I dumped in 16oz's every other tank just to keep some MMT in there and get a couple octane points or three bump on the pump gas, I'd add another 16oz when I tracked my car.
Worked well for 3 years.
Octane Booster
- Thread starter SilverCoyote
- Start date
I dumped in 16oz's every other tank just to keep some MMT in there and get a couple octane points or three bump on the pump gas, I'd add another 16oz when I tracked my car.
Worked well for 3 years.
The only formula I could find for home made octane booster that sounded reasonable:
100 ounces of Toluene
25 ounces of Mineral spirits (cleaner)
3 ounces of transmission fluid (lubricant)
Supposedly makes you a gallon of octane booster.....
100 ounces of Toluene
25 ounces of Mineral spirits (cleaner)
3 ounces of transmission fluid (lubricant)
Supposedly makes you a gallon of octane booster.....
We don't tunes for Torco / Lucas / Whatever. We strictly use it for the added safety.
It does foul out your spark plugs a little quicker then usual however
OK, then Why not Simply Use Zylene?? It's been Proven Time and Again to work, and it Nevers Fouls or Colors plugs....!
Xylene and Toluene are used in varying amounts for pump gas by the refiners as octane boosters so you'd to be concerned about adding too much and changing the burn characteristics of the fuel.
Other than that, there's no real problem using them other than cost, they're $10-$15 a gallon , and ease of use, if you buy it bulk drum containers you'd need a place to store it.
What about the Race Gas fuel concentrate?
@SilverCoyote, I am no tuning expert, so take this with a grain of salt.
My thinking tells me that a tune will have a maximum global spark value that is programmed in depending on what the OEM or Tuner decides your gas quality should be. Over time, your engine "learns" the appropriate timing based on your fuel quality. These learned values can be lower, or right at the global spark maximum. This is where a knock sensor comes in. If the knock sensor detects predetonation, it will retard the timing accordingly from the learned values. If the knock sensor likes what it is seeing, it might add a couple of degrees to the learned value, possibly bringing timing up to the global maximum.
My thinking would say that if you are running 110 all of the time, but your global spark value is set to that of 93, you won't be getting much gain out of the 110, except for the fact that your engine will never be retarding timing.
Take for example I have a global spark maximum of 27 degrees. I am running pump 91 that is not the best quality around. Whenever I go WOT, my knock sensor always retards (positive knock value) 4 degrees. Since I run the same gasoline, my learned value would become 23 (27 - 4*). Let's say I put in a tank of 100 octane unleaded race fuel. My knock sensor is deciding that timing can now be added (negative knock value). Over time, my learned spark value will go back to the maximum of 27, but never higher. But, for example we know that we can push this engine to say, 31 degrees with the 100 octane before predetonation starts to occur. The tune I have in my car now is never going to give that 31 degrees. I will have to get a new tune put in that will change the maximum global spark to 31 degrees.
My thinking tells me that a tune will have a maximum global spark value that is programmed in depending on what the OEM or Tuner decides your gas quality should be. Over time, your engine "learns" the appropriate timing based on your fuel quality. These learned values can be lower, or right at the global spark maximum. This is where a knock sensor comes in. If the knock sensor detects predetonation, it will retard the timing accordingly from the learned values. If the knock sensor likes what it is seeing, it might add a couple of degrees to the learned value, possibly bringing timing up to the global maximum.
My thinking would say that if you are running 110 all of the time, but your global spark value is set to that of 93, you won't be getting much gain out of the 110, except for the fact that your engine will never be retarding timing.
Take for example I have a global spark maximum of 27 degrees. I am running pump 91 that is not the best quality around. Whenever I go WOT, my knock sensor always retards (positive knock value) 4 degrees. Since I run the same gasoline, my learned value would become 23 (27 - 4*). Let's say I put in a tank of 100 octane unleaded race fuel. My knock sensor is deciding that timing can now be added (negative knock value). Over time, my learned spark value will go back to the maximum of 27, but never higher. But, for example we know that we can push this engine to say, 31 degrees with the 100 octane before predetonation starts to occur. The tune I have in my car now is never going to give that 31 degrees. I will have to get a new tune put in that will change the maximum global spark to 31 degrees.
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Good article on fuels and octane here at this link:
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/1509-everything-you-need-to-know-about-octane/
Makes one view certain octane boosters in a new light, especially Torco. The MSDS sheets for Lucas are almost identical to Torco and Lucas is less expensive.
Torco's website has some nice downloadable charts for how much to mix from a base of 87, 91 or 93 to get to much higher desired octane levels.
Of course, we're all talking R+M/2, vice Motor Octane or Research Octane. The latter was used, after WW2 all the way until the mid to late 70's when the R+M/2 method was mandated. RM was higher and most consumers assumed higher was always better.
Hope this helps...
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/1509-everything-you-need-to-know-about-octane/
Makes one view certain octane boosters in a new light, especially Torco. The MSDS sheets for Lucas are almost identical to Torco and Lucas is less expensive.
Torco's website has some nice downloadable charts for how much to mix from a base of 87, 91 or 93 to get to much higher desired octane levels.
Of course, we're all talking R+M/2, vice Motor Octane or Research Octane. The latter was used, after WW2 all the way until the mid to late 70's when the R+M/2 method was mandated. RM was higher and most consumers assumed higher was always better.
Hope this helps...
That was a good read. Thanks for posting.
I would add to it that if you are going to mix fuels it is best to stay close as far as the different stoich values between the two.
I would add to it that if you are going to mix fuels it is best to stay close as far as the different stoich values between the two.
@helloWorld... great explanation.. thanks... !!
Research Octane is BS, it's ALL ABOUT the Motor Octane, at least for Drag Racing and Boost....!
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