Toluene for octane

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1969GTS

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Anyone on the site try Toluene for octane boost. Its cheap and seems to be the main chemical in over the counter octane boost. Just wondering. Here are a few formulas from the web ....... non of which I have tried or recommend without doing your own research.


Formula #1 - Toluene
R+M/2.........114
Cost...........$2.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.2 Octane
20%...........96.4 Octane
30%...........98.6 Octane
Notes: Common ingredient in Octane Boosters in a can. 12-16 ounces will only raise octane 2-3 *points*, i.e. from 92 to 92.3. Often costs $3-5 for 12-16 ounces, when it can be purchased for less than $3/gal at chemical supply houses or paint stores.

Formula #2 - Xylene
R+M/2.........117
Cost...........$2.75/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.5 Octane
20%...........97.0 Octane
30%...........99.5 Octane
Notes: Similar to Toluene. 12-16 ounces will only raise octane 2-3 *points*, i.e. from 92 to 92.3. Usually mixed with Toluene and advertised as *race formula*.

Formula #3 - Methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE)
R+M/2.........118
Cost...........$3.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.6 Octane
20%...........97.2 Octane
30%...........99.8 Octane
Notes: Oxygenate. Very common in octane booster products. Has lower BTU content than toluene or xylene, but oxygenate effect makes the gasoline burn better and produce more energy.

Formula #4 - Methanol or Ethanol
R+M/2.........101
Cost...........$0.60 - $1.75/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.3 Octane (Methanol)
10%...........94.7 Octane (Ethanol)
20%...........Not Recommended
Notes: Methanol is wood alcohol. Ethanol is grain alcohol and found in Gasohol in 10% ratios. Both alcohols are mildly corrosive and will eat gas tank linings, rubber and aluminum if used in excessive ratios. Main ingredient in "Gas Dryers", combine with water.

Formula #5 - Isopropyl Alcohol and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol
R+M/2.........101
Cost...........$0.60-$1.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.5 Octane
20%...........Not Recommended
30%...........Not Recommended

Notes: Similar to Methanol/Ethanol. Isopropyl Alcohol is simply rubbing alcohol.

Sample Mixture
To make your own octane booster, it is easiest to make up a large batch, and then bottle it up in "dosage-size" uses.
Below is the basic formula of one of the popular octane booster products. To make eight 16 ounce bottles (128 oz = 1 gal):

100 oz of toluene for octane boost
25 oz of mineral spirits (cleaning agent)
3 oz of transmission fluid (lubricating agent)
This product is advertised as "octane booster with cleaning agent *and* lubricating agent!". Diesel fuel or kerosene can be substituted for mineral spirits and light turbine oil can be substituted for transmission fluid. Color can be added with petroleum dyes.
 
Sure...I have used my fair share of Toluene and Xylene both.

Makes 86 Octane regular sustain 30 psi of boost with no-detonation...
= must work.

Cool thing is its available at a Wal-Mart, Sherwin Williams near you.
 
I use Toululene too and it works well. Only problem is that around here Toululene is more per gal than Sunoco 110 octane gas. Toululene at Walmart or Menards is $10+ a gal and Sunoco 110 octane is $7.00 a gal. So I switched to the Sunoco plus it is still leaded gas
 
Hmmmm, not sure where to get racing gas in my neck of the woods yet but I'll be running 11:1 with iron heads on the 340. I think I may need to find out.
 
Ran it in an import once that was making around 3 hp per cubic inch at the flywheel. Seems to work as "advertised," and is cheaper per octane than most things actually sold as octane boosters.
 
I had an 11 to 1 340 engine in my old stock car and ran a 30% toulene mixture with good success. Make sure your supply is clean. I was buying it from acklands grainger in one gallon containers. I had some bulk stuff from a supplier and it was not even clear, likely had water in it and who knows what else.

Any questions just ask.
 
