Octane Boosters ?
- Thread starter ChrisD46
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Do any of your vehicles require premium fuel?
It's easy to figure out. How much would a tank of premium cost compared to pouring in a bottle of octane booster. IDK how much a bottle of octane booster cost but, given the ~.040c/gallon difference in my area for premium over regular, that would be $4.00 per 10 gallons.
Depends on how large your gas tank is, is what you need to figure out. And how many ounces of octane booster(price per/oz.) do you need to dose per/gallon.
It's easy to figure out. How much would a tank of premium cost compared to pouring in a bottle of octane booster. IDK how much a bottle of octane booster cost but, given the ~.040c/gallon difference in my area for premium over regular, that would be $4.00 per 10 gallons.
Depends on how large your gas tank is, is what you need to figure out. And how many ounces of octane booster(price per/oz.) do you need to dose per/gallon.
Store bought octane booster is quite expensive per ounce/litre/gallon. Bulk purchases of benzene/toluene/xylene work out much cheaper and are more effective at boosting octane ratings than the store bought snake oil.
Google local chemical suppliers.
Google local chemical suppliers.
Don't even think of it.
Don't even think of it?
Why not get proven results for less money?
Why overspend on ineffective junk?
BTX compounds all have octane ratings over 110, only takes a a little splash to give your fuel a BIG safety margin
Why not get proven results for less money?
Why overspend on ineffective junk?
BTX compounds all have octane ratings over 110, only takes a a little splash to give your fuel a BIG safety margin
"IF" you have a turbo or supercharged car running high boost, you could add toluene as a very effective octane booster. Works especially well in hot climates. I've done this for years in my turbo toys.
In years past, toluene could be found inexpensively (about $5/gal) , and used in quantity without adding substantially to the cost of fuel. However, it seems like those days are gone. The cheapest I can now find it is about $15/gal.
Some off the shelf octane boosters contain only toluene.
Octane boosters that contain MMT are very effective in small quantities. MMT leaves deposits on plugs and O2 sensors. Typical MMT boosters will raise octane 2-3 points.
An old thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/626470
In years past, toluene could be found inexpensively (about $5/gal) , and used in quantity without adding substantially to the cost of fuel. However, it seems like those days are gone. The cheapest I can now find it is about $15/gal.
Some off the shelf octane boosters contain only toluene.
Octane boosters that contain MMT are very effective in small quantities. MMT leaves deposits on plugs and O2 sensors. Typical MMT boosters will raise octane 2-3 points.
An old thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/626470
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OP here : I ask about octane boosters because my 2.4L GDI performance stinks on 87 octane in hot , humid Georgia summers ... Just wondering if Lucas Octane Booster might offer any cost / performance benefit over 89 or 91 octane gas at the pump ?
Originally Posted by ChrisD46
OP here : I ask about octane boosters because my 2.4L GDI performance stinks on 87 octane in hot , humid Georgia summers ... Just wondering if Lucas Octane Booster might offer any cost / performance benefit over 89 or 91 octane gas at the pump ?
A small bottle of anything will not raise 87 octane above 89. It will probably raise it to 87.2
OP here : I ask about octane boosters because my 2.4L GDI performance stinks on 87 octane in hot , humid Georgia summers ... Just wondering if Lucas Octane Booster might offer any cost / performance benefit over 89 or 91 octane gas at the pump ?
A small bottle of anything will not raise 87 octane above 89. It will probably raise it to 87.2
I've heard:
The bottle claims to raise octane 4 points; this means 87 will turn into 87.4.
The bottle claims to raise octane 4 points; this means 87 will turn into 87.4.
Originally Posted by spasm3
Originally Posted by ChrisD46
OP here : I ask about octane boosters because my 2.4L GDI performance stinks on 87 octane in hot , humid Georgia summers ... Just wondering if Lucas Octane Booster might offer any cost / performance benefit over 89 or 91 octane gas at the pump ?
A small bottle of anything will not raise 87 octane above 89. It will probably raise it to 87.2
Not true here my friend...
Believe it or not... But Lucas oil octane booster in fact does raise octane level close to 3 whole numbers... Aka 30 points... The newer bottles have this on the front if them.
And Royal Purple octane booster states 30 right on the front if the container. Aka 3 whole numbers.
I found a octane test done somewhere online and Lucas Oil was actually one of the best... 2.8 numbers or 28 total points raised.
