Octane booster...does it work?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 737
Likes: 4
From: Decatur Alabama
Octane booster...does it work?
"Regular" gas is about the only grade available locally...a co-worker suggested adding "octane booster" to a tankful of regular grade gas...
does this stuff really work? He said it would yield a higher octane than what is available at the pumps for premium grade....
does this stuff really work? He said it would yield a higher octane than what is available at the pumps for premium grade....
Pro
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 613
Likes: 1
From: Salt Lake City Utah
If I remember right, the octane booster does not add as much as it sounds like. I think a container ads .1. So if you are getting 90 octane and added one of those small $2 bottles, you would now be at 90.1. Not the 91 you think you would be at.
John
John
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
This gets hotly debated on a regular basis. The AUTOZONE/CHECKER AUTO octane boosters will not yield much more than .1 boost to gasoline. That might be sufficient for your application if you don't drive the car hard.
However, there are a couple of octane boosters that apparently have better abilities to increase octane. TORCO is one of the most recommended.
Some prefer to mix their own recipes with home supply products. Be careful of the flammability in doing so and/or damaging sensors with chemicals. Here's one such post...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...booster+octane
If you do a search or search this forum in C5 Tech (in the red banner), you should find pages of past threads. Use keywords "octane booster"...
However, there are a couple of octane boosters that apparently have better abilities to increase octane. TORCO is one of the most recommended.
Some prefer to mix their own recipes with home supply products. Be careful of the flammability in doing so and/or damaging sensors with chemicals. Here's one such post...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...booster+octane
If you do a search or search this forum in C5 Tech (in the red banner), you should find pages of past threads. Use keywords "octane booster"...
Last edited by hotwheels57; Sep 26, 2008 at 02:32 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
You can make your own premium BUT it is expensive
Go to Home Depot and buy a gallon of Xylene in the paint section
Xylene along with Benzene and Toleune is what the refineries use to blend gasoline.
Xylene its octane rating is 117
See the linked article for how much you can blend...
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/octane.htm
the math is
new octane =
x gallons Xylene* octane 117 + g gallons gasoline octane *87/ x+g gallons
New Octane for 2 gallons of xylene mixed into 8 gallons ~1/2 tank full
= 2 *117 + 8* 87/10 = 93
Go to Home Depot and buy a gallon of Xylene in the paint section
Xylene along with Benzene and Toleune is what the refineries use to blend gasoline.
Xylene its octane rating is 117
See the linked article for how much you can blend...
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/octane.htm
the math is
new octane =
x gallons Xylene* octane 117 + g gallons gasoline octane *87/ x+g gallons
New Octane for 2 gallons of xylene mixed into 8 gallons ~1/2 tank full
= 2 *117 + 8* 87/10 = 93
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,447
Likes: 6
From: Los Angeles
Buying any additive to add to regular gas would exceed the cost of buying premium fuel in the first place. Unless you have a tune for higher octane it isn't doing much good anyway.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,336
Likes: 4
From: NW Arkansas
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
remember, premium is recommended, not required for the Corvette. for daily driving you would be hard pressed to tell any difference.
I just looked at a bottle of 104 maximum I've had on a shelf for a long time and it makes no mention of octane increase. but I know it won't increase a tank to 104
be sure any additive you use is cat safe
I just looked at a bottle of 104 maximum I've had on a shelf for a long time and it makes no mention of octane increase. but I know it won't increase a tank to 104
be sure any additive you use is cat safe
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 985
Likes: 0
From: Cumming Georgia
You can make your own premium BUT it is expensive
Go to Home Depot and buy a gallon of Xylene in the paint section
Xylene along with Benzene and Toleune is what the refineries use to blend gasoline.
Xylene its octane rating is 117
See the linked article for how much you can blend...
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/octane.htm
the math is
new octane =
x gallons Xylene* octane 117 + g gallons gasoline octane *87/ x+g gallons
New Octane for 2 gallons of xylene mixed into 8 gallons ~1/2 tank full
= 2 *117 + 8* 87/10 = 93
Go to Home Depot and buy a gallon of Xylene in the paint section
Xylene along with Benzene and Toleune is what the refineries use to blend gasoline.
Xylene its octane rating is 117
See the linked article for how much you can blend...
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/octane.htm
the math is
new octane =
x gallons Xylene* octane 117 + g gallons gasoline octane *87/ x+g gallons
New Octane for 2 gallons of xylene mixed into 8 gallons ~1/2 tank full
= 2 *117 + 8* 87/10 = 93
Sounds a bit dangerous to me. Is any of this stuff carcinogenic?
Tim Glover
Last edited by TopFuelTim; Sep 26, 2008 at 08:32 PM. Reason: can't spell
Race Director
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 11,334
Likes: 136
From: Out of Site...Out of Mind. Corvette: anything else is just transportation.
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
Personally think the stuff you get at the auto parts stores are gimmics to get your money.
Want to boost your octane?
Go to Sanoco gas station and get a gallon of race fuel. Usually comes in 104-112 octane. Just one or two gallons is all you need to mix with your usual pump gas.
Helps clean valves and injectors too.
Want to boost your octane?
Go to Sanoco gas station and get a gallon of race fuel. Usually comes in 104-112 octane. Just one or two gallons is all you need to mix with your usual pump gas.
Helps clean valves and injectors too.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,682
Likes: 2
From: Plano Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
I was thinking about that this morning. My usual chevron station was out of both premium and midgrade gas and I was running low. I thought about filling up on regular and adding a booster to it, but I just went home and then when I woke up this afternoon for work, I found a station that had premium and filled up there.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,866
Likes: 45
From: Tampa Bay, Go BUCS!!!Go Rays!!!Go Lightning!!!
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
remember, premium is recommended, not required for the Corvette. for daily driving you would be hard pressed to tell any difference.
I just looked at a bottle of 104 maximum I've had on a shelf for a long time and it makes no mention of octane increase. but I know it won't increase a tank to 104
be sure any additive you use is cat safe
I just looked at a bottle of 104 maximum I've had on a shelf for a long time and it makes no mention of octane increase. but I know it won't increase a tank to 104
be sure any additive you use is cat safe
Your car will run just fine on regular,,,as long as you stay out of the throttle. Normal throttle manuevers are fine. Take it easy for a few days until the premium gets back into the staions. You're fine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 7,096
Likes: 153
From: "Atlanta" Ga.
I wish it was just a few days.......It's been a week with nearly no stations with gas here, and I just watched something that said it could be another 3 weeks before we are back to normal