Octane Boosters...what is the common wisdom

[AH67]

Use it or not? I have an MkII Tri-Carb

 

[Keoke]

Octane Boosters...what is the common wisdom

Good stuff is expensive usially relegated to off road use so SAVE U MONEY not needed-Keoke

 

[Frankenhealey]

It doesn't have to be expensive as you can make your own!

In my eternal search for more power and less pinking I came across this very interesting site. My particular problem is 11:1 compression and I was researching octane boosters and this popped up

Quote:
MAKE YOUR OWN OCTANE BOOST
How to make your own octane booster (this 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 tolulene 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.


Then we get to find out all about Tolulene here

https://www.gnttype.org/techarea/misc/octaneexplained.html

Interestingly tolulene in bulk is only £1.85 a litre and racing methanol is just over a pound a litre but may eat your rubber piping.

I think I'm going to get my Junior Chemistry Set out and have a play over the winter.

Obviously it's all at your own risk

 

[RAC68]

WOW.

I have used high test gas in my 64 BJ8 since 1969 when I mistakenly directed the machinist to shave 60 thousands rather than 6 thousands off the head. At $3.92 for high test and no better than 17 mpg, I would love to find a way to create less expensive fuel. However, is this the way?

When doing the calculation on 10 gallons of fuel (not including the lubricant and cleaner additives), I decided to start with 82 octane Regular at $3.63 to create 10 gallons of 92 octane. If X+Y=10 and 82X+114Y=92*10, I come out with 3.125 gal of Toluene and 6.975 gal of Regular. When considering the price of Toluene at between $11 and $15 per gallon, 10 gallons of this mix will cost between $59.26 and $71.76. When comparing this price to that of an equal measure of High Test at (10*$3.94) $39.40, there is no question which I would choose.

Again, I may have something wrong and hope to see what others come up with as I would really consider making a less expensive fuel that will do no harm to my Healey and permit me to drive more frequently.

Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[John Turney]

You're lucky 92 octane is only $3.92/gal!

 

[BigGreen]

I prefer staying healthy

https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=30

Hans

 

[pkmh]

I prefer staying healthy

https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=30

Hans

Important to know, but I still find reading very depressing (and I hope my being depressed reading this stuff is not the result of having breathe any toluene lately).

 

[RAC68]

Hi John,

Yes, NJ has one of the lowest High Test gas prices. However, under my calculation High Test would have to be more than $5.92 to brake even with the best price of the Toluene compound. Again, I may be doing something wrong in my calculation and, if so, I may have overpriced the cost of the homemade gas booster.

Hans, I appreciate your position on health and can't but agree with it. We are exposed to all sorts of toxins every day and, as you have referenced, even commercially available gas presents Toluene to us. I am not sure what risk the creation of this gas-boosting concoction would present to its creator, however, if handled properly and in an open area, I would expect the exposure to be no greater than handling commercial gasoline and breathing its fumes.

Ray (64BJ8P1)