Hard Starting vs Fuel

[Jim Weatherford]

Dave;

Excellent treatise...

In California we are victims of the Smog Police more than possible any state in the US. I have solved the problem from my prospective at least. We are blessed to be able to drive pretty much year round here in Southern California, so “Wake-Up” isn’t as much a concern, but the fuel companies are constantly messing with the formulations, I suspect to use less actual petroleum distillates and add more additives and alcohol. Well performance is a noticeable problem. Being that I can’t afford $8.00 per gallon racing or aviation fuels on a regular basis, I make my own.

I’m not a chemist, more like a Mad Scientist, I read lots of arcane data sheets and MDS (Materials Data Sheets) Forms and have come up with my answer to the fuel problem. First I fill the Jensen Healey fuel tank, then I add 10 ozs. of Toluene (Toluene occurs naturally in crude oil fuels (including gasoline) and in the tolu tree. Toluene is produced during the process of making gasoline and other fuels from crude oil, in making coke from coal and as a by-product of styrene. Toluene is used in the production of nylon, plastic soda bottles and other organic chemicals. It is also used in making paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives, and rubber in some printing and leather tanning processes.) They (the oil companies) take it out of the mix and I add it back in to the finished product, don’t tell the Smog Police on this either. I also add an ounce of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) per tank as a cleaning agent and BINGO!!! 105 octane gas available on a regular basis at a much lower cost per gallon.

I have been using this formula for years and it has shown no ill effects, recently I pulled the heads on my Dodge 318 CID engine in my Jeep Gran Cherokee with 198,000 miles on it to correct a head gasket leak, my co-worker and I was amazed at the condition of the engine, I even pulled the pan to check the condition of the lower end and it was clean and within tolerances. Not too bad for such a high mileage engine.

So you can do as I did or not, it’s after all it is a homemade “Witches Brew”, but if you read the bottles of octane boosters and engine cleaners, more importantly the MSD sheets you’ll see why this works and why I like it.

Be WARNED… Toluene is a highly volatile chemical, it will burn and it will explode, if not handled properly and carefully, use gloves and face shield when mixing. I only keep 1 gallon at a time in a tightly sealed canister and I keep it in my fire proof cabinet. Once mixed, it is very stable and as safe as regular high octane gasoline. Be careful and have fun. Good luck.

 

[Dave Russell]

Jim,
Yeah - There are a number of "mixtures" that can be made. I once used a combination of gasoline, benzine, & acetone in a race motorcycle.

Since a lot of commercial "octane boosters" don't actually do anything, be careful about which you try to duplicate.

There is a direct conflict between gas with enough volatility to start & run good and gas with low volatility to prevent evaporative emissions. This is especially true in CA. Similar problems with paints & solvents are also prevalent in CA.
D

 

[Dave Russell]

Regarding the discussions about car wakeup from winter. I have found that the type of fuel used has a bearing on starting ease.

In locations where there is a considerable spread between summer & winter temperatures The volatility of available gas from the pumps can vary quite a bit. More volatile gas is used in cold months to aid evaporation & make starting easier. Less volatile gas is used in hot months to reduce fuel boiling, vapor lock, & evaporation.

Volatility is measured as Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) & is the pressure that the fuel develops during evaporation in a closed test container which is heated to 100 degrees F. RVP typically runs from 6 psi to 15 psi for the usual gasoline formulations.

A cold climate could have a RVP of 15 psi in the winter & a hot climate could have a RVP of 6 psi.The RVP change schedules for various geographical locations seem to be clouded in political, environmental, & cost considerations & are hard to predict.

Now to the starting problems. If a car has been stored with a summer low RVP fuel, winter cold starting will be more difficult. If the car has been stored with a winter high RVP fuel & is run on the hotter days it may experience vapor lock & other problems associated with fuel boiling.

In my own geographical area seasonal temperatures can vary from 110 degrees F to minus 15 degrees F, & there is a great difference between summer & winter gas. I usually store the car with winter gas & put up with the warm spring problems until the tank of gas is run out, & then refill with the summer grade.

I sometimes hear the statement that someone has gotten bad gas & the car won't run right at all. This can actually happen during seasonal temperature & gas formulation changes since the fuel distributors can't always instantly match the fuel to the days temperature.

Of course some areas have much less seasonal temperature change & may use the same gas year around, but cars in these areas are not as likely to be put in seasonal storage.
D

 

[Jim Weatherford]

Dave;

Your caveat is noted...

I am very aware that some if not most commercial "octane boosters" don't actually do anything. Research and a totally demented mind can over come almost anything in my experience. The formula I use has been run for years in my Cobra replicas and I got it through the “network” of racers who run on a tight budget. In a capsule… this one works and doesn’t adversely affect the machinery.

The problems with evaporative emissions, and there are many, is a true problem in California... but, I am no longer required to smog the Jensen Healey, so I figure what they don’t know won’t hurt me. With regular gas running $2.10+ at 89 octane with alcohol as a major additive, it can’t hurt to add a little “Boost” to the mix.

When I was a building specialty contractor here in So. Cal., I ran into problems with paints & solvents. I could only get high VOC enamel in pint quantities (very $$$$), so I took my trip weekly (weekends naturally) to the Colorado River and picked up my paint and supplies by the 5 gallon bucket and transported it safely home in my 20’ auto transporter, with and among my toy.

Not an cheap process, but consider the cost of pints in California and the 5 gallon buckets in Arizona and it was cost effective by a factor of hundreds saved! So… Well, I did have to repackage the paint and solvents into California legal size containers because of the site inspectors who visited regularly. “But ya gots to do whats ya gots to do”.

Interestingly, I was recently looking to parts cleaner and/or carb cleaner at PepBoys and AutoZone and they no longer stocked it! Thanks in part to the California EPA and the geeks at the SCAQMD. Ya just have to love those bureaucrats!

Thanks and take care. Jim