Author Topic: Octane boosters: What's yours?  (Read 3734 times)

Offline Topcat

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Octane boosters: What's yours?
« on: May 12, 2013 - 01:15:48 AM »
Wondering what others here use that they feel are the best they've found.
And what to avoid and why.

Pure high Octane gas is the best I realize but its pricey.
Mike, Fremont, CA.





Offline cudabob496

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2013 - 02:41:13 AM »
what material are your heads, and what is your CR?
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline 70CUDA4SPEED

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2013 - 03:42:07 AM »
Octane Supreme 130 but this is not a booster this is the real old stuff and contains lead and is extremely poison.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Octane-Supreme-130-fuel-additive-octane-boost-booster-/190586596801?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item2c5fd8adc1&vxp=mtr

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2013 - 11:07:02 AM »
TC, I've never used any in my HEMI, but I have run "race gas". Dont waste your money..........
70 Chally R/T Convertible- Yes she's really got a HEMI, no she's not a Charger!
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Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2013 - 12:37:54 PM »
Drop by the local small airport & add some 100ll av gas  :bigsmile:

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline Topcat

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2013 - 02:39:54 PM »
I've heard someone once mention some Octane boosters puts a coating on the valve faces.
Like a thin coat of laquer. Is that true?
Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline 72cudamaan

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2013 - 04:27:45 PM »
I've heard someone once mention some Octane boosters puts a coating on the valve faces.
Like a thin coat of laquer. Is that true?

Sounds more like the "lead additives". Every time the cylinder fires, a very minute deposit of the lead additive atomizes
onto the valves. The deposit burns off, thus saving the valve face and then on the next combustion cycle
it happens all over again, and again, and so on.
If I cant fix it, it's broke
 
Andy  (phukker whither)

Offline Topcat

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2013 - 07:37:53 PM »
Sounds more like the "lead additives". Every time the cylinder fires, a very minute deposit of the lead additive atomizes
onto the valves. The deposit burns off, thus saving the valve face and then on the next combustion cycle
it happens all over again, and again, and so on.

I think actually it was that and not the Octane booster now I recall from you.  thanks
Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline Strawdawg

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2013 - 08:49:11 PM »
Years ago, some of the boosters used an additive that left an orange deposit on plugs and valves.  I think this additive was outlawed in the States but I may be confusing it with another octane enhancer that was deemed bad for ground water.

Most of the available boosters will raise the octane only a fraction of an octane number...in other words 93.0 to 93.3.


As Chryco suggested, Av gas will work if you can buy some from a local airport and before someone states that it won't work on the ground because it is blended for high altitude operation, remember that prop planes have to run reliably at low altitude when landing and taking off which is the most critical part of the entire flight.  It works quite well when mixed with pump gas.

The other alternative, other than race gas, is to go to the paint store and buy a gallon of Xylene or a gallon of toluene and mix it with about ten gallons of pump gas.  Both are aromatics that are commonly mixed into gas to raise octane and anyone that has run race gas will recognize the smell immediately.  It is not a bad idea to add an ounce of Marvel Mystery oil to add some lubricant as both are very "dry" compared to normaly gasoline.

If I recall correctly, Xylene is about 117 octane and Toluene is about 114.

Offline wiging19

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2013 - 12:58:41 AM »
The other alternative, other than race gas, is to go to the paint store and buy a gallon of Xylene or a gallon of toluene and mix it with about ten gallons of pump gas.  Both are aromatics that are commonly mixed into gas to raise octane and anyone that has run race gas will recognize the smell immediately.  It is not a bad idea to add an ounce of Marvel Mystery oil to add some lubricant as both are very "dry" compared to normaly gasoline.

If I recall correctly, Xylene is about 117 octane and Toluene is about 114.

I had heard those two items were used in octane boosters before but never heard this approach to boosting a cars octane.  Appreciate your sharing it with us.  Thanks.   :2thumbs:

Offline 72ls5fla

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2013 - 08:23:45 AM »
I've been using the Octane 130 (old lead supreme from Kemco).

It really works - but you are adding TEL to the fuel to get octane boost.
I have been buying and using in my old cars for the last 8 years -
have ZERO complaints.

The TEL levels are low do the fouling of the plugs is not so bad.    But I also do a SeamFoam purge every six months or so to breakdown all carbon buildup.

BTW --   You can get the stuff LOTS cheaper than on eBay.
I can send a website link to a distributor and his pricing is WAY BETTER.

Bill

Offline HP2

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2013 - 10:32:50 AM »
I've decided to forego any more octane boosters and instead ordered up a water/methanol injection set up with a vacuum referenced feed so it only pulls when load dictates. Nice thing about this, it can use any methonal based windshield washer fluid.

Sorry, no real world feedback yet. I haven't got the engine in the car yet. You can find lots of magazine and internet info on it though. Just google Snow Performance.

Offline Oldschool

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2013 - 12:37:58 PM »
Here is my solution to octane AND ethanol in the fuel for the Beast. I needed to get ethanol free fuel. After removing the carbs and tearing them down for a thorough cleaning every spring because the car would hardly run, I made a change to the fuel this winter. I have tried fuel stabilizers and ethanol treatments, but to no avail - it was the ethanol that was causing the problem. I put 100 octane Sunoco ethanol free pump gas in it and parked it for several months. When I first attempted to start it up this spring, it fired right up and idled great. It was as if it had just been operated the day before. So, thus begins my current project concerning fuel. I can get 90 octane ethanol free at the locals pumps, but that isn't enough octane for the car. The 100 octane I was getting is no longer available - the station shut down that pump. So, I got me a 55 gallon drum and did a little research. I came up with this Octane Blend chart. I have access to VP 110 fuel. I took the drum and put 44 gallons of 90 octane ethanol free fuel in it. Then I went to my VP buddy and got 11 gallons of the 110 octane ethanol free racing gas. That yeilds 55 gallons of 94 octane - ethanol free fuel. It costs me about $5.65 per gallon that way. It is way worth it just seeing how the car runs on it. I don't drive the car except on weekends, weather permitting. A drum will last me just about all summer.  Here is the link to the Octane Calculator:

http://wallaceracing.com/octane-mix-calc.php

 :burnout: :2thumbs:


Ken  --  In Georgia

MOPAR-------"Built To Run------Here To Stay"

Offline LAA66

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2013 - 11:10:34 PM »
Plugged in my usual mix ,and the octane calculator results were very close to the blend of AV100 and California's 91 "premium" I had been using. :thumbsup:

  Working backwards it appears around 93 octane is what the 10.5:1 ratio in the 340 needs at 10 degree BTDC.

 They sell 93 here in Oregon (non-ethanol at $5/gal) although no lead to protect the valves.

 

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Octane boosters: What's yours?
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2013 - 05:00:04 AM »
Lead in Avgas is supposed to kill catalytic converters and O2 sensors.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000