homebrew octane booster

kaptinkafeen · 05-09-2007, 01:38 PM

O.k. guys, so I have accumulated the 'luquids' as outlined in the gntype.org techpages...
100oz of toulene
25oz of mineral spirits
3oz of trans fluid
My Questions...
Can I avoid using as much 'cleaning' agent (the mineral spirits). I'm not exactly sure how important it is. Engine has less than 5000miles on it since its rebuild.
Also, why is the amount of trans fluid the least? If I don't put as much cleaning agent in, should I substitue with extra lubricating agent? Would more lubricating agent be harmful or a beneficial step to take (that is to say, 'easier' of the fuel pump and other fuel line components, or detrimental to plugs fouling etc.)

Thanks
-Andrew

ULYCYC · 05-09-2007, 02:09 PM

Better off buying a gal of Xylene (more octane) and add 1 oz of marvel mystery oil. Then you can use 1 gal per 5 gals of gas.

Steve Wood · 05-09-2007, 02:18 PM

No more than 1 ounce of tranny fluid....

Either use xylene or toluene and leave the spirits out....

kaptinkafeen · 05-09-2007, 05:13 PM

Thanks guys, I can only get my hands on toluene...
1. Steve, why leave the spirits out? and,
If I didn't put any lube into the toluene, would I hurt anything (just mix it with high test pump gas)? or would I kill my elec fuel pump?

2. No need for ratio's here?

I have a 3.78L (1 US gal) container of the toluene (smallest size I can buy) - how much will this gallon treat? and approx how many 'points' will it raise my fuel. (The highest rated fuel I can get from the pumps is Sunoco 94).

Reading over RIchard Lassiter's How to mix your own Brew, I am a bit confused and just want to be sure I understand.

Using Toluene (which I gather from the info has a rating of 114), mixing it with 92 Octane gas at a 10% ratio would yeild 94.2 Octane
so what happens when I add 10% to ultra 94? What's the math?
If I have a - let's say 12 gal tank (or whatever size).
If using Ed's info of 1gal treats 5 gallons of gas.... 12 divided by 5... 2.4gallons of toluene to treat the entire tank.
Sorry for all the questions, and thanks

-Andrew

Steve Wood · 05-09-2007, 09:03 PM

I believe Lassiter was copying a typical commercial product....the mineral spirits are supposed to be a cleaner...but, mineral spirits are low octane, and, the toluene is a strong solvent anyway...no need for a cleaner.

In lower percentages of mixes, there is no need for additional lubricant as the gas already has lubricant in it. If you look up posts by CaptainInsane-O (Doug), he suggests 1/2 ounce of mystery oil per 1 gallon of toluene or xylene. Doug was a chemist in a refinery and had played with lots of boosters.

Regular gasoline has some xylene and/or toluene in it as an octane enhancer. Some race gas has quite a bit...if you have smelled it, you will recognize the same odor from the toluene you bought. Overseas, some places mix as much as 50% toluene, xylene, and benzene into the gas you buy. I think law limits it in this country.

Most of the formulas you see figure the octane boost is directly proportional to the ratios of the gasoline and the additive used. I don't believe it is 100% proportional but without an octane tester, not much else we can do.

Normally we talk about percentages of xylene (or whatever) being some percentage such as 20%. That means that if you take 1 gal xylene and 4 gals of gas for a total mix of five gallons, then the xylene is 20% of the mix. Note it is 20% and not 25%.

Now.... 1 gal toluene at 114 octane plus 4 gal of gasoline at 94 octane.

1 x 114 plus 4 x 94 or (114 plus 376) equals 490 . Divide that by the total five gallons and we get an average octane of 98 which would be the theoretical octane of the mix if it is truly directly proportional. That would be the 20% mix.

Most suggest not going over 30% as the specific gravity starts getting high which jacks with the A/F ratios and may slow down the actual burn rate. Not as important on relatively slow revving engines as it is on high rpm engines.

