hantzis

I figure I'd share this with you since I've seen this stuff work.
If you want to run a higher octane, there is an octane booster called Machtane that is safe to use. Many of the octane boosters at auto zone, etc are petrolium based which can clogg cats. Machtane is ethanol based so it burns very clean.

Here is the website:
http://www.machtane.com

With two bottles of machtane, I saw this 03 Cobra make 18rwhp more hp than the previous run.

The Proof
http://dynoperformance.com/compare_d...D1=432&ID2=433

AaronC

You could also run Toluene or Xylene. Toluene has a lower specific gravity, and thus atomizes better, but Xylene has a higher octane rating.

They work great, and you can get them at your local paint store. Here are some calculations for ya:

Toluene:
Put 12.9 gallons of 93 octane and 3 gallons of Toluene (114 octane) in the tank. This will give a fuel mix of 96.96 Octane. Here is the calculation:
(12.9 * 93) + (3 * 114) / 15.9 = 96.96 Octane


Xylene:
Put 13.9 gallons of 93 octane and 2 gallons of Xylene (117 octane) in the tank. This will give a fuel mix of 96.01 Octane. Here is the calculation:
(13.9 * 93) + (2 * 117) / 15.9 = 96.01 Octane

A breakdown of the Xylene Calculation:

13.9 (gallons gas) Times 93 (octane of gas) Plus 2 (Gallons of Xylene) Times 117 (Octane of Xylene) Divided by 15.9 (Total Volume) = 96.01 Octane

PS, both Toluene and Xylene are used in the gas you buy at the pump.

Prasith32

many people (mostly porsche owners) have warned me against using toulene and octane boosters.

they are supposedly harmful to the o2 sensor in the cats. As a matter of fact even some racers don't use it.

I am not sure if this is true for our cars as well.

Anybody with more knowledge care to comment on this?

How about Machtane? I read up on it but I am not sure as to what it could harm.

hantzis

Since machtane is ethanol based, it doesn't do harm to the cats or o2 sensors

AaronC

Some Octane boosters can be bad for cats and o2 sensors if used extensivly because they contain MMT and/or Lead in them.

However, Toluene and Xylene are both in normal gas. I have never heard on anyone having a problem by using them.

Since machtane is 98% Ethyl alcohol (ethanol), I think that it gives more HP not by raising the octane and allowing the ECU to advance timing farther, but rather it changes the A/F ratio of your engine because it has a more aggressive specific gravity and vapor pressure then gasoline. Ethanol is also is an Oxygen bearing fuel. Both of these things would make the engine run leaner, giving more HP. However running lean is not always good. It can make the combustion too hot and lower engine life. I am not saying that it IS bad for our cars, I just think somone should run it in a car with a pyrometer (EGT sensor) to make sure that the combustion temperatures are not too hot because of running it.

Bernanke

Absolute lies. not true AT ALL. F1 uses 84% toulene !!! LEADED gasolines will destroy O2 sensors and cats. Toulene and Xylene are probably the most safe substances you could use. Alchohols can be used but they are NOT SAFE when used above 5-10% in fuel mixture, you can use 40-50% toulene/xylene with no problems. its designed to work like that. What most people do not realize is all the gas companies you see get their gass from the same refineries, the only difference is they companies do research in additives to figure out how they can acheive the necessary 87-89-91-93 octane levels they need. Feel free to use as much of this stuff as you like. (however remember the more toulene u use, the hotter the spark necessary to ignite, so too much and the car will not run smoothly b/c it cannot create hot enough spark to ignite mixture, usually 30% is optimal.

here is all the necessary info you need: http://racingknowledge.org/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4941

You can get pure toulene or xylene at Sherman williams for only $4-6/gallon and it will do ALOT more than those "octane boosters" which only boost octane by 0.3 (aka 91.0 to 91.3). on forced induction cars like C32's its especially helpful b/c ECU will not pull back timing due to irregularities in gas so you will always be running as optimal as possible.

Vomit

I have been running Toluene in my C32 for 6K miles with no problem. I normally run one gallon per-tank, unless I know that I am going to be racing, in which case I will run two gallons. I buy it in bulk from the local Sherwin Williams paint store. If I buy more than 30 gallons at a time (six 5 gallons cans), the guy sells it to me for about $4.50/gallon. If you are really hardcore, you can get it even cheaper (and delivered) in a 55 gallon drum.

I have noticed no negative effects on the car from using Toluene in the C32. The expense and hassle are downsides but, with 91 being the max octane available in Cali (Cosby Oil here in San Diego sells 100 octane unleaded, but it runs $5.50/gallon or so), the Toluene is a good solution, especially if your ECU is set for 93 octane.

A couple of cautions: Toluene has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats, so keep your lab rats (and your skin) away from it. Also, Toluene is very flammable, so extinguish the blunt before you start pouring. Finally, Toluene is frequently used in methamphetamine labs, so you might want to explain to the guy at Sherwin Williams why it is that you need large quantities. :v

smgC32

Run the car on a dyno with and without the boosters and look at the results. I have seen no one do this to date to back their claims. A car tuned for 91 octane that runs 100plus octane should show no improvement unless the computer was reprogrammed to run at 100plus. Snake oil I say.

Vomit

"Snake Oil"???? You are a clueless crack junkie. Please give us your many true life experiences with the use of octane boosters.

My last experience was last weekend. At gas fill-up, I was in a hurry, and did not have time to add booster to my car with my fill-up of 91 octane. Shortly thereafter, I punched it from a stop, and could not break the tires loose! I did, however, hear some really pronounced pinging from my engine.

With the Toluene in, I can ALWAYS break my tires loose in first gear, and can often loose traction in second gear.

Simple fact. In Cali we have 91 octane. If your C32 is set for 93, it will lose HP running 91. Toluene is a solution. Do you dispute this?

smgC32

If your computer is set for 91, you run 91. If your computer is set for 93, you run 93. If your computer is set for 93 and you run 91 with a booster, the computer will take advantage of the additional 2 point spread and burn at 93. Anything more octane will not be taken advantage of. If you could buy 93 octane pump gas here in California, you would see the same results as you running 91 with a booster. There are countless articles published on this subject. Accurate research is done in the lab and on the dyno, not while burning out. I find it hard to believe that from a stand still, the octane difference you claim is so great that you either can spin the tires or not depending on what you feed into the tank. Take some dyno numbers and get back to us. It is not good for the engine to run 91 in a car set for 93. That would be like running 89 in a car set for supreme and could cause some pinging. I have run race gas in my BMW at the track on several occations due to convenience in purchasing, and found no difference in lap times.

Bernanke

the thing you have to understand guys about gas is it is NOT and exact science AT ALL. when the pump says 91 octane or 93 octane, thats NOT what is going into your tank. hardly. 91 octane can be as low as 90.5 or even 90 octane, same is true as 93 octane, sometimes is probably really only 92 or even 91.5. Octane numbers are not even a real measurement they are simply an average of RON and MON gas numbers. octane booster ensures the gas going into your motor is the gas octane it is actually supposed to be. yes you are right anything higher than 93 octane on 93 ECU/motor probably won't provide much gains (maybe slightly). but of everyone on this forum probably only 10% are actually running that octane gas. especially with the gas crisis going on, gas companies are cutting as many corners as they can. most of us are practically running sludge for gasoline. run toulene, you will be very happy