I'd like to know how many people have actually used toluene as a fuel additive to increase octane, the ratio they used and the results that they have achieved. Been reading both good and bad things about it on the 'net' and would like to get some first hand impressions from fellow EVO owners who've tried it.

Thanks,

Tony

 

toluene is 114 octane. Do not exceed 30% toluene to pump gas. Toluene makes the car wake up - top end...

 

I had better results with Xylene... talk to you later about it.

 

The latest SCC mag has a good article on octane boosters, including home brew toluene. They concluded it wasn't worth the trouble for the marginal cost savings to brew your own, but it's still good data if you want to look it up.

 

I have used xylene quite a bit and you feel the difference. Xylene is 117 octane, so I usually only add 1-2 gallons to my tank and it works just fine. Xylene and Toulene are what you are buying when you buy off the shelf octane booster for about $5-10 for 12 oz's so getting 5 gallons of the stuff for $30 is a pretty good deal.

 

Read this months issue of SCC. It has an excellent write-up about tolune and off the shelf "octane boosters". The results may surprise you. I would scan and post it up, but that sounds like it could be trouble.

 

*edit

 

i use to use it when my tuner shop in Jersey would tune my car on my race map... 1 gallon of toulen, and the rest of tank pump gas. I ran 25psi with it..no problems

 

You dont have to tune the car or anything like timing/boost adjustment??

 

I know, I know. BUT, xylene and toulene has been used many years by Hot Rodders and Drag Racers with no ill effects as long as you use common sense and don't get to greedy. Don't believe it? Try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.




No, it's like using off the shelf stuff(just much better) as long as your not too heavy handed with it. Like someone said above you don't want to mix it at more than 30% xylene/ 70% gasoline. Actually I don't like to use it at any stronger of a mix than what I have below as an example. To see what xylene can do to bring your octane up here is an example:

10 gallons of Supreme(93 octane) (10 x 93=930)
2 gallons of xylene (117 octane) (2 x 117=234)
12 gallons of fuel 234 + 930=1164


1164 divided by 12=Octane rating of 97

One bottle(12-16 oz) of off the shelf octane booster will bring your octane rateing up only from say 93.00 to 93.10 or 93.15

 

hte reason for keeping the aromatic content below a certain percentage is for emissions reasons. but it's a good gauge to see how much toluene you can put in because the lubes in gas will balance out.

if you wanna run more... you can put a bottle of auto transmission fluid in... and it could put in the necessary lubes. at least that's what my friend does (this is not a friend of a friend... this is a direct friend i talk to everyday). i was gonna run toluene... but it's so damn hard to find it for a good price ANYWHERE.

 

The SCC report was surprising. They concluded that NOS Racing Formula was comparable to a 20% Tolulene mix. But the 12 oz can of octane booster was a lot easier to deal with than 3 gallons of tolulene. Good stuff to know if you live in Cali.

 

I know several people who use it, if you find it at an industrial supply store it's really cheap, significantly less expensive than anything else. There are a ton of articles on how to mix it and determine your octane on the net, just google it. And keep in mind it's good enough that it's a major ingredient in race gas. Most people I know have had good results with it and you can run it with a catalytic convertor.

 

Yup, and mostly the evaporative emissions at that. Judging from the smell GT100 must be a good 50% toluene. Pump gas is probably around 20% aromatics or less, especially in California.

I know some people have said they've found it for $4-5/gal but I sure haven't. Until I find the mother lode I add 2 gal. of GT100 to a tank for track days just for a safety margin on a 93 map.

Dave

 

I run 1 gallon of toluene with every fillup. The best I have around here is BP 92 so it allows me to run a little extra boost. I have been doing this since fall of last year and drive the Evo daily. I have not had any problems.