Don't forget the 1/2 ounce of mystery oil, or tranny fluid, for each gallon of the toluene used.

By the way, many of the injector cleaners are either toluene or xylene...

turbo nasty · 05-10-2007, 07:26 AM

If you do the math the price for Razors alky kit comes out to about 18 five gallon cans Toluene/xylene and that is not alot for the amount you have to use to get the oct rating up for just a few psi if you are lucky. Back in the day when I ran mixed Toluene frequently it would allow me to run about 2 more psi if I was lucky.

No way you can run the high psi with the mixing that the Alky can offer.

5 gallons of VP methanol set me back 27 bucks and has lasted over 4 months, including over 30 passes in the 1/4 and countless highway races, etc. That would be well over 10 complete fill ups and I just filled the reservoir up with the last of it. This is on my daily driver

Just a perspective of costs vs use vs power extraction.

I promise you...Hands down the alky will be the best mod you have done.

Good luck

kaptinkafeen · 05-10-2007, 07:54 AM

Thanks guys...
As always I appreciate your insight and help

-Andrew

GNonice · 05-10-2007, 11:27 AM

Couldn't agree more with what Turbo nasty said about the alchy. $ for $ nothing compares (imho) to the perf gain you get by adding a alchy kit.
I knocked off almost 1 second in the 1/4! Brought the boost from 15 to over 24 lbs. Nuf said...

Nasty Wendy · 05-10-2007, 02:47 PM

Its been a while since I've seen on of these threads. Where is Captain InsaneO when you need him LOL. I've ALWAYS used one gallon of Xylene and 3 gallons of 93octane pump gas along with 1oz on Marvel Mystery Oil for my brew. This nets you 4 gallons of 99 octane. The octane rating on the xylene is 117 so you can do the math for yourself if you use lower or higher octane pump gas.

VernL · 11-01-2007, 12:45 PM

I used to buy 5 gallon cans of Xylene wholesale at the local paint warehouse. (only because they assumed I was a painter) Price varied with fuel prices. Id pull in the local Sunoco add Xylene off to the side of the lot then about 3 ounces of Marvels Mystry Oil then pull over to the pump and top her off with 94 octane. It would give me about a 100 octane mix useing Steve's formula. I could run about 22 pounds of boost on it. It was simple & effective but I then had to burn it all the time for that tank full which while cheap up front becomes expensive if you want to keep her set on kill. Switching to Razors meth/water injection kit was a great move as mine is a street car. Now I only burn meth/water mix when boost is over 10 pounds.

05-09-2007, 01:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
kaptinkafeen decaf is for kids Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Etobicoke Posts: 408	homebrew octane booster O.k. guys, so I have accumulated the 'luquids' as outlined in the gntype.org techpages... 100oz of toulene 25oz of mineral spirits 3oz of trans fluid My Questions... Can I avoid using as much 'cleaning' agent (the mineral spirits). I'm not exactly sure how important it is. Engine has less than 5000miles on it since its rebuild. Also, why is the amount of trans fluid the least? If I don't put as much cleaning agent in, should I substitue with extra lubricating agent? Would more lubricating agent be harmful or a beneficial step to take (that is to say, 'easier' of the fuel pump and other fuel line components, or detrimental to plugs fouling etc.) Thanks -Andrew __________________ probability is fundamental, uncertainty is inevitable

05-09-2007, 02:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
ULYCYC Fuhgeddaboudit Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 16,151	Better off buying a gal of Xylene (more octane) and add 1 oz of marvel mystery oil. Then you can use 1 gal per 5 gals of gas. __________________ ED BAKER 87-T, Maplight equipped rear view mirror.. 93 PARK AVE"SUPERCHARGED" BPG#1458 My Photo Page buickperformancegroup.com