Most of the other octane booster test results were much lower... Like 0.4-0.8 octane difference. Only 4-8 points.
Couple of points to think about here... 93 octane gas does stay fresher longer... Like close to 9 months... Vs 87 which goes stale much quicker in like 3 months.. .
However, the price difference between the two has grown so high in the past 12 years it has made higher octane gas much higher to buy vs 87. Ex... My car it is $14 more per tank to buy 93 vs 87.... Due to a typical 70 cents difference between the two.
Thus why there could easily be the chance that the 93 at some stations sells REALLY slow... And it could in fact still be stale and not the advertised octane number...
A good reason to go by a high volume sales gas station in the higher "end" of town... If ones vehicle needs 93 octane.
In my area those are easy to find.. a 7-11 near me sells Citgo and is literally 0.5 miles from a very high end gated neighborhood just down the road from that place. And it only has 4 pumps... Sometimes low pump number is a good thing. Combined with high volume means those tanks are being filled with fresh gasoline much more often. I see a tanker truck there about 2 times a week. So it is always busy, busy, busy. The Shell and Exxon north of that area are rather busy too. And there are plenty of high end cars around... 4,800 homes back in that one neighborhood alone... And there are several other big money neighborhoods nearby as well.
Originally Posted by ChrisD46
OP here : I ask about octane boosters because my 2.4L GDI performance stinks on 87 octane in hot , humid Georgia summers ... Just wondering if Lucas Octane Booster might offer any cost / performance benefit over 89 or 91 octane gas at the pump ?
A small bottle of anything will not raise 87 octane above 89. It will probably raise it to 87.2
Not true here my friend...
Believe it or not... But Lucas oil octane booster in fact does raise octane level close to 3 whole numbers... Aka 30 points... The newer bottles have this on the front if them.
And Royal Purple octane booster states 30 right on the front if the container. Aka 3 whole numbers.
I found a octane test done somewhere online and Lucas Oil was actually one of the best... 2.8 numbers or 28 total points raised.
Most of the other octane booster test results were much lower... Like 0.4-0.8 octane difference. Only 4-8 points.
Couple of points to think about here... 93 octane gas does stay fresher longer... Like close to 9 months... Vs 87 which goes stale much quicker in like 3 months.. .
However, the price difference between the two has grown so high in the past 12 years it has made higher octane gas much higher to buy vs 87. Ex... My car it is $14 more per tank to buy 93 vs 87.... Due to a typical 70 cents difference between the two.
Thus why there could easily be the chance that the 93 at some stations sells REALLY slow... And it could in fact still be stale and not the advertised octane number...
A good reason to go by a high volume sales gas station in the higher "end" of town... If ones vehicle needs 93 octane.
In my area those are easy to find.. a 7-11 near me sells Citgo and is literally 0.5 miles from a very high end gated neighborhood just down the road from that place. And it only has 4 pumps... Sometimes low pump number is a good thing. Combined with high volume means those tanks are being filled with fresh gasoline much more often. I see a tanker truck there about 2 times a week. So it is always busy, busy, busy. The Shell and Exxon north of that area are rather busy too. And there are plenty of high end cars around... 4,800 homes back in that one neighborhood alone... And there are several other big money neighborhoods nearby as well.
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Originally Posted by Olas
Don't even think of it?
Why not get proven results for less money?
Why overspend on ineffective junk?
BTX compounds all have octane ratings over 110, only takes a a little splash to give your fuel a BIG safety margin
Sorry, I was responding to the OP. about using OTC stuff esp if it used MMT.
I like your idea and have promoted it myself.
It came to me as I walked through the paint thinner aisle of a hardware store a couple decades ago eyeing cans of Toluol and Xylene,
Don't even think of it?
Why not get proven results for less money?
Why overspend on ineffective junk?
BTX compounds all have octane ratings over 110, only takes a a little splash to give your fuel a BIG safety margin
Sorry, I was responding to the OP. about using OTC stuff esp if it used MMT.
I like your idea and have promoted it myself.
It came to me as I walked through the paint thinner aisle of a hardware store a couple decades ago eyeing cans of Toluol and Xylene,
Last edited by a moderator:
I use Lucas Octane Booster in our ecoBoost Escape when I go on trips especially in mountains and in hot weather. Added to 91 octane makes a difference not only in overall power but also downshifts less often. Bought a case on Amazon.
