Octane Boosters, a question for the brain trust

[Todd Mohr]

Do they work and what brand is the best? The engine is a Pontiac 400 with 12 to 1 compression, pings a bit on pump gas but runs good with a 50-50 mix of 100 octane.

 

[Bpracing1127]

Do they work and what brand is the best? The engine is a Pontiac 400 with 12 to 1 compression, pings a bit on pump gas but runs good with a 50-50 mix of 100 octane.

Yes they work but buy the real stuff. I use Torco

 

[Blackmagic94]

Boostane works. Can mix up to 100 plus. Has chart showing how many oz per gallons.

 

[Ziggy]

I've used both Torco & Boostane. Boostane has a marine version for high revving engines.

 

[Lumpy]

Toluene

 

[Racey]

If you can just find a good source for 100LL you will save money and headache

 

[Crazyhippy]

E85 available in your area? Have to re-tune, but may be worth it.

 

[azsunfun]

Hell no. Race shop for your octane gas depending if your motor can handle it. Nothing like the smell and performance.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Torco Accelerator. I use it to turn 87 into 91 when no premium fuel is available.

Supposedly makes the spark plug ceramic insulator orange.

But it works.

 

[azsunfun]

Octane Calculator - www.bazellracefuels.com

 

[oldschool]

Torco Accelerator. I use it to turn 87 into 91 when no premium fuel is available.

Supposedly makes the spark plug ceramic insulator orange.

But it works.

Yes it does.

 

[pronstar]

Don’t forget, raising your octane by “1 point” means you’re going from 93 octane, to 93.1 octane.

 

[ChrisV]

Convert to e85. It’s everywhere her in SoCal.

 

[Nanu/Nanu]

drop a couple viagras in the tank bet that thing will run like a wild stallion!

 

[77charger]

Works at taking your money. Get the higher octane fuel for less.

Or build engine for pump gas

 

[Dana757]

The cheapest thing in your engine is the fuel. I’d run F&L SP1 before using any type of booster.

 

[Waterjunky]

E85 available in your area? Have to re-tune, but may be worth it.

This is actually a risk..... The standards for E85 are a bit messy. If you read on them its "up to" on the fuel. This works great until you get a batch that's only 50/50. Then you have a mess.

The newer fuel injected vehicles have a sensor that determines the ratio and then balances the injection curve to match. They can run anything under 85%. Your carbureted motor does not......

All this said, I have heard of people going this route successfully but some of them go so far as to test each batch of fuel.

 

[emf]

I used Torco acclerator , 383ci , 9.1 SBC 8psi , premium 16 ga fuel to one can torco , never detonated

 

[rivermobster]

Do they work and what brand is the best? The engine is a Pontiac 400 with 12 to 1 compression, pings a bit on pump gas but runs good with a 50-50 mix of 100 octane.

What is your total timing?

What is your mechanical timing in the distributor?

Are you running a vacuum advance?

What are the specs on your cam?

Is it advanced or retarded?

Carb or EFI?

O2 sensors installed? What are the readings?

If carb, what carb? What jets and power valve?

And most importantly, what do the plugs look like?

 

[Todd Mohr]

What is your total timing?

What is your mechanical timing in the distributor?

Are you running a vacuum advance?

What are the specs on your cam?

Is it advanced or retarded?

Carb or EFI?

O2 sensors installed? What are the readings?

If carb, what carb? What jets and power valve?

And most importantly, what do the plugs look like?

Total timing is 32 degrees, 12 a idle all in by 2200 rpms, mechanical advance with MSD 6 Digital box, 850 Demon with mech secondarys 78 primary 88 secondary, P/V is 2.5 2.5, cam is 520 lift cant remember the duration, O2 sensors is mostly 12.5 to 14.5, plugs look tan. I might try a 3.5 P/V, got 8 in vacuum at idle.

 

[Todd Mohr]

Edelbrock Aluminum heads and Performer rpm intake with headers and 2.5 in exhaust.