05-09-2007, 02:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
Steve Wood An American American Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: East of Eden, Texas Posts: 36,364	No more than 1 ounce of tranny fluid.... Either use xylene or toluene and leave the spirits out.... __________________ ------------------ 'A government that is big enough to give you everything you want, is also big enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson I think one should worry more when people are lining up to get out of a country rather than into it. If they're sneaking in, we must be doing something right. The Chronicles of Zap, from the early 21st century www.vortexbuicks-etc.com

05-09-2007, 05:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
kaptinkafeen decaf is for kids Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Etobicoke Posts: 408	Thanks guys, I can only get my hands on toluene... 1. Steve, why leave the spirits out? and, If I didn't put any lube into the toluene, would I hurt anything (just mix it with high test pump gas)? or would I kill my elec fuel pump? 2. No need for ratio's here? I have a 3.78L (1 US gal) container of the toluene (smallest size I can buy) - how much will this gallon treat? and approx how many 'points' will it raise my fuel. (The highest rated fuel I can get from the pumps is Sunoco 94). Reading over RIchard Lassiter's How to mix your own Brew, I am a bit confused and just want to be sure I understand. Using Toluene (which I gather from the info has a rating of 114), mixing it with 92 Octane gas at a 10% ratio would yeild 94.2 Octane so what happens when I add 10% to ultra 94? What's the math? If I have a - let's say 12 gal tank (or whatever size). If using Ed's info of 1gal treats 5 gallons of gas.... 12 divided by 5... 2.4gallons of toluene to treat the entire tank. Sorry for all the questions, and thanks -Andrew __________________ probability is fundamental, uncertainty is inevitable Last edited by kaptinkafeen : 05-09-2007 at 05:35 PM.

05-09-2007, 09:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
Steve Wood An American American Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: East of Eden, Texas Posts: 36,364	I believe Lassiter was copying a typical commercial product....the mineral spirits are supposed to be a cleaner...but, mineral spirits are low octane, and, the toluene is a strong solvent anyway...no need for a cleaner. In lower percentages of mixes, there is no need for additional lubricant as the gas already has lubricant in it. If you look up posts by CaptainInsane-O (Doug), he suggests 1/2 ounce of mystery oil per 1 gallon of toluene or xylene. Doug was a chemist in a refinery and had played with lots of boosters. Regular gasoline has some xylene and/or toluene in it as an octane enhancer. Some race gas has quite a bit...if you have smelled it, you will recognize the same odor from the toluene you bought. Overseas, some places mix as much as 50% toluene, xylene, and benzene into the gas you buy. I think law limits it in this country. Most of the formulas you see figure the octane boost is directly proportional to the ratios of the gasoline and the additive used. I don't believe it is 100% proportional but without an octane tester, not much else we can do. Normally we talk about percentages of xylene (or whatever) being some percentage such as 20%. That means that if you take 1 gal xylene and 4 gals of gas for a total mix of five gallons, then the xylene is 20% of the mix. Note it is 20% and not 25%. Now.... 1 gal toluene at 114 octane plus 4 gal of gasoline at 94 octane. 1 x 114 plus 4 x 94 or (114 plus 376) equals 490 . Divide that by the total five gallons and we get an average octane of 98 which would be the theoretical octane of the mix if it is truly directly proportional. That would be the 20% mix. Most suggest not going over 30% as the specific gravity starts getting high which jacks with the A/F ratios and may slow down the actual burn rate. Not as important on relatively slow revving engines as it is on high rpm engines. Don't forget the 1/2 ounce of mystery oil, or tranny fluid, for each gallon of the toluene used. By the way, many of the injector cleaners are either toluene or xylene... __________________ ------------------ 'A government that is big enough to give you everything you want, is also big enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson I think one should worry more when people are lining up to get out of a country rather than into it. If they're sneaking in, we must be doing something right. The Chronicles of Zap, from the early 21st century www.vortexbuicks-etc.com

