I bought a bottle of NOS octane boosters(racing formula) from Kragen today for $10 and this stuff really works. My car is so much smoother and stronger. I will add a bottle of it every time I fill up with this crappy California 91 octane.

 

Yes, the NOS brand does work. See the July 2005 issue of Sport Compact Car for a good technical article on off-the-shelf octane boosters vs home brew toluene boosters.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

i remember reading some stuff on octane boosters and it works better on 87 octane vs. 91 octane. As for brands, NOS was the best in increasing performance. However, it was still very little in comparison to how many actual octane points it raised

 

I was going to put toulene in my tank but Sherwin Williams wanted $60 for a 5 gallon container. That is way too expensive!!

 

It's less expensive to just put 3 gallons of 100 octane from 76 in than use a can of any other octane booster. Plus it's "real." Basically just to a 3:1 mix of 91 to 100 and you'll be running just over 93 octane. It does make the car run smoother.

Jeremy

 

btw -- usually the first response is, "are you out of your mind, the 100 is $4.399 a gallon! That's way more expensive!!!" Well, yes, but:

It takes up space in the tank. Octane boost doesn't. Put three gallons of 100 in and you put in 3 less gallons of 91. That means you're only paying the price difference. $2.60 for premium and it's like $1.80 in additional cost for every gallon of 100. So put in three and it costs you $5.40 extra for the tank. Still money, but less than $9.99 for a can of octane boost!

 

Damn... good point. I never looked at it that way. *goes to find 100 octane near antioch*

-Chris

 

I think there was a recent thread about where the 100 pumps were, btw.... if it helps anyone.

I forgot this is the Bay Area forum, not the San Jose forum . The one down here is Alamden Expressway and Foxworthy, if anyone cares. I know there are others but I'm afraid I'm not a help there.


BTW -- make sure to reset the ECU if you go back to 91. If the ECU advances timing because of the better gas, it will not bring it back down unless it experiences knock... which it likely will if you've given it the chance to learn the better fuel.

 

Well I live in SF and the closest 76 with 100 octane is Woodside. It is not cost effective for me to drive that far. I will stick with NOS until there is a 76 closer by..

How much is a gallon of 100 octane these days??

 

Hundred is $4.399 at 76 (see above )

May I recommend Torco, then? Contact ASH on here... he's the west coast distributor I believe. Now that is good stuff!!!!

Comes in 32 oz cans I think. Add 16 oz to a tank of 91 and you're running like 95 oct -ish. Plus the whole can is about $15. It's quality stuff, too! Super-concentrated MMT or something. "race fuel concentrate" they say.

 

Yes I just ordered 6/32oz can of Torco for $82..I heard you just add like 8 oz of it to a tank and get like 93 octane.

 

15 gallon gas tank right?

(3/15)*100+(12/15)*91 = 92.8

I use 5 gals of 100 to get 94....

(5/15)*100 + (10/15)*91 = 94.0

8oz of Torco gives youi 93???? If the octane is just additive....

1 gal = 128 oz
15 gal = 1920 oz

((8/1920) * X) + ((1912/1920) * 91) = 93

X = 571 !!!!

How does torco work, it can't be additive, it must change the chemical composition somehow....what is in it?

 

dang, that's some good logic right there.

 

This may be a dumb question, but has anyone noticed an increase in gas mileage when he/she used 100 octane fuel?

 

Never noticed a difference. I would be surprised if there was a significant, repeatable increase in gas mileage if the car isn't tuned to take advantage of the added octane during cruise conditions. If there was an increase, it wasn't enough to make up for the cost of the higher octane (or octane booster additive).

That's the reason owners of more mundane cars such as Saturns and Suzuki compact cars are probably wasting money by switching from the recommended 87 octane regular unleaded to 91 or higher octane - it has no benefit to the performance or gas mileage figures. The octane itself doesn't add the power - it just resists detonation better so the car can be tuned with a more aggressive ignition advance (or boost in turbo cars).

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush