OCTANE BOOSTERS:

Most octane boosters are hydrocarbon solvents already present in gas. Some claim to be real lead. Others are products have been banned by the EPA.

Most of us have a pretty big gas tank in our GMs. It would take a lot of little 8 oz. bottles to actually provide any measurable increase. Claims that, "adding a 8 oz. bottle of our octane booster will raise octane 4 points". Actually, they mean .4 points. Sunoco did a test a couple of years ago and tested the major products on the market. None of them raised octane when used be the manufactures recommendation. In fact a couple actually lowered it. Only when dosing 4X the recommended volume, one product raised it a few points. The problem was they were only now up to 96-97 octane and had surpassed the cost of a tank of race gas.

Some of the products claim they will minimize valve seat recession. They do this by adding a heavy weight oil that gets introduced to the chamber via the gas and lubes the valves. Valve seat recession is primarily a problem in sustained high speed operation (racing, autobahn, etc.) Test data shows a 1970 engine operated at 70 MPH averaged 1.5 mm of seat recession in 7,500 miles per year. However, this is 7,500 miles at 70 MPH. I know my Pontiac only gets driven approximately 2,000 miles/yr, mostly cruising and a few drag strip runs.

Gas line antifreeze products are typically used by us northern and mid western people. These products are typically, Ethyl, Methyl or Isopropyl Alcohol.

  If you need to raise your octane, as you fall into one of the above mentioned categories, do the following. Current high octane, unleaded fuel and many race gas formulations increase octane by cranking up the T&X content. Most race gas formulations use Toluene or Xylene to achieve the octane boost.

Typical T&X content of 92 pump gas.        Typical T&X content of race gas.

Toluene 9% by vol.                                                   Toluene 27% by vol.

Xylene 8% by vol.                                                     Xylene 1% by vol.

Total T&X 17%                                                         Total T&X 28%

Adding 10% Toluene by volume to your gas tank will achieve the same thing. Toluene has a RON+MON/2 of 118 so it is very effective. Caution, do not spill on you paint or you will be sorry. Toluene is a major constituent in lacquer thinner and enamel reducers. *Toluene is available from most hardware and paint stores (Lowe’s) and will boost octane a lot more than a little 8oz. bottle of a flash in the pan product.