giving better peace of mind and benefits you’re seeking.
