Question about octane booster.

[99 R/T 10]

This question will probably be answered by Tom, the Oil&Gas guy, but I have some old 104 Octane boost(still in the metal can. 1) can it still be used? 2) How effective will it be? #) will a can boost a tank from 93 Octane to 95? I have some X-1R "Dos Nitrous" octane booster that in the description says will raise 15-20 points. I email the company and they explained that means 1.5-2 real points. So can I used the old stuff and if so how much will it boost?

 

[joe117]

I think the "points" mean .1 points.
A boost of 15 to 20 points would take 93 to 93.15 or 93.20

 

[Bill B]

Joe117 you are correct.

 

[plumcrazy]

i was told to add one gallon of tolulene or xylene to a 16-17 gallon tank of 93 octane for my viper. anymore than that would be a waste.

i think it would raise the octane to 95 total.

 

[KenH]

I think the "points" mean .1 points.
A boost of 15 to 20 points would take 93 to 93.15 or 93.20

I think you're one decimal point off in the math. A point is 0.1, so 93 goes to 94.5 or 95 assuming the booster is good for 15 to 20 points.

For those in octane challenged areas (Oregon is strictly limited to 92 Octane for instance), are octane boosters a reasonable alternative for cars running SC's or which are otherwise octane limited?

 

[KenH]

I happened to come across this interesting read on Octane boosters.

http://europeancarweb.com/tech/0503ec_techboost/

 

[joe117]

Yes, my math was off.
That's probably because I don't believe any of those products will boost 1.5 to 2.0 octane numbers.

 

[tzoid]

I don't believe the engine by itself will produce any more horsepower with higher octane fuel. In newer vehicles, the ECM's are designed to adjust timing to compensate for lower octane fuels and the horsepower will be reduced (Chrysler's full sized car's owner's manuels will tell you that), but the car will not produce more horsepower with higher octane. Viper's are designed (ECM's calibrated) in the USA to run 50 states legal 91 octane fuel. Installing a VEC-ll from Sean Roe or having your ECM recalibrated at West Coast Viper for 93 or 94 octane (whatever you want) and then running the car with that higher octane gas, you will most definitely feel the difference.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Guys, in the oil business, one point can also mean 0.01. This version is the one I saw most often, as the treat rate of gasoline additives was often quoted in points, meaning $0.0001, so 100 points = one penny.

Trivia - the additives that go in gasoline typically cost 8 to 40 points.

 

[Dimitrios]

i ran with ocatne 104 booster once and i felt my car ran very poor with it. that same day went to the track and was doing mid 12's instead of my 11.4 runs with that stuff in my tank. never gonna use it again.

 

[Marv S]

Put local Chevron 91 octane in the Viper and S2-M5 and went to the dyno. Pretty good numbers on the Viper and ok with the M5.

Filled the cars with 100 unleaded Union 76 gas and went to dyno next day.

Viper power was much less with the 100 octane.

The M5 power was much more on the 100 octane - )within 5 rwhp when both it and the GTS were on 100 octane)

(as a side note: another m5 was there the second day and he had 91 octane and went on the dyno right after me. My M5 was 60rwhp more that day with 100 octane than his was with 91 octane. I figure the 11:1 CR and adaptive spark control that pretty much advances timing until knock in the bmw is a factor that can make use of the higher octane. A Viper doesn't have those factors so the higher octane = less energy in that motor.

 

[davem]

Guys,
Without knock sensors, on a stock compression engine with no forced induction, going to higher octane won't do anything but make the engine feel sluggish.

The timing advanced is "fixed" based on weather conditions and the PCM has no way of measuring knock, so no octane based timing advance will occur.

A vec2 or similar tuning device is required to advance the timing to get the benefit of higher octane.

If your engine is knocking, try torco race fuel concentrate, this is the best octane boost I've tried.

later,
Dave.

 

[JUCD VPR]

I put an octane booster in my 91' mustang GT drag car and it made it run like crap! the next week i ran 93 octane and the car felt much stronger. just my .02 cents

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Dave, did you get my PM? Your email account seems to have constipation.