How can I boost octane w/o breakign the bank?

[1BAD351 21]

My 69 made it pretty apparent today that she wants more octane, the 93 octane just isn't cutting it anymore, well actually it never cut it and i just ignored the inevitable. I guess this is what I get for having an engine made to run race fuel and trying to run pump gas.

 

Anyway, I was thinking of running a few gallons of aviation fuel mixed in every tank. But then I remembered people running "rocket fuel" or maybe some other octane boosters. Does anyone run something to help boost it, or know of anything that might work for me? The car doesn't get much over 10mpg in most instances so I don't want to run 7 dollar a gallon race fuel when I drive this thing all the time. My throttle response is just terrible and if it gets over 200 degrees it detonates like crazy at anything over 2k rpm. I have the timing at 8 degrees of advance, and I really think I have to figure out some way to advance it some and get this thing running the way it should.

[S code 69 13]

Av gas is the way to go, I run 30-50% in my 440 six pack and plan on doing the same in my 390 once I get it on the road.

 

The boosters are a joke, if you use the high quality ones that actually help they're so expensive you might as well use av fuel. the other advantage to av gas is it is not only inspected and proven to have the octane it claims but it's required to hold it for one year, car gas starts losing it as it leaves the refinery. you don't need stabilizers with av gas either, it's just an all around much higher quality product.

 

It's kind of a pain but I don't drive my cars that many miles a year anyway, it's well worth it.

[1BAD351 21]

I drive the crap out of my car to be honest. I didn't build it to sit, I drive it every chance I get. I drove it over 100 miles yesterday alone. But I probably wouldn't ever drive it more then 3k miles a year. That would require me to get a good 100 gallons of aviation fuel and that's going to be quite a task using 5 gallon gas tanks. You can't exactly pull your car up and fill up haha. Is there anyway to get it in a 55 gallon drum or something, or do they only deliver that stuff to airports or people with permits?

[ForceFed70 14]

Have you looked into E85? Do they sell it in your area? They are starting to make kits to convert carbs to run it...

 

E85 is certainly the way to go if you can get it in your area and you don't mind modifying your carb (basically it's a bunch of parts that will handle the alcohol). Way cheaper that aviation/race fuel.

[coz 108]

You can buy 55 gallon drums of racing fuel (104 or 112 octane) - I've done that before. A guy I meet a couple of years ago owns Mid-Atlantic Racing Fuels and I was buying it 5 gallons at a time (he did let me transfer it from can to tank at his site). After awhile I began buying a 55 gallon drum from him and a syphon kit.

 

Highly illegal to keep it at my house I've been told but what the hey....

 

Tres expensive but cheaper than buying it 5 gallons at a time. Last year I paid around $300 for a drum and kit.

 

I agree with S-Code - the boosters are a joke. They increase octane rating by .1 % or something like that. Read the fine print on the bottle and see what I mean. 10 points means a .1 change in octane.

 

Race fuel distributers....

 

http://www.bazellracefuels.com/racingfuels.htm

Edited July 31, 2009 by coz

[kllerbee 10]

Making your own is an option. I have not tried this but I know others that have successfully. http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com

[S code 69 13]

I'm not sure about other states but in oregon you can go to the airport and buy all you want, they don't ask why you want it.

 

I live in a rural area and I have pickups and loaders so I just fill my 55 gallon drum once a year. you could do it in jugs just the same it would just be more trouble. race fuel offers the same logistics problem as av gas so I don't see any advantage in it. if you don't want the hassle of getting high octane fuel your option is to get by without it the best you can or lower your compression that's about it, there isn't any Ronco booster that will come close to the real thing.

[1BAD351 21]

You can buy 55 gallon drums of racing fuel (104 or 112 octane) - I've done that before. A guy I meet a couple of years ago owns Mid-Atlantic Racing Fuels and I was buying it 5 gallons at a time (he did let me transfer it from can to tank at his site). After awhile I began buying a 55 gallon drum from him and a syphon kit.

 

Highly illegal to keep it at my house I've been told but what the hey....

 

Tres expensive but cheaper than buying it 5 gallons at a time. Last year I paid around $300 for a drum and kit.

