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Octane booster ?



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 29th 04, 02:01 PM
DesmaisonLCM
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Default Octane booster ?

Hi,
i'm having a track day this 2nd Oct and i wonder if i could improve perfs of
my Alfa 75 2.0 TS using some 'octane booster' mixed with the fuel .
I have pure Methanol in my company, is it possible to put some with fuel ? how
many % ?I know that i can buy a real octane booster in specialised race shop
but it's very expensive .
All the tricks are welcome !
(The car is already equiped with OMP direct air intake)
Bruno.

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  #2  
Old September 29th 04, 05:41 PM
SteveH
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DesmaisonLCM > wrote:

> Hi,
> i'm having a track day this 2nd Oct and i wonder if i could improve perfs of
> my Alfa 75 2.0 TS using some 'octane booster' mixed with the fuel .
> I have pure Methanol in my company, is it possible to put some with fuel ? how
> many % ?I know that i can buy a real octane booster in specialised race shop
> but it's very expensive .
> All the tricks are welcome !
> (The car is already equiped with OMP direct air intake)


Just fill it with 98 RON unleaded - Optimax / Ultima or similar.

Any more than that is overkill unless the engine has had it's timing
adjusted accordingly.

--
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300
VW Golf GL Cabrio - Alfa 75 TS - Alfa 155 TS Lusso - COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
  #3  
Old September 29th 04, 05:49 PM
Catman
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SteveH wrote:

> DesmaisonLCM > wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> i'm having a track day this 2nd Oct and i wonder if i could improve
>> perfs of
>> my Alfa 75 2.0 TS using some 'octane booster' mixed with the fuel .
>> I have pure Methanol in my company, is it possible to put some with fuel
>> ? how many % ?I know that i can buy a real octane booster in specialised
>> race shop but it's very expensive .
>> All the tricks are welcome !
>> (The car is already equiped with OMP direct air intake)

>
> Just fill it with 98 RON unleaded - Optimax / Ultima or similar.
>
> Any more than that is overkill unless the engine has had it's timing
> adjusted accordingly.
>

Plus, IIRC methanol is pretty corrosive.....
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
  #4  
Old September 29th 04, 06:22 PM
Thomas Strandtoft
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Default

DesmaisonLCM wrote:

> i'm having a track day this 2nd Oct and i wonder if i could improve perfs of
> my Alfa 75 2.0 TS using some 'octane booster' mixed with the fuel .


Your engine is constructed for at specific octane setting. Lets
assume your engine is build for running on 97 RON, that means that
the compression ratio and the camshaft profiles gives a dynamic
compression ratio that matches 97 RON petrol perfectly. Lets say
you go cheap and fill the car with 95 octane. Since 95 burns
faster than 97, the engine management needs to retard the ignition
in order to avoid that the mixture burns too soon and press down
on the piston before the piston reached the top (knocking).
Retarding the ignition means that the car loses power and are less
fuel efficient.

Lets say you use octane booster and run the car on 100 octane. The
engine management goes to it's default 97 RON setting, and since
the engine doesn't knock, it keeps the ignition at the optimum
point for 97. All in all you gain nothing by boosting above 97
octane.

If you want extra power, you need to start with physically
improving the engine. If you shave something of the top, modify
cams, valves and so on, you end up with more power, but also a car
that no longer runs perfect on 97 octane. Boosting the octane is
then a really good idea.

In short, the compression ratio, the ignition timing and the
octane has to match each other..

--
Hygge..
Thomas

<http://www.carftp.com> - a library of car videos.
  #5  
Old September 29th 04, 06:24 PM
Carl Farrington
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Catman wrote:
> SteveH wrote:
>
>> DesmaisonLCM > wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>> i'm having a track day this 2nd Oct and i wonder if i could improve
>>> perfs of
>>> my Alfa 75 2.0 TS using some 'octane booster' mixed with the fuel .
>>> I have pure Methanol in my company, is it possible to put some with
>>> fuel ? how many % ?I know that i can buy a real octane booster in
>>> specialised race shop but it's very expensive .
>>> All the tricks are welcome !
>>> (The car is already equiped with OMP direct air intake)

>>
>> Just fill it with 98 RON unleaded - Optimax / Ultima or similar.
>>
>> Any more than that is overkill unless the engine has had it's timing
>> adjusted accordingly.
>>

> Plus, IIRC methanol is pretty corrosive.....


Toluene is the octane booster to use. Of course boosting octane only means
the ignition timing can be advanced. If the motor doesn't do this itself
then it's a waste of time (and money!)


  #6  
Old September 30th 04, 08:40 AM
DesmaisonLCM
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Posts: n/a
Default

Thx all for answers, i'll stay with 97 ron , i don't want to destroy my engine
!

I still have a question : there's octane booster sells in tunning shops for
exemple, it's like an additive, you don't have to do anything on your engine
management, just put in your fuel tank, what is it ?
And i don't speak about nitous oxyde kit, which are more and more expensive but
gives you a big kick in the ass when you press the magic button on the
dashboard.

Bruno.
  #7  
Old September 30th 04, 01:12 PM
Catman
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Default

DesmaisonLCM wrote:

> Thx all for answers, i'll stay with 97 ron , i don't want to destroy my
> engine !
>
> I still have a question : there's octane booster sells in tunning shops
> for exemple, it's like an additive, you don't have to do anything on your
> engine management, just put in your fuel tank, what is it ?


Probably toluene or somethign similar. Utter waste of money unless your
ECU can handle it

> And i don't speak about nitous oxyde kit, which are more and more
> expensive but
> gives you a big kick in the ass when you press the magic button on the
> dashboard.


Oh yes. Then a big kick in the bonnet when the cylinder head blows off

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
  #8  
Old September 30th 04, 03:28 PM
Carl Farrington
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Posts: n/a
Default

DesmaisonLCM wrote:
> Thx all for answers, i'll stay with 97 ron , i don't want to destroy
> my engine !
>
> I still have a question : there's octane booster sells in tunning
> shops for exemple, it's like an additive, you don't have to do
> anything on your engine management, just put in your fuel tank, what
> is it ?
> And i don't speak about nitous oxyde kit, which are more and more
> expensive but gives you a big kick in the ass when you press the
> magic button on the dashboard.


Don't know about the off-the-shelf stuff, but common opinion is that they're
snale oil, and I wouldn't disagree. Toluene costs next to nothing, and
octane boosters are a funny subject the ECU and timing etc. On a turbo
charged car it's an entirely different matter. We increase the boost on
those turbos too much and we start getting pre-ignition or detonation, which
is where an octane booster (toluene) comes in. So horses for courses or
whatever, but sometimes there's a good use for them.


 




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