I guess tetraethyl lead isn't going to work. I see it in some stores with a big warning that it's not allowed in street vehicles. Other than that, ethanol or MTBE are pretty effective octane boosters, although one is most likely going to be in pump fuel anyways. Without ethanol, it would be difficult to meet all the demand for higher octane fuels.
Octane boosters are good for your engine. I tried an octane booster in my engine once, and it helped my engine have less fits. Octane boosters can even clean your combustion chambers. Octane boosters is a good thing to put in your cars engine I would say about every three years.
Octane boosters are generally a waste of money. The labels are so misleading... as other said, raising the octane "three points" is going from 87 to 87.3 octane. Most uninformed consumers will think they are going from 87 to 90. The only time I can see octane boosters being of any use would be if you put regular gas in a car that requires premium and you could not do anything else to raise the octane of the tank (such as adding premium fuel).
Race gas concentrate products will significantly increase the octane of pump gas, but they are very expensive and intended for highly modified or competition-only race vehicles which need 100 octane or greater. Most people using these concentrates will start off with pump premium 93 octane and add concentrate as required.
You're better off buying premium in the first place, and ONLY if your engine requires premium (or is designed to benefit from premium).
Race gas concentrate products will significantly increase the octane of pump gas, but they are very expensive and intended for highly modified or competition-only race vehicles which need 100 octane or greater. Most people using these concentrates will start off with pump premium 93 octane and add concentrate as required.
You're better off buying premium in the first place, and ONLY if your engine requires premium (or is designed to benefit from premium).
^^^The Race Gas additive WILL cause an orange coating to form on your spark plugs with regular/steady use.
Whether or not this will ever actually effect their performance/firing, who knows??
I recently filled up in Joyzee where one is not allowed to pump their own gas, and the attendant hit the Shell REGULAR 87 button without me noticing it, despite me CLEARLY AND SPECIFICALLY asking for the 93 V-Power (I'm guessing that so few actually use/request premium he hits the regular by 'rote' at this point??).
I did not realize this until i got the email receipt from their discount program.
I will just drive the car very easily/gently until this stuff is gone, and then fill up with V-power while watching the attendant like the proverbial HAWK!!
Whether or not this will ever actually effect their performance/firing, who knows??
I recently filled up in Joyzee where one is not allowed to pump their own gas, and the attendant hit the Shell REGULAR 87 button without me noticing it, despite me CLEARLY AND SPECIFICALLY asking for the 93 V-Power (I'm guessing that so few actually use/request premium he hits the regular by 'rote' at this point??).
I did not realize this until i got the email receipt from their discount program.
I will just drive the car very easily/gently until this stuff is gone, and then fill up with V-power while watching the attendant like the proverbial HAWK!!
Octane boosters are good to use in your car every 5,000-9,000 miles (depending on if you drive mainly highway or city). I personally use octane boosters because even though they are labeled octane boosters they can also restore horsepower and torque, and even help engines that are running rough.
I've been conducting a long term study on my supercharged F150, which uses an aggressive custom tune with lots of timing, to compare the efficacy of various over the counter octane boosters. I have dual tunes on my truck for street and strip, with vastly different timing profiles. The street tune is designed for 93 octane, but is still too aggressive to run full timing on pump gas. I took advantage of this fact to test various octane boosters, including Royal Purple Max Boost, Lucas Octane Booster, and STP octane booster.
To test I used my data logging device to record before and after acceleration pulls logging spark advance, knock, and other variables on the same night with the same tank of gas; the only difference being the presence of the octane booster. To make a long story short, the three I've tested so far worked as advertised.
The test is still ongoing, but because I need several flushing tanks between tests and the low mileage I accrue, it is taking awhile. I'll be conducting a different set of tests on the professional level products with my racing tune, but that is some time off.
For anyone curious, go here to read my results. I'd repost the thread on this forum, but it'd be a lot of work with all the pictures.
To test I used my data logging device to record before and after acceleration pulls logging spark advance, knock, and other variables on the same night with the same tank of gas; the only difference being the presence of the octane booster. To make a long story short, the three I've tested so far worked as advertised.
The test is still ongoing, but because I need several flushing tanks between tests and the low mileage I accrue, it is taking awhile. I'll be conducting a different set of tests on the professional level products with my racing tune, but that is some time off.
For anyone curious, go here to read my results. I'd repost the thread on this forum, but it'd be a lot of work with all the pictures.
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