Octane Booster
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Evolving Member
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From: Standing at the edge of the gene pool with a flamethrower...
Octane Booster
Greetings Everyone-
I was looking at this the other day and was wondiering if many here are using it?
I did some prelimineary searching here and didnt really find anythig conclusive so thought Id ask out in the open.
So....does it work? Are you using it? And if so what brands?
Thanks
I was looking at this the other day and was wondiering if many here are using it?
I did some prelimineary searching here and didnt really find anythig conclusive so thought Id ask out in the open.
So....does it work? Are you using it? And if so what brands?
Thanks
Evolving Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 107
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From: Cleveland
No it is a rip off and does nothing but increase the cost of filling up. The octane boosters in the store claim so many points increase but what they mean is one point to them is .1 so they say increase two points that means 93 to 93.2. Total waste. The only real octane booster is race gas, toulene and xylene. The benefit to these dont out way their price. Take race gas for example 1gal~$10 at 110 octane. Say you want to start mixing one gallon per fill up. you put in 11 gal of 93 and one gal of race gas now your octane is 94.4 and the cost of your tank of gas went from $30 to $40. Toulene and xylene are worse because they are ~$20/gal. Do you have e85 near by, it is 100+octane and cost less than 93.
Last edited by 1800bigk; Jul 30, 2010 at 07:18 AM.
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 166
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From: Standing at the edge of the gene pool with a flamethrower...
No it is a rip off and does nothing but increase the cost of filling up. The octane boosters in the store claim so many points increase but what they mean is one point to them is .1 so they say increase two points that means 93 to 93.2. Total waste. The only real octane booster is race gas, toulene and xylene. The benefit to these dont out way their price. Take race gas for example 1gal~$10 at 110 octane. Say you want to start mixing one gallon per fill up. you put in 11 gal of 93 and one gal of race gas now your octane is 94.4 and the cost of your tank of gas went from $30 to $40. Toulene and xylene are worse because they are ~$20/gal. Do you have e85 near by, it is 100+octane and cost less than 93.
Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.
Was looking for a simple solution to crappy gas nationwide.
Guess that was too simple-
I am going to have to disagree with you there 1800. There are some researchers that have done tests to see if these actually work. Keep in mind, neutral researchers, not payed off or a gasoline company. They found Lucus typically raised octane about 1.5pts. NOS was very high and raised almost 2 points. Not points as described by 800 but actual octane levels. On top of that, I was running a stage 1 93 tune from Cobb. Even though I was putting in 93, didnt seem to matter which brand, I was getting knock. I used octane booster after Cobb recommending it and had absolutely no knock whatsoever. Are most Octane Boosters crap?Yes. But, there are a few that do work well, I can attest to that. Knock retard doesnt lie. That being said, there are some ingredients, in some octane boosters that can damage your spark plugs if used repeatedly.
Evolving Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 317
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From: NYC
No it is a rip off and does nothing but increase the cost of filling up. The octane boosters in the store claim so many points increase but what they mean is one point to them is .1 so they say increase two points that means 93 to 93.2. Total waste. The only real octane booster is race gas, toulene and xylene. The benefit to these dont out way their price. Take race gas for example 1gal~$10 at 110 octane. Say you want to start mixing one gallon per fill up. you put in 11 gal of 93 and one gal of race gas now your octane is 94.4 and the cost of your tank of gas went from $30 to $40. Toulene and xylene are worse because they are ~$20/gal. Do you have e85 near by, it is 100+octane and cost less than 93.
I am going to have to disagree with you there 1800. There are some researchers that have done tests to see if these actually work. Keep in mind, neutral researchers, not payed off or a gasoline company. They found Lucus typically raised octane about 1.5pts. NOS was very high and raised almost 2 points. Not points as described by 800 but actual octane levels. On top of that, I was running a stage 1 93 tune from Cobb. Even though I was putting in 93, didnt seem to matter which brand, I was getting knock. I used octane booster after Cobb recommending it and had absolutely no knock whatsoever. Are most Octane Boosters crap?Yes. But, there are a few that do work well, I can attest to that. Knock retard doesnt lie. That being said, there are some ingredients, in some octane boosters that can damage your spark plugs if used repeatedly.
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Evolving Member
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From: Cleveland
I am going to have to disagree with you there 1800. There are some researchers that have done tests to see if these actually work. Keep in mind, neutral researchers, not payed off or a gasoline company. They found Lucus typically raised octane about 1.5pts. NOS was very high and raised almost 2 points. Not points as described by 800 but actual octane levels. On top of that, I was running a stage 1 93 tune from Cobb. Even though I was putting in 93, didnt seem to matter which brand, I was getting knock. I used octane booster after Cobb recommending it and had absolutely no knock whatsoever. Are most Octane Boosters crap?Yes. But, there are a few that do work well, I can attest to that. Knock retard doesnt lie. That being said, there are some ingredients, in some octane boosters that can damage your spark plugs if used repeatedly.