 

[rivermobster]

Total timing is 32 degrees, 12 a idle all in by 2200 rpms, mechanical advance with MSD 6 Digital box, 850 Demon with mech secondarys 78 primary 88 secondary, P/V is 2.5 2.5, cam is 520 lift cant remember the duration, O2 sensors is mostly 12.5 to 14.5, plugs look tan. I might try a 3.5 P/V, got 8 in vacuum at idle.

That all in value seems rather low to me. You'd Normally want to see that total all in around 3500 or so?

You might want to consider moving the mechanical/electrical timing to come in way later?

Having the PV open sooner could help as well if the plugs look good to you.

It's the little things, that make the most difference.

Is the knock on tip in? Or cruise?

 

[jetboatperformance]

"Back in the Day" we got real STG Moroso tetraethyl lead additive "

 

[Todd Mohr]

That all in value seems rather low to me. You'd Normally want to see that total all in around 3500 or so?

You might want to consider moving the mechanical/electrical timing to come in way later?

Having the PV open sooner could help as well if the plugs look good to you.

It's the little things, that make the most difference.

Is the knock on tip in? Or cruise?

Rolling into it on cruise, 2-2500 rpms. I had the timing coming in at 3k, it would hesitate and pop and fart. My thought is the 3.5 P/V would help, sometime see 16-17 on the O2 sensor under those conditions but not always. Maybe the Acc pumps need to be adjusted, have not touched those yet.

 

[rivermobster]

Rolling into it on cruise, 2-2500 rpms. I had the timing coming in at 3k, it would hesitate and pop and fart. My thought is the 3.5 P/V would help, sometime see 16-17 on the O2 sensor under those conditions but not always. Maybe the Acc pumps need to be adjusted, have not touched those yet.

Yeah, if it was me...

I'd put the timing back and go after the enrichment circuits. PV and pump.

I'm not at all familiar with those carbs, so...

Do they have a pump cam selection, like Holly does? Can you get different squirters?

Also...

Is the throttle plate in the correct position?? With a big cam, it's sometimes necessary to drill small holes in the primary throttle plates, so they aren't open to far at idle.

It's all about the transfer slot on a Holly. Again, I'm unfamiliar with a Demon.

 

[Todd Mohr]

Yeah, if it was me...

I'd put the timing back and go after the enrichment circuits. PV and pump.

I'm not at all familiar with those carbs, so...

Do they have a pump cam selection, like Holly does? Can you get different squirters?

Also...

Is the throttle plate in the correct position?? With a big cam, it's sometimes necessary to drill small holes in the primary throttle plates, so they aren't open to far at idle.

It's all about the transfer slot on a Holly. Again, I'm unfamiliar with a Demon.

I like the advise, it does run well now and I'm close to getting it right. I still think it will take more than pump gas to not detonate some. I need to learn more about the acc pump adjustments for sure. I currently run 50-50 100ll to pump gas, if I take a longer drive I could end up with only pump gas, that's the reason I was thinking octane booster. I just ordered a TKX so the off cruise acceleration ping could be worse with the higher load of 75-80 mph.

 

[obnoxious001]

What type of boat? What type AF meter?

It would be easy to back timing off to 30 degrees and see if it helps. I won't argue against the distributor curve. I guess most of the time I set them up for all in by 2400 RPM.

Back when I worked for Gale Banks we used to get in drums of Aniline Oil, and put it into gallon containers with Banks labels. You definitely didn't want to spill it on your gelcoat!

 

[Todd Mohr]

What type of boat? What type AF meter?

It would be easy to back timing off to 30 degrees and see if it helps. I won't argue against the distributor curve. I guess most of the time I set them up for all in by 2400 RPM.

Back when I worked for Gale Banks we used to get in drums of Aniline Oil, and put it into gallon containers with Banks labels. You definitely didn't want to spill it on your gelcoat!

It's in a car, 78 Trans Am

 

[obnoxious001]

It's in a car, 78 Trans Am

OK, I would still try backing off the timing a couple of degrees. I thought maybe you had a Pontiac in an old flatbottom, like one of my old builds for a friend's Nescher flat.