Fuel additive
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 957
Likes: 117
From: Panama City, Florida
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 2,660
Likes: 2,118
From: Minnesota
Fuel is fuel at the end of the day. As long as it’s the proper octane rating your engine needs there’s not much improvement to be made on it unless you want to get into BTU contents and nitro methane, but I don’t think that’s what you’re after.
If you’re looking into making the engine run better I would check your ignition timing and fuel curve.
If you’re looking into making the engine run better I would check your ignition timing and fuel curve.
Last edited by Piersonpie; Today at 08:26 AM.
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Pro
Joined: May 2019
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From: Fountain Hills (Phoenix) AZ
I run regular grade ethanol fuel in my L48 1975 coupe. Recurve, per Lars recommendations, really helped in terms of performance. An occasional bottle of seafoam goes in the tank, which was a recommendation from a friend who owns several NCRS C3 cars. Q- jet Carb works perfectly, so I can't argue with success. I drive the car at least once a month and try to keep fresh fuel in the tank at all times.
1967 Pedal Car Champion
Joined: Mar 2020
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From: US-PNW
Buy Top Tier fuels (Shell, Texaco, Mobile, Chevron, etc) and fill with regular grade, premium if you hear pinging or if going into storage. These fuels have premium additives that do indeed clean combustion chambers (esp. Chevron's Techron). I believe a non-Top Tier tank fill plus the additive price will pretty much cancel out filling with Top Tier in the first place.
For an overview of fuels and additives, look up Lake Speed Jr. on YouTube - his channel is The Motor Oil Geek. He's a long-time oil expert on formulations for both oil and gas. I know he has at least one dedicated video on fuel additives.
For an overview of fuels and additives, look up Lake Speed Jr. on YouTube - his channel is The Motor Oil Geek. He's a long-time oil expert on formulations for both oil and gas. I know he has at least one dedicated video on fuel additives.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Chapel Hill NC
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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Since I don't drive much and live in a high humidity climate I use Seafoam and once a year Techron cleaner.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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The only thing that I have addd in the past is either a fuel stabilzer for long term storage, especially with lower octane gas, or Dry Gas if I suspect there is a lot of water in the fuel I have in the tank....the alcohol in the dry gas helps to break up the water and bind to it to flush out the fuel system....its mainly a winter issue up here though.
The octane boosters help but you have to use a lot of it to actually boost your octane. A standard compression motor will not need it...anything above 12:1 compression is most likely going to need somewhere north of the 93 octane available in my area....and the 100 octane pump gas was always $10 a gallon so its not in the cards to consider....my buddies 12.25 :1 motor needed the 93 and a can of booster at every fill up...
The octane boosters help but you have to use a lot of it to actually boost your octane. A standard compression motor will not need it...anything above 12:1 compression is most likely going to need somewhere north of the 93 octane available in my area....and the 100 octane pump gas was always $10 a gallon so its not in the cards to consider....my buddies 12.25 :1 motor needed the 93 and a can of booster at every fill up...
Racer
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 288
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From: Vail, AZ
Since I can't get non ethanol gas or find anything thing higher than 91 in Arizona I use Stabil stabilizer for when it sits for a while. The car has been having a run on issue and after resetting the timing and everything else I can do to prevent it, it still does it. The car has high compression and I think it needs higher octane gas so I have used Lucas octane booster and seems to work. The next one I'm going to try is VP racing octane booster.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 20,153
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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Thats the one my buddy uses...Maddtive from VP...I bought some when i built my 427 just in case, thankfully its fine with 93
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,776
Likes: 924
From: Arizona
Since I can't get non ethanol gas or find anything thing higher than 91 in Arizona I use Stabil stabilizer for when it sits for a while. The car has been having a run on issue and after resetting the timing and everything else I can do to prevent it, it still does it. The car has high compression and I think it needs higher octane gas so I have used Lucas octane booster and seems to work. The next one I'm going to try is VP racing octane booster.
it was $16 a gallon last time I got it and I need to get more, looking forward to the new price