I am going to have to disagree with you there 1800. There are some researchers that have done tests to see if these actually work. Keep in mind, neutral researchers, not payed off or a gasoline company. They found Lucus typically raised octane about 1.5pts. NOS was very high and raised almost 2 points. Not points as described by 800 but actual octane levels. On top of that, I was running a stage 1 93 tune from Cobb. Even though I was putting in 93, didnt seem to matter which brand, I was getting knock. I used octane booster after Cobb recommending it and had absolutely no knock whatsoever. Are most Octane Boosters crap?Yes. But, there are a few that do work well, I can attest to that. Knock retard doesnt lie. That being said, there are some ingredients, in some octane boosters that can damage your spark plugs if used repeatedly.
Sorry, but you are mistaken on the amount of octane increase.
Octane boosters generally only increase by points of a point. In other words, if you had 91oct and added an octane booster you might end up with 91.1-91.2. The higher the octane rating, the more difficult it is to raise the number. So if you had 87oct and threw in some booster, you might end up with 87.5-88.
I have researched similar studies with proper controls and they ALL showed a decrease in power.
If you really want to increase your octane with a "booster" follow this guide. Keep in mind the increase in ethanol may cause your car to run leaner. This has been around and done for a long time....
I found this, and thought it might be useful.
Formula #1 - Toluene
R+M/2.........114
Cost...........$2.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.2 Octane
20%...........96.4 Octane
30%...........98.6 Octane
Notes: Common ingredient in Octane Boosters in a can. 12-16 ounces will only raise octane 2-3 *points*, i.e. from 92 to 92.3. Often costs $3-5 for 12-16 ounces, when it can be purchased for less than $3/gal at chemical supply houses or paint stores.
Formula #2 - Xylene
R+M/2.........117
Cost...........$2.75/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.5 Octane
20%...........97.0 Octane
30%...........99.5 Octane
Notes: Similar to Toluene. 12-16 ounces will only raise octane 2-3 *points*, i.e. from 92 to 92.3. Usually mixed with Toluene and advertised as *race formula*.
Formula #3 - Methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE)
R+M/2.........118
Cost...........$3.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.6 Octane
20%...........97.2 Octane
30%...........99.8 Octane
Notes: Oxygenate. Very common in octane booster products. Has lower BTU content than toluene or xylene, but oxygenate effect makes the gasoline burn better and produce more energy.
Formula #4 - Methanol or Ethanol
R+M/2.........101
Cost...........$0.60 - $1.75/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.3 Octane (Methanol)
10%...........94.7 Octane (Ethanol)
20%...........Not Recommended
Notes: Methanol is wood alcohol. Ethanol is grain alcohol and found in Gasohol in 10% ratios. Both alcohols are mildly corrosive and will eat gas tank linings, rubber and aluminum if used in excessive ratios. Main ingredient in "Gas Dryers", combine with water.
Formula #5 - Isopropyl Alcohol and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol
R+M/2.........101
Cost...........$0.60-$1.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.5 Octane
20%...........Not Recommended
30%...........Not Recommended
Notes: Similar to Methanol/Ethanol. Isopropyl Alcohol is simply rubbing alcohol.
Sample Mixture
To make your own octane booster, it is easiest to make up a large batch, and then bottle it up in "dosage-size" uses.
Below is the basic formula of one of the popular octane booster products. To make eight 16 ounce bottles (128 oz = 1 gal):
100 oz of toluene for octane boost
25 oz of mineral spirits (cleaning agent)
3 oz of transmission fluid (lubricating agent)
This product is advertised as "octane booster with cleaning agent *and* lubricating agent!". Diesel fuel or kerosene can be substituted for mineral spirits and light turbine oil can be substituted for transmission fluid. Color can be added with petroleum dyes.
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From: torrance
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Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Alberta
Here's a review on octane boosters that claims they are more effective at raising octane levels then stated by some in this thread. Pretty informative article, however I can not comment on the harmful side effects they might have on your engine.
http://volvospeed.com/Reviews/octane_boosters.html
http://volvospeed.com/Reviews/octane_boosters.html
ok... I'll bite: why are you concerned/asking about this?
if 91 is prevalent in your area, get tuned for 91 and call it a day.
if 93 is available at times, but not all of the time, your 91 map will still work fine, or you could get a 2nd map made for 93 and switch between the two as needed (honestly, I wouldn't bother...)
if 91 is prevalent in your area, get tuned for 91 and call it a day.
if 93 is available at times, but not all of the time, your 91 map will still work fine, or you could get a 2nd map made for 93 and switch between the two as needed (honestly, I wouldn't bother...)