Octane Booster

[dieselgeek]

Re: Octane Booster

i have never used an additive except more gas from my right foot....i dont think they work at all,i mean wouldnt they be added before you got the gas in the first place if they did? ??? ??? ???

FYI, the pedal on the right adds "air" and not "gas"

[Darren N.]

Re: Octane Booster

Piecing together my knowledge and what I picked up in Thermodynamics 1 last semester here's my take. Please interject and/or enlighten me if I've stated something incorrectly or incompletely.

Running a higher octane rated fuel than required by your application will not increase power*...but maybe you could go quicker since your wallet would be getting lighter :P

Restating common knowledge here, but the octane rating at the pump is the anti-knock rating of the fuel.
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

Theoretically, in an ideal Otto (4 stroke) cycle the efficiency solely depends on the compression ratio of the engine. So if the optimum fuel has been selected for the engine's properties then, ideally, an increase in efficiency can only occur if the compression ratio is increased. Naturally, an increased compression ratio would require a fuel with a higher anti-knock rating and therefore produce more power.

*Note: if a manufacturer claims that, for example, a vehicle can run on 87 octane then that does not imply that this is the ideal octane rating for the engine. For whatever reason they may decide to say that a vehicle can run on 87 for convenience. For example, a vehicle may run slightly better on 89 because the anti-knock rating is better suited to its compression ratio and timing.

So the moral of the story for your street car is if your car runs best on XX octane fuel, upping it to race gas won't increase your performance. However, I believe convention in essentially all race cars and serious performance street cars is to run a high octane fuel because in these extreme conditions pinging/knocking, or even detonation could occur (ex. high levels of boost).

[TC]

Re: Octane Booster

I always look at it like this, 87 octane is more flammable than 104 octane.

[GibTG]

Re: Octane Booster

"Flammability" is not only dependent on octane rating - it's dependent on a fuel's volatility...

Gasoline companies change the volatility and subsequent flammability of fuel several times a year by additives and differences in refinement but they don't change the octane rating.

[BlackGTO]

Re: Octane Booster

If you had a 12:1 compression ratio is 110 oct enough? And how much timing would you have to retard to make it safer between tracks on 93 oct if retarding the timing would work at all. Also there is a good test of differant brands if you google Octane boost reviews, under Volvo.com

[TC]

Re: Octane Booster

If you had a 12:1 compression ratio is 110 oct enough?

Probably to much, 104 would probably be better.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Octane Booster

Looks like I need to buy a can of octane boost for my car. I accidentally filled with 87 last night. Any suggestions on brand?

[CaminoKid]

Re: Octane Booster

Scott,I have found that the Lucas has worked the best for me.I have been running it in a 402 bb,have not had any trouble with build up or plug problems.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Octane Booster

Thanks.

[Caveman]

Re: Octane Booster

Ahhh, octane. Cool if you got it, death to bearings if ya don't.

A buddy of mine with a roots-blown small-block Mustang ran it on 116 race gas... had a problem with it bogging bad on launch. Burnouts were fine, and it took off like a bat outta He<< after the 60 foot line once it cleared out... turns out the 116-octane wasn't completely combusting while it was staged against the brakes and the converter. He switched to 91-octane pump gas, and it launched hard, no bogging, and his 60-foot times were way better.

And incidently, when I'm forced to put a tank of the cheap stuff in my '56, it'll diesel occasionally after shut-off... low-octane stuff is easier to self-combust, eh? (the 20-year old Edelcrap doesn't help... let's just say its got a couple of cylinders a weee rich) But it just don't happen with the 89 or 91 stuff...

I just wish ethanol were available around here... mmm.. smells yummy...

[ghustler]

Re: Octane Booster

6 points = .6 fyi

That is so true 93 octane turns into 93.6 octane.
I have added octane boost before and the gas smells like racing fuel also!
2oz of acetone to 10 gl of gas will get better gas milage, you can use 1 QT laquer thinner to 20 gl of gas but add a couple OZ of trans fluid for lubracation in the valve seats.
I have a hard time finding tolulene but I would use it if I could find it and what mixure to use to see what it will do?

[dieselgeek]

Re: Octane Booster (under boost) ?

DieselGeek - I am wondering about windshield wiper fluid in a methanol injection kit, do you know anyone doing that? I'm wondering how to control the pump as a function of boost...

nowadays most washer fluid isn't made of the "right stuff"

straight methanol is cheap because you use so little, I just go with that. Most companies that sell water/meth injection kits use progressive controllers nowadays.

[Robert1320]

Re: Octane Booster

DieselGeek - I am wondering about windshield wiper fluid in a methanol injection kit, do you know anyone doing that? I'm wondering how to control the pump as a function of boost...

You are better off to run straight water. Too many get caught up in using the akly injection and either the kit fail of the run out. Once you start tuning this into your combo very bad thing can happen very quickly.

[AllenK]

Re: Octane Booster

I haven't run any octane boosters in years,but the only one that seemed to make a difference was the NOS Off-Road Formula. I ran a can of it in my truck with my old 350 one night,and it ran absolutely awesome.

[Jim Rockford]

Re: Octane Booster

none of it really works , as posted on here at least twice you really only for .2 points, so if your running 93 you might boost up to 93.2 .