Use Toluene with care. It is the ingredient in plastic cement that renders the result sniffers are seeking. A gallon of that stuff could injure a lot of kids or do a lot of good by thinning out the shallow end of the gene pool.
 
1969GTS said:
Anyone on the site try Toluene for octane boost. Its cheap and seems to be the main chemical in over the counter octane boost. Just wondering. Here are a few formulas from the web ....... non of which I have tried or recommend without doing your own research.


Formula #1 - Toluene
R+M/2.........114
Cost...........$2.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.2 Octane
20%...........96.4 Octane
30%...........98.6 Octane
Notes: Common ingredient in Octane Boosters in a can. 12-16 ounces will only raise octane 2-3 *points*, i.e. from 92 to 92.3. Often costs $3-5 for 12-16 ounces, when it can be purchased for less than $3/gal at chemical supply houses or paint stores.

Formula #2 - Xylene
R+M/2.........117
Cost...........$2.75/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.5 Octane
20%...........97.0 Octane
30%...........99.5 Octane
Notes: Similar to Toluene. 12-16 ounces will only raise octane 2-3 *points*, i.e. from 92 to 92.3. Usually mixed with Toluene and advertised as *race formula*.

Formula #3 - Methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE)
R+M/2.........118
Cost...........$3.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.6 Octane
20%...........97.2 Octane
30%...........99.8 Octane
Notes: Oxygenate. Very common in octane booster products. Has lower BTU content than toluene or xylene, but oxygenate effect makes the gasoline burn better and produce more energy.

Formula #4 - Methanol or Ethanol
R+M/2.........101
Cost...........$0.60 - $1.75/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.3 Octane (Methanol)
10%...........94.7 Octane (Ethanol)
20%...........Not Recommended
Notes: Methanol is wood alcohol. Ethanol is grain alcohol and found in Gasohol in 10% ratios. Both alcohols are mildly corrosive and will eat gas tank linings, rubber and aluminum if used in excessive ratios. Main ingredient in "Gas Dryers", combine with water.

Formula #5 - Isopropyl Alcohol and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol
R+M/2.........101
Cost...........$0.60-$1.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...........94.5 Octane
20%...........Not Recommended
30%...........Not Recommended

Notes: Similar to Methanol/Ethanol. Isopropyl Alcohol is simply rubbing alcohol.

Sample Mixture
To make your own octane booster, it is easiest to make up a large batch, and then bottle it up in "dosage-size" uses.
Below is the basic formula of one of the popular octane booster products. To make eight 16 ounce bottles (128 oz = 1 gal):

100 oz of toluene for octane boost
25 oz of mineral spirits (cleaning agent)
3 oz of transmission fluid (lubricating agent)
This product is advertised as "octane booster with cleaning agent *and* lubricating agent!". Diesel fuel or kerosene can be substituted for mineral spirits and light turbine oil can be substituted for transmission fluid. Color can be added with petroleum dyes.
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So you dont just dump the toulene straight into the gas,it must be mixed with the other ingredients?? and which is best bang for the buck,pros and cons??and how do you calculate octane using 87-89 pump gas with these?? and where else can you buy these chemicals besides wal mart and paint stores???can it be bought in bulk like 5 gals or more,or is there any limit or restrictions for the purchaser,I find this pretty interesting and would like to get more info and do some research...thanks
 
rbdart said:
So you dont just dump the toulene straight into the gas,it must be mixed with the other ingredients?? and which is best bang for the buck,pros and cons??and how do you calculate octane using 87-89 pump gas with these?? and where else can you buy these chemicals besides wal mart and paint stores???can it be bought in bulk like 5 gals or more,or is there any limit or restrictions for the purchaser,I find this pretty interesting and would like to get more info and do some research...thanks
Click to expand...
Relax ,RB . Straight up, as I read it.. My engine guy, did this in 73,and on. Let me, get you an answer.
 
