Making your own octane booster

[oil pan 4]

I use Acetone to boost gas milage. That is about it.
Cost, about $11 a gal from walmart.
I plain to buy a much larger container form a much larger retailer about the time my gallon runs out.
Acetone by it's self has an "octain" (R+M/2) of about 150. The amount I use it in should not change the R+M/2 of my Gasoline.
Acetone also acts as a very strong solovent.
I have old "dry gas" containers made of HDPE that I measure 2.5 ounces of Acetone into. Any time I need to fill up I dump in the bottle and pump 10 gallons of gas in on top of it, no more no less.
I have added Acetone to my 90 toyota I had while I live in japan and now I put it in my Z28 w/carbed 5.0L engine.
Use Acetone, 2.5oz or less to 10gal of any grade gas to get better milage. Not boost octain.

 

[AndyH]

Interesting article on Octane Boosters, including a "home brew":
http://www.europeancarweb.com/tech/0503ec_techboost/index.html

 

[oil pan 4]

I would not use ATF mix with fuel eather. I also would not Run the PCV straight into the cars intake.

 

[Boomer58]

A custom dual octane tuned PCM is a good way to go. I have the 87/91 octane for my 5.3.

 

[BrianWC]

quote:

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You're living in the '70s. All modern engines have timing that is electronically constanstly changing to meet the load demands on the engine.

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Yeah, but they only do so up to a point. Some engines can't cope w/ really high octane. Or rather, they can't use it to their advantage.

 

[Winston]

There was a thread a while ago about some "cheaper" GM cars with the Ecotec engine. While the manual called for the use of regular gas, the engine has a knock sensor and will adjust timing for more power/economy when higher octane gas is used. I have not personally verified this info, but is sounds plausible.

I don't think and engine computer can take advantage of higher octane gas unless it has a knock sensor.

 

[BrianWC]

Most cars now do have a knock sensor. It keeps the timing advanced just a hair below preignition.

 

[porcupine73]

Some interesting info about bad fuels for vehicles.
Some info info on acetone in gasoline.

I can't find toluene locally but can buy xylene. I've heard toluene is sometimes hard to find because it's commonly used in meth labs?

 

[BrianWC]

Yep, it is. I've accidentally stumbled on meth sites looking for homebrew receipes.

 

[tamu_man]

The guy on that acetone site made some reasonable claims, but he also said some stupid crap.

quote:

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There are many silly myths floating around the car industry to fool the average person. Another is that cold intake air improves mileage. NO. Warm air improves mileage.

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This is a 100% false statement. I'm not even going to say why. It's just wrong. A few statements like this make me question the entire thing, but I've heard good things about acetone from very reliable sources.