octane boosters

what is your guys' opinions on different octane boosters? i just put some cheap STP stuff in my car and i cant really tell a difference in anything.. maybe your not supposed to.. know of any that will make a noticeable difference in performance? if anything, ill just get the NOT STREET LEGAL stuff..

 

with a 6 cylinder that makes 8:1 compression you probably couldnt tell the diffrence.

my 350 olds runs about 10.5:1 and i can barly tell the diffrence between 87 and 93 oct. gas. beside the slight ping

 

Good question...
I have yet to see any noticible differences using STP products...so I don't try any.

 

any others?

 

I use STP's octane booster and most of the times I use it I get better mileage, and some times smoother response from the engine.

 

well thats good to hear..

 

if you have a 6, higher octane is not going to help you. unless you have higher compression it's not worth it.

 

it is also good to know that im wasting my money... but it was only 5 bucks so i couldnt pass it up..

 

Some higher octane fuels can actually slow you down due to burn rates!
I use a Lucas octane boost with 10.5 compression and notice the difference at the track. Pro race fuel 112 slowed the car down!

Richard

 

Well my wife's car (2002 nissan Maxima) there is a very noticeable difference between using 87 and 93. Using 93 makes a huge difference in the sound of and smoothness of the engine. I haven't tried any octane boost products though.

 

i do like to throw in a bottle of that stp oil treatment everyonce in a while. comes in a little blue bottle for like 1.99. i use it in all my cars

 

that's okay. since i put the lower compression motor in the car i've still been using the sunoco purple (107 octane) in my car $6 a gallon.

 

I am currently raiding the neighbors cornfield and distilling my own taneoc soobter. Werks grate!
Nad

 

dan....step back from the computer.. if you drink it you become the filter, then the octane booster goes in the fuel tank.

 

First off, increasing the octane of the fuel only helps if you truely need it!
If you do not need to stop detonation, then it does nothing positive for you... At all!
Used in an engine that does not need a given level of octane, higher octane will actually hurt your performance, MPG, and dirty up your engine.
The higher the octane, the less volitile the fuel is.
If you don't have the compression to make it burn, you are just wasting it and carboning up your engine.

Reading: http://ezinearticles.com/?Save-Money-On-Gas---The-Octane-Factor&id=500768

Now, for the OTC octane boosters...
They are too small of an amount to raise the octane more than a fraction!
A tiny container of booster, if it is potent stuff, can raise your octane from 87 to 87.2, for example.
Now this depends on how much fuel you are mixing of course, but you get the idea.
Some advertise that they "increase octane by up to 12 points", or similar.
Remember that a "point" is .1!
So if it raises your octane by the advertised 12 points, you are NOT going from 87 to 99! You are going from 87 to 88.2! And likely doing it with very little gas to get that high a bump.

There are formulas all over the net on how to use common chemicals to raise your octane. Just google "homebrew octane boost" or "homemade octane boost".
Some are informative, some are hacks throwing stuff together and risking damage to their Hondas.
Any of the good ones you look at though, will tell you that you need gallons of the chemicals mixed into each tank of gas to get anything out of it.
The tiny bottle you pay 6 bux for is the same chemicals... About 5 cents worth!
It's all snake oil and advertising.

If you want those chemicals in your car, make sure you need them first.
Then buy a 5 gallon can for cheap from a paint supply house and use it*.

*Most folks use the base chemical mixed with a small amount of diesel (for stablizer, detergent, lubricant) and/or tranny fluid (detergent/lubricant).
You can also mix base chemicals to lessen corrosive effects on metals and rubber.

Google it up, good reading.