 

I agree with S-Code - the boosters are a joke. They increase octane rating by .1 % or something like that. Read the fine print on the bottle and see what I mean. 10 points means a .1 change in octane.

 

Race fuel distributers....

 

http://www.bazellracefuels.com/racingfuels.htm

 

yeah the booster raises 10 points, means it raises one octane level. there are 10 points to one octane so if you raise it 1 point you have say 93.1 octane aka useless.

 

I have actually been thinking of getting some aluminum heads because that alone may fix my detonation problem just by the metal change, what do you guys think about that, help or no? As of now I have cast iron Roush 200's, and as many know they arn't the greatest heads in the world w/o some port work.

[1BAD351 21]

I'm not sure about other states but in oregon you can go to the airport and buy all you want, they don't ask why you want it.

 

I live in a rural area and I have pickups and loaders so I just fill my 55 gallon drum once a year. you could do it in jugs just the same it would just be more trouble. race fuel offers the same logistics problem as av gas so I don't see any advantage in it. if you don't want the hassle of getting high octane fuel your option is to get by without it the best you can or lower your compression that's about it, there isn't any Ronco booster that will come close to the real thing.

 

you can do that here as well, it's perfectly legal so long as you don't get caught:whistling:

[NJ_Bob 10]

My 69 made it pretty apparent today that she wants more octane, the 93 octane just isn't cutting it anymore, well actually it never cut it and i just ignored the inevitable. I guess this is what I get for having an engine made to run race fuel and trying to run pump gas.

 

Anyway, I was thinking of running a few gallons of aviation fuel mixed in every tank. But then I remembered people running "rocket fuel" or maybe some other octane boosters. Does anyone run something to help boost it, or know of anything that might work for me? The car doesn't get much over 10mpg in most instances so I don't want to run 7 dollar a gallon race fuel when I drive this thing all the time. My throttle response is just terrible and if it gets over 200 degrees it detonates like crazy at anything over 2k rpm. I have the timing at 8 degrees of advance, and I really think I have to figure out some way to advance it some and get this thing running the way it should.

 

Sunoco 260 (remember that?) is back in selected Sunoco stations. They now call it "Sunoco 260 GT 100". In New Jersey there are two locations. One in Ledgewood & one in Point Pleasant. What part of the state do you live in? Here is a link to their website.

 

http://www.sunocoinc.com/Site/Consumer/RaceFuels/260GT100Locations/New+Jersey.htm

[MAD IN NC 21]

Look for a race track around where you live. About 1.5 hr's from me is VIR where from the pump you can get 116 octane - all it takes is plastic!

 

Other wise local speed shop.

 

I blend 116 with 93 to get to 100 and it is simple to calculate with the (R+M)/2 calculated octane we have here...

 

ie 10 gal of 93 = 930

+ 5 gal of 116 = 580

total of 1510/ 15 = 100.66666666666667 Octane in the tank!

[1BAD351 21]

Sunoco 260 (remember that?) is back in selected Sunoco stations. They now call it "Sunoco 260 GT 100". In New Jersey there are two locations. One in Ledgewood & one in Point Pleasant. What part of the state do you live in? Here is a link to their website.

 

http://www.sunocoinc.com/Site/Consumer/RaceFuels/260GT100Locations/New+Jersey.htm

 

not those haha

[187813 10]

I recently tried Kemco 130 octane booster in my '70 Boss 302. I've been avoiding over the counter octane boosters since they are chemical based and tend to eat viton (needle/ seat). What makes this different is that it uses tetraethyl lead to increase octane- I think it's the only product in the country that has real lead. I used to run five gallons of 114 octane leaded racing fuel and top off with 93 unleaded pump gas. The Kemco will turn 93 octane into 101 with three ounces per gallon (the website has an incorrect ratio listed at 8 oz, but the charts show 3 oz. ). A $10 quart will treat ten gallons- only increasing cost by $1 per gallon. The only place I know to get it is from Kemco Oil and Chemical products. Check it out.

[ashleesmach1 28]

According to the sunoco site here is a spinx station selling their 260 100 fuel in greenville sc

Spinx Oil Co # 179

2901 N Pleasantburg Drive

Greenville, SC 29609

(864) 850-9892