Toluene as a octane booster

[james-redsv]

I just found a site that had some good info on using Toluene, commonly found at Lowes or home depot in the paint section for about $5-$6 a gallon, for Boosting pump gas 93 to 100 octane. You mix it at about 20% to get to 100. That site claims its whats in unleaded race gas to boost the octane levels. They said its already a main componant of pump gas and wont harm fuel injections or cards. Anyone have any thing to say? What do you think?  ???

[james-redsv]

Whoops, thats carbs! :o

[Super Dave]

Well, do you really need more ocatane?  An oxygen bearing additive would be better to increase performance.  And Tolulene has to have it's own specific gravity that can potentially change the way the whole mixture actually "jets".  Consistency, etc. can be a problem.

What are you trying to achieve?  I know there are some sites that have some home brewed ideas.  Mostly applies to SCCA car stuff...larger bores and lower rev's than a motorcycle, so things can be quite different.

[Frank_Angel]

What Dave said, plus it's illegal. Rules permit "lubrication or knock supression additives" to fuel, nothing else.

[dwilson]

Isn't that one of the ingredients in Red Bull? ;)

[Jeff]

Isn't that one of the ingredients in Red Bull? ;)

Which we all know is made of Gummy Bears and battery acid  ;D

Dave, go off on a rant here over octane...  I get frustrated over it...

My $.02 in a few short words.  Your motor must *NEED* a higher level of octane to benefit from it.  Otherwise all you're doing is preventing proper detonation and burn, effectively shorting yourself.

"whoa dude, my bike just flies off this 112 octane jet fuel and it's only $7 an gallon!"...

This is a huge myth and misconception...  Higher octane does not mean higher quality or "better" gas.  It also will NOT clean out a gummed up system...

[james-redsv]

Toluene is already in pump gas, you are just adding more, so its totally legal. Its also the main ingreadent in over the counter octain boosters. The point is we all want to save some money by not having to buy race gas for high compression engines. There is another chemical you can use to oxygenate gas, I think its something like MTHB, that its initals, and its cheap to add too, $6 a gallon. Now that stuff might be illegal.

[Frank_Angel]

James, I see your point, but I read the rule book differently. I don't see where octane boosters are legal, as they are not mentioned as permitted in the rule book. The rulebook definition of gasoline is pretty clear, including the specific gravity, dielectric and permitted additives. Is adding more of an existing component of gasoline legal? I interpret the rules as saying no, but I may be wrong, and I've never had a reason to investigate. Probably a good question for CCS to answer.

Not all race gas is high octane anyway, in fact some of the best race gas has a lower octane rating than pump gas. Some examples folow. Note that these are MON ratings, not PON (RON+MON)/2 numbers as most pump gas is rated.

VP MR1 - 90 octane
VP MR9 - 87 octane
VP Ultimate 4 - 92.2 octane

Since pump gas is rated using PON, the octane rating will always be higher than MON. 93 octane pump gas would equate to about 89 octane MON, which is higher than VP MR9 and just under VP MR1.

Do you have a problem with detonation on pump gas? If not, you may be wasting your money seeking the higher octane anyway. Here's an excellent article on the subject by Dr. Rob Tuluie of Tularis fame: http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcnuts/rt-fuel1.html

[p9]

Toluene won't raise the octane number very much
I should say. You would have to add a significant
amount of Methyl-benzenes to increase octane.
Roughly 40% to get a ROM/+2 of about 100
That is alot of Tol. just to get to 100.
Most fuel companies don't utilize aromatics to raise octanes. The reason is the residule is toxic, and harmful to CC's on road going autos.

Toluol will raise your specific gravity though, and also increase burn rate/flame speed both length and temp. It has a higher flash point too. adding a little may not bump the SG over the legal limit but adding enough will. I believe the SG for Toluene is .84 to .87
depending on what grade you buy. The grade you refer to at local hardware stores is a low grade mix.
The best stuff is a pharmaceutical grade. I know  Fischer Scientific sells that grade. You will definitly feel a power difference by adding the proper amount,
because it will increase the BTU's per pound in the fuel. In essence a "heavier fuel" will create more power. You will have to re-jet for this. It is a bit of trial and error, but trust me you will increase HP.
Also, you may risk burning a piston if you add too much. This is because the additive will not have any 'lubricant in it, the more you add the less lubricating properties the fuel will have. But, if you start out conservative, you should be ok. But, of course, it will be illegal, if you get fuel tested you will fail the SG test. I thing pump gas is in the range of .76 or so. Yes, pump gas has some Toluene and Xylene and Iso-octane, along with a host of other chems too. But very low amounts, that do not offer any power increase. Race fuel is a SCIENCE, but there is nothing that says you cannot experiment or re-engineer the science, plenty of racers, make their own race fuel/blends Just have some good solid knowledge of chemicals and practice very safe handling before you go and mix or blend any of your own fuels.

[p9]

BTW- Toluene and Xylene are great fuel injector/carb cleaners.

Buy the quart at the hardware store for 5 bucks
compared to the 12 or 16 oz 'specialized' at the auto store for 2 to 4 bucks.

Just filter it before adding it to your tank.
You can use a paint type paper cone filter placed inside of a funnel.

[james-redsv]

Thanks p9, thats why all the cars guys use it and I read they use toluene in F-1 cars. I thought you would get a faster burn using it. Its not only an octane issue its a faster burn rate too. The car guys have to pass fuel tests too but they say using it mixed at about %20 per gallon still lets them pass and that amount doesnt need to be rejeted. I dont know if the cars use the same test though. Very good info. ;D

[p9]

Your welcome James.

Your right about the car guys and F1.
It seems alot the racing on the car end has much more R&D in all areas of performance.
This is why I try to experiment with different things based on information from auto racing rather than bike racing. Most of all the new tech and developments trickle down from car racing anyway.

Back in the 90's the F1 teams were into very exotic and very toxic fuels. Most of it was Benzene based.
Then the FIA outlawed Benzene, which is a known
carcinogenic anyway.

Well assuming you are going to use a 20% mix, then roughly you will be using 3/4 to 1 gallon of
the Methyl-Benzene additives. So, and I am just taking a stab at this - if the mixture is 20% then so will the SG be, I think. So if pump gas is about .76 and Toluol is .86 you can add the percentage and divide to get the end number, again, I think.
So 1/5 th of the tank will have a SG of .86 and 4/5 ths will be at .76, so now to figure out the math.
I am terrible at math, maybe someone else knows?


George