Octane boost brand

'67, 427/390 hp, 10.25:1 compression

Anyone have info on the octane boost products out there? There's a fair range of pricing - $5-$12 to treat 20 gal - but little real info on the product packaging.

This last tank I went with NOS (the nitrous oxide co.) "Street" formula octane booster. The box says it will bump the rating by 2-3 points and will act as a lead substitute and has "water suppressant qualities" among about 10 other selling points. There was also a "Racing" formula that boosted the rating by 5-6 points with the similar selling points.

I went with the "street" formula for about $4 less than the "racing" version since I have had little problem with pinging when running 94 octane pump fuel. NOS products caught my preference due to citing real octane boost numbers - none of the others did that I noticed. My main purpose in using these products is as a lead substitute and, gee, the "water suppressant qualities" sounds like something I could use given the long term storage this car goes through. (i also use fuel stabilizer.)

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Reply to
Barking Rats
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95% of Octane Booster is just snake oil. It won't hurt anything but your pocketbook.
Reply to
benf802961

Is this a personal opinion or can you cite any reference material I might be able to look at?

As I mentioned, I'm not after the boost as much as the lead substitution and fuel stabilization qualities. 94 octane unleaded seems to do OK in my 427 - though i don't get my foot in it very hard, very often.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Reply to
Barking Rats

No credentials for the folks in <

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>; but, one poster says that auto store products are mostly legit--only the decimal point is in a different place. "Four points" of boost means that it raises octane from 87 to 87.4. Thread also has a formula for adding bulk xylene or toluene to gasoline--remember that xylene attacks some plastics and toluene is toxic. As a kid I breathed a lot of toluene cleaning engines (perhaps the reason I'm senile 55 years later).>

Here's a Brit thread <

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> that contains less environmental emotion on the lead topic and it offers some substitute products. I hadn't realized that the Brits were a couple of decades behind us in making a universal move to stellite/hardened valve seats. If you opt for a manganese product, it might be available in Canada as they are more tolerant of manganese additives that we are in the U.S.>

...PJ

Reply to
PJ

Reply to
Bob I

All the good stuff disappeared 20-25 years ago because of EPA regulations. The lead you get is so miniscule that nothing happens except the seller gets rich.

You will be dollars ahead to simply locate some real higher octane racing fuel and mix a bit of it even at the $5, $6, or $7 a gallon it will run. If I remember right, I think you said once you were in NJ. With Flemington Racetrack and Englishtown basically in distance to most, there have to be some racers around who can tell you where to find racing gas or could probably be talked into hauling you back 5 or 10 gallons from their weekend at the track.

A gallon of 114 leaded racing will bring 10 gallons of 94 up to roughly 96 octane.

That is more than adequate for your 427 if it is stock. The octane requirements in your owners book are Research numbers. Today's octane is R+M, which is the average of Research and Motor combined. So if the gas was

87 Motor and 93 Research, you'd have 90 R+M today. So 94 R+M that you are using is equivalent to around 97 Research. Unless you are running the 12.5 to 1 engine, you should be fine on 97 Research.

If you are getting pinging, then likely the ignition is not set right. That is not just the initial timing, but the entire curve. Check your total timing, how the curve comes in, and so on.

Lead is highly overrated.

In the typical lead-era small block and big block, if it would go 100,000 miles before having to do a valve job, then it will go roughly 75-80,000 on the unlead, based on stock spring pressures and proper valve adjustment. Wrong springs and too loose of adjustment will destroy the heads much faster than no lead.

How long will it take you to put 75,000 miles on your Corvette?

Reply to
Tom in Missouri

Hi Tom, I switched to unleaded and had "vanishing lash" from seat recession in a 914-6 daily driver (aluminum heads with ferrous seats--not stellite though). Was measurable on two valve lash adjustments over about 12,000 miles (when we pulled the heads). Had the heads reworked with hardened valve seats--then no problem. Agree though that cast iron heads and hydraulic lifters should help minimize the problem. Cam grind is also a player along with spring tension. PJ

Reply to
PJ

Thank you Bob I, PJ and Tom in MO. I hadn't realized the octane gain was only tenths. Oh well.

Tom, the car isn't driven more than a few hundred miles per year - about to turn over to 60k when I put 'er away this week - so I guess valve lubrication can starve for quite some decades before the wear becomes a problem.

As I mentioned, I haven't had pinging problems using current day's premium unleaded, so mixing in racing fuel wouldn't be worth the time, effort or money.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Reply to
Barking Rats

On Fri, 23 Sep 2005 23:39:56 -0700, Barking Rats puked:

I use a lead substitute in my '66 Elky on occasion. Why not just use that?

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

On 23 Sep 2005 22:16:19 -0700, " snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" puked:

There was an article in one of the car magazines a while back that showed the increase was greater in low octane fuel than high octane fuel. It showed that costwise you were better off buying higher octane gas than the booster...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

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