Fuel Additive
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,301
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
"Old timers" used to add acetone or toluene to gas, in order to make it burn better. I'm sure that they're still available at paint stores, but I wouldn't want to try them today. There are too many things that those chemicals could screw up in a current car, that it isn't worth the risk. Also,"gas" is a lot different today than it was years ago, when people mixed that stuff in.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 925
Likes: 4
From: EXTON PA
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
"Old timers" used to add acetone or toluene to gas, in order to make it burn better. I'm sure that they're still available at paint stores, but I wouldn't want to try them today. There are too many things that those chemicals could screw up in a current car, that it isn't worth the risk. Also,"gas" is a lot different today than it was years ago, when people mixed that stuff in.
And people used to add moth ***** (you had to fight them, they didn't give them up easily) into the fuel back in those days. If you did that know, you'd probably screw up several expensive sensors and maybe your converters.I'll wager that someone will chime in here and still say it's a good idea.
It's the owners car to do with as the owner pleases.
Last edited by hotwheels57; Nov 25, 2008 at 06:30 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 2
For what a gallon of toluene (116 octane) costs now (about $20 with tax) to blend in your gas its cheaper to buy racing gas and blend it down to required octane. But now that gas has dropped $2 gallon the toluene probably is a little bit cheaper to mix than race gas now.
Here is a neat little calculator that you can use to figure out the cost of blending different priced products into gasoline to get required higher octane and final cost of blend for the mixed products.
http://www.ranney.com/mjr/fuel_blend.html
Here is a neat little calculator that you can use to figure out the cost of blending different priced products into gasoline to get required higher octane and final cost of blend for the mixed products.
http://www.ranney.com/mjr/fuel_blend.html
Last edited by briann510; Nov 25, 2008 at 10:05 PM.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Gray TN
This site has some interesting info on the subject of octane boosters.
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/misc...explained.html
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/misc...explained.html
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Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Xylene... Octane rating of 117.
It is part ofthe BTX aromatics stream from an oil refinery.
Benzene 100 octane
Toulene 114 octane
Xylene 117 octane
I keep a 5 gallon can in the garage to adjust my octane for hot summer track days.
It is part ofthe BTX aromatics stream from an oil refinery.
Benzene 100 octane
Toulene 114 octane
Xylene 117 octane
I keep a 5 gallon can in the garage to adjust my octane for hot summer track days.