05-10-2007, 07:26 AM	#6 (permalink)
turbo nasty Boost Sux my Wallet Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast area Posts: 1,100	If you do the math the price for Razors alky kit comes out to about 18 five gallon cans Toluene/xylene and that is not alot for the amount you have to use to get the oct rating up for just a few psi if you are lucky. Back in the day when I ran mixed Toluene frequently it would allow me to run about 2 more psi if I was lucky. No way you can run the high psi with the mixing that the Alky can offer. 5 gallons of VP methanol set me back 27 bucks and has lasted over 4 months, including over 30 passes in the 1/4 and countless highway races, etc. That would be well over 10 complete fill ups and I just filled the reservoir up with the last of it. This is on my daily driver Just a perspective of costs vs use vs power extraction. I promise you...Hands down the alky will be the best mod you have done. Good luck __________________ 87 GN (3480lbs w/me) GT3255E, ESP FMIC, Razors Alky, Turbosaver, TA Headers, THDP w/test, ATR crossflow, TT, 38's, CK trans, Pats 10" 2.8k l/u, QA1r's,UMI Ups (adj) and lows, HR bar, MT DR's. 2003 G35 Coupe Blk on BLk, JDM Clears, 18's, Prem PKG, Lthr, Bose....wifes car 2005 Harleys : Wide Glide & Duece ...Mucho Bling

05-10-2007, 07:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
kaptinkafeen decaf is for kids Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Etobicoke Posts: 408	Thanks guys... As always I appreciate your insight and help -Andrew __________________ probability is fundamental, uncertainty is inevitable

05-10-2007, 11:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
GNonice Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lancaster NY Posts: 197	Couldn't agree more with what Turbo nasty said about the alchy. $ for $ nothing compares (imho) to the perf gain you get by adding a alchy kit. I knocked off almost 1 second in the 1/4! Brought the boost from 15 to over 24 lbs. Nuf said... __________________ 86 GN. 1.7- 60,-7.49 @ 90 mph & 11.78 @ 113 mph on 93 octane pump gas & alchy on old combo. No times on new combo yet > GT6162 & TT chip & 60lb inj. New tranny (soon!)& PPC converter. Still on Stock intercooler. "I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up"

05-10-2007, 02:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
Nasty Wendy Defender of the Universe Join Date: May 2001 Location: Waggaman, La. USA Posts: 9,919	Its been a while since I've seen on of these threads. Where is Captain InsaneO when you need him LOL. I've ALWAYS used one gallon of Xylene and 3 gallons of 93octane pump gas along with 1oz on Marvel Mystery Oil for my brew. This nets you 4 gallons of 99 octane. The octane rating on the xylene is 117 so you can do the math for yourself if you use lower or higher octane pump gas. __________________ The Turbobuicks.com FFL 2006 Champions DSR #3

11-01-2007, 12:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
VernL Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 9	I used to buy 5 gallon cans of Xylene wholesale at the local paint warehouse. (only because they assumed I was a painter) Price varied with fuel prices. Id pull in the local Sunoco add Xylene off to the side of the lot then about 3 ounces of Marvels Mystry Oil then pull over to the pump and top her off with 94 octane. It would give me about a 100 octane mix useing Steve's formula. I could run about 22 pounds of boost on it. It was simple & effective but I then had to burn it all the time for that tank full which while cheap up front becomes expensive if you want to keep her set on kill. Switching to Razors meth/water injection kit was a great move as mine is a street car. Now I only burn meth/water mix when boost is over 10 pounds. __________________ 87 Olds 442, 10-1 509ci Cadillac, 800 Q-jet, Alum intake, Street ported heads, 230@50 528 lift cam, Headers, 200-4r, 2,800 stall lock up converter, Electric fans, Electric intank fuel pump, AC, Functional Hurst cowl hood & rear spoiler, Factory oil pres & tach work, 36mm hollow sway bar, 17mpg hwy 87 Buick GN, TE-60 turbo, Stretch intercooler, 42.5 injectors, 3" downpipe, 3,000 stall lockup converter, Meth/water injection, Original owner, 22 mpg ~ Both 2 run 11.8ish 113+ on pumpgas

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