toluene as an additive?

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i was reading sciguys post, about the various chemicals he tested. can toluene be bought at any hardware store? my car hold 10 gallons, 11.4 totaly empty. how much could should i use for 10 gallons? and how often should i use it? can i use it ever tankfull? does it really clean that good?
 
Yep, you can use a bunch. It's already in gas. Some people have run up to 30% as an octane booster. You don't need it every tank. Look for it with the paint thinners in a real hardware store. It will also be called Toluol.
 
Toluene is blended into pump gasoline as an octane booster. You can add more to boost octane. If you don't need an octane boost I see no reason to run it.
 
I've used it in mod twostrokes at about 10-20% just for some detonation insurance on high compression motors. Ordered it in 5 gal tins from the local paint store, that was a few years ago. The price is WAY higher now and it's being watched and controlled to a certain degree (drug manuafacture). Last big purchase I signed for it and was getting attitude. It's not cost effective anymore IMO, AV fuel is probably a better deal but not sure what it cost now. If your racing and trying to pull the max power out of the engine your best bet is race fuel that's blended for your application.
 
Go into walmart and buy a few gallons from their paint section, and in the same cart pick up like a few boxes of sudafed tabs and see how many cops show up to help you carry them to your car! LOL
 
geesh! no way! i anna try this tstullf, toluene, but am nervous. i was jsut at my local haordware store, closest thing i fooudn was a paint thinner, listen back was ingriedients, it had toluene, but aso had methanol, and other wierd ingriedents. so for 10 gallons of fuel, how much shouli pour into gas tank? and how often?
 
Yea i have been to wal-mart and left with a big cart full of antifreeze, sudaphed, and paint thinner, lets just say people thought they knew what i was doing, but i actually have allergys, needed to change coolant on 3 cars and was repainting a few things
 
quote:

Originally posted by ziggy:
geesh! no way! i anna try this tstullf, toluene, but am nervous. i was jsut at my local haordware store, closest thing i fooudn was a paint thinner, listen back was ingriedients, it had toluene, but aso had methanol, and other wierd ingriedents. so for 10 gallons of fuel, how much shouli pour into gas tank? and how often?

I would avoid putting methanol in your tank. And obviously try not to let it drip on your paintjob
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I wouldn't go adding paint thinner to your gas tank. You don't know what all is in there. If you want toluene, get the real stuff. You might need to check in a paint store, not just a hardware store.

How much? For what it's worth, the Chevron gasoline MSDS lists 1-17% toluene.
I'd imagine you can add fairly large amounts, just depends what final octane rating you want.
 
Do a search in this section. Toluene has been discussed over and over and over and over again. Also search under b-12 or chemtool.
 
well i use 87 octane, so ide like to ekepit around that area. so lets sya for 10 gallons, maybe like 6 or 8 fl.oz maximum would be sufficient, or less?
 
Toluene's only real benefit is an octane improver, so using it with 87 octane is pointless, IMHO.

There are more effective chemicals out there to clean the fuel system if that's your main goal.

Lucas UCL or Fuel Power FP60 will be a lot cheaper to use for this purpose.
 
FP60 has been shown to clean and keep clean fuel systems at a 1:640 ratio. I would think that toluene would have to be mixed at a considerably higher concentration to have any effect.
 
quote:

Originally posted by BrianWC:
Toluene is a very effective cleaner.

So is gasoline. I doubt if toluene has any improved cleaning effects VS plain gasoline.
 
Perhaps you should try it then.
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Seriously, you can buy a gallon for under $10.

I don't blame you. I'm a "see it to believe it type myself." But toluene is good stuff. I've used it as a fuel system and cc cleaner for years, along with occasional use as a flush.
 
Sharing what I learned the 10 years I spent working as a chemist in the paint industry. Toluene and other aromatics will cut stuff the aliphatics that gasoline mainly contains, won't. Why not add methanol to your gas? That is all most gasoline antifreeze is. It will also help cut things plain gasoline won't. I spent some time working at replacing xylene and toluene in paint with blends of isopropyl alcohol and VM&P naphtha. Xylene creates smog. It also evaporates slower than toluene.
 
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