Octane Booster

[calh4289]

I found out today that my only local gas station no longer carries 93 octane. The highest octane around is 91.

Does anyone know if octane booster actually works and if so which kind is the best?

Thanks,

Jarrod

[mee]

None is best. They are a joke. The best ones raise octane a few "points" which if you read the fine print is defined as 1/10 of an octane number. So for $10 to $15 or whatever, you can get yourself 91.6 octane. Waste. Try to find a place that sells racing gas which can be difficult. Mixing in a few gallons of 100 octane will get you to 93 and will be a lot cheaper than the octane boosters. I am considering a chip which is more optimized for 91 octane.

[Ubermensch]

Yes, mixing 100 octane to reach 93 is probably your best bet. You can also add toulene to your fuel to reach 93 or higher octane. Search the web for links on toulene blending to do things safely.

Edit: I wrote methanol but I was thinking toulene....methanol injection is another more complex way of getting some additional octane but it's more of a cooling, detonation supressant than purely an octane booster.

Edited August 30, 2005 by Ubermensch

[MikeA]

Check out this internet link on octane and the use of toluene as an octane booster. It might answer some of your questions. Hope it helps.

http://patriot.net/~jonroq/Tech/octane2.html

[HEDDOK]

Mike

Have you tried Toluene?

Brad

[MikeA]

 

Mike 

Have you tried Toluene? 

 

Brad 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have not tried toluene. You can get it at most places that sell paint products however, my concerns would be the purity of the toluene. Increasing the octane of my fuel is not that important to me and I am reluctant to try it in my Carrera. The article in the attached link I posted was just for information purposes only. I personally make no claims or recommendations regarding the use of toluene as an octane booster.

I am curious if anyone else has tried to use it in a project car of any kind. Theoretically it should burn completely in an internal combustion engine since it is just a 6 carbon ring with a methyl group (CH3) attached. It basically has nothing other than carbon and hydrogen in its structure; a pure hydrocarbon. As I mentioned my biggest concern would be impurities.

Mike

[Ubermensch]

I've known a number of people that have run toulene successfully in high horsepower MKiV Supra applications. In those cases the high level of boost requireded the additional octane. The general consensus was that it works fine, but blending in 100 octane fuel is more convenient and nearly the same cost....

[1999Porsche911]

I have run toulene in many of my cars without issue. It is obviously cheaper to mix 100 octane with a less octane fuel, but when that is not available toulene works fine.