flat4

can't remember if we got a final say on if this stuff works just as good as a normal octane booster? got a load of paint thinners lying in the garage and i'm tempted to try it (it's virgin thinners - toulene/xylene with methanol)


kev

dhorwich

dont think that stuff will be good for fuel lines e.t.c...!?

Dan

flat4

i'll risk it for the day it'll be in the tank, was thinking more about engine performance etc.


kev

flat4

also mixture settings so to speak - 15% rings a bell?


kev

mikeesingh

iTrader: (3)

cheapskate

flat4

yes thinking of trackdays in the near future


kev

JamesS

Methanol is the only corrosive (to rubber and aluminium) to watch out for, it is also a neurotoxin!

Adding 5 litres of the toluene/xylene/methanol mix (paint thinner!) to a full tank will give you around 3 point RON increase (10% mix by volume)

dhorwich

just to let you know.... xylene is a known carcinogen... i used to work with it every day at work.... it also breaks down rubber (rubber gloves) within seconds...!!!

Dan

BugEyed

Dan is correct - the Toluene is a serious carcinogen, and like Methanol you need to be concerned about inhalation as well as skin contact. And Toluene doesn't just disolve rubber gloves, but will attack any rubber seals in your fuel system, particularly the O rings at the top of the injectors.

Duncan

flat4

i'm guessing it will be only in the tank for about a day max and at 10% mix i think i'll give it a go, what's the worse that could happen?


kev

flat4

just checked the label:

kev

JamesS

At the 10% mix danger of component damage is minimal to zero (O-rings, pipe work etc).

It does raise an interesting point though. You need a 10% mix to achieve a 3ish RON increase.

How can ANY commercial octane booster that runs at about 0.5% mix give a similar advertized RON increase? Most octane booster is in fact a toluene/methanol base mix. It does not add up!

nom

...and it's only a 'suspected' carcinogen - there's been no measured effect. Not the sort of thing you want to be in contact with all the time, but probably fine for mucking about with once in a while!
But I don't reckon pouring paint thinner into the fuel tank is a good idea - too many possible other nasties in there
(But pure toluene is a good anti-knock agent).

CataIunya

I have read it can be ok if used correctly check it out.....
http://www.vtr.org/maintain/gasoline-octane.html

flat4

i think your okay if your using virgin thinners i.e. it's not re-constituted etc., not sure i'll bother putting mineral spirits in (not sure exactly what i would use anyway )


kev

flat4

bttt for any last minute info


kev

Jaay

It leaves a lot of deposits on your plugs, this pic is pretty **** and out of focus. Im getting the injectors cleaned and the O rings showed no sign of perishing.
Your recommended to change oil and plugs in half the time you normally would!!

Ive got some pure Toulene at the momment from Millers oils, but I would only use it in a track car.

My 2bob

flat4

where's this pic? wasn't going to use this stuff all the time, just trackdays


kev

flat4

anyone care to shed some light on this is there a secret ingredient?


kev

JamesS

Snake oil?

nom

Lead!

Andy.F

It's not as simple as a straight dilution of high octane and low octane giving 'middle' octane.
Some additives change the chemical structure, creating stronger bonds within the hydrocarbon chains. This changes the burn characteristic of the fuel and can increase the 'knock' threshhold.

I have my reservations using some of these octane 'boosters' as some of them just slow down the burn rate. This will result in a higher measured octane ratio but possibly no more power than you would get by running less advance and/or boost.

Octane rating is only a part of the equation. A 'proper' high octane fuel will still burn fast and at high pressure/temperature without detonation.

flat4

i now remember reading something along these lines before (must add bookmarks in future ) i'll decide tomorrow if i'm going to use the stuff or not


kev

swan

flat4, there's a very long but interesting thread on the GT-R register

Pavlo

slowing the burn rate is not all that bad andy

Low compression will slow the flame speed, as will less advance (in addition to burning later), as will lower RPM, all these things will affect the peak pressure on the compression cycle.

You're main aim with the advance is to time the combustion correctly, and since we're not aiming to explode the fuel en mass, slightly slower flame speed isn't going to hit performance a great deal if you map accordingly.

Andy.F

I don't think that slowing the burn rate is necessarily a bad thing, I just remain unconvinced that SOME octane boosters actually allow the engine to produce any more power.
The obvious exception being where the knock sensor is over retarding the ignition.

My own car runs less bhp on Omax + NF than it does on straight Omax. I need an extra 2psi boost to get the power back ! So I know which I prefer
More experimentation to be done when I can adjust my ignition timing

Bit of a sticking plaster IMHO

Pavlo

but do you put the NF in to cure det? Otherwise I agree you likely to lose power. No doubt high octane can mean more power, but usually because people run much more boost than otherwise possible.

Worth a try if you can map the ECU, something we'll be addressing soon enough!

Paul

flat4

swan, i was reading the GT-R thread again last night

might do a bit more reading before i **** the engine


kev