Anyone familiar with Toluene as an octane booster?
#1
Member
MASTER JOURNEYMAN
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 45
Anyone familiar with Toluene as an octane booster?
As i can't alway's depend on the availability of 93 octane on the trails while snowmobiling i've been reseaching all the octane boosters available and have come to find Lucus to be the best, but while doing my research i ran across a product called Toluene that looks very promising as it's already a base product in gasoline with an octane rating of 114. Any one here have any experience with this stuff, just like to get input from anyone who might have utilized it in the past. Thanks.
#3
Senior Member
EXPERT BUILDER
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 267
Don't do it... I tried it and melted down two dirt circle race engines. It literally burned holes thru the tops of the pistons on both engines. I had researched and studied articles from major oil company scientists, who recommended UP TO 10% Toluene and UP TO 4 oz of Acetone per 22 gallon fuel cell for racing purposes. The Acetone is suppose to bind the elasticity of the hydrogen and oxogen molecules for better more complete burn pattern, and the Toluene is suppose to increase the octane points for reduced detonation. Both solvents can be easily located at any lumber yard/hardware store, so I started experimenting with it. I worked up to about 8% and 3 oz per 22 gal but after just a short time I lost both engines to meltdown. So, don't bother, it is too dangerous. Av-Gas 100-LL is a much better alternative if you can't get race gas. I ran a lot of Av-Gas after that, before swithing to methanol for better cooling and performance.