Xylene I have used. Up here it was $5.00 per gallon,so to make 99.5 octane in a 20 gallon tank,you need 6.6 gallons of xylene. Thats $15/tank. No idea what it cost's now.
 
ok here we go ill stir up the pot,,,,,number 1 toluene is a high cancer causing agent,,, it use to be used in the flexo graphic printing industry for years,,,,since the discovery of it being a cancer causing agent they looked for other cemicals to replace it,,,

it was used in some areas to SWELL rubber printing plates,,,think about that ???? your mechincal fuel pump, has a rubber diaphram,,,,the accelator pump in your carb is rubber,,,,guess what happens over a short period of time ??? one of the leading so called octane boosters moroso used a lot of toluene,,,i dont think they even sell it any longer,,

next,,,,there is NO such thing as octane booster,,,the stuff you buy over the counter only cools the cylinder preventing dentenation making you think it boosted the octane,ill leave the topic now be

the only true way to raise ocate is from tethral ethyl lead,,you can not purchase it period,,,, call any major gasoilne manufracture ask to speak to some one in the lab,,,, ill leave this topic now before the storm hits,,,:happy1:
 
Why? If it's a street car, just build to run on 87.
 
Lost a distant friend to brain cancer. He was in his early 40's and he built race engines and was always messing with these chemicals and spending a lot of time in the dyno room. They are dangerous and not to be messed with if you value your life. Just a word of caution.
 
Never liked tolulene myself.

Kept the engine from pinging but it seemed to make the engine lazy revving too.

I've used a bottle of 104+ octane in 10 gallons of gas for over 20+ years and it has always worked well for me, better than any supposed race gas I bought out of a gas pump.

My main test engine was a 340 11-1 with iron heads and total timing set to 35degrees
 
I'm relaxed now...wheres my damn info? And what Rob said..just build it to run 87,best advice,stay away from the chemicals or risk being like PeeWee Herman...but still want to research/know whats up on this stuff...interesting stuff no matter how old it is and my bet is you cant get some these chemicals readily with the restictive gov we have,maybe the days of yesteryear........
 
Hey guys, before we get all crazy about the dangers of toluene, gasoline already contains up to 40% toluene as per the MSDS sheets. Race fuel likely contains more than pump fuel.

[ame]http://www.online.petro-canada.ca/datasheets/en_US/w102e.pdf[/ame]

So if you have ever had gasoline on your skin or breathed the fumes you have been exposed to it. I am no expert, but with all the crude oil derived things that end with "ene", long term exposure is bad and could kill you. One time exposure you are probably fine. But wear proper PPE!
 
And also note that octane booster contains all kinds of things that ends with "ene" including kerosene, xylene, benzene, toluene, etc.
 
An alternative to blowing up your garage would be low lead aviation fuel (Avgas). 100LL which is 100 octane.
It can be purchased for around $5.50 per gallon. There are lots of little airports all over this nation that will sell to you just do a search and you probably have one within 20 miles of you.

100LL (100 low lead) contains about 4 times the TEL than what was in leaded automotive grade. May have an issue with lead deposits but if your jetted right then probably not so bad.

Runs real good in high compression engines between 10.5 to 12.0. I mix it 50/50 with 92 octane gas to keep the cost down to around $4.00/gallon. The reason for using it is to minimize engine knock which occurs if I run straight 92.

Been using it for 5 years and my motor loves it. Plugs always looks perfect and it runs like a champ at low or high RPM in cold weather or hot.
 
Av gas ain't a good idea for automotive engines. It contains chemicals to deal with altitude that automotive engines do not need. It can cause engine damage.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Av gas ain't a good idea for automotive engines. It contains chemicals to deal with altitude that automotive engines do not need. It can cause engine damage.
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I never knew this. I remember as a kid, which for me was back in the early 80's, the teens would go out to the airport and fill there cars up with AV fuel. It was the only place around to get high octane. Of course I have no idea if those cars are even around any longer.
 
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