Like others I never noticed any increase in performance with octane boost. toluene is another story (Sherman Williams Paint stores). Xylene, I was told, increased octane more that toluene. However, I've only found it at Home Depot. Is that stuff sold at Home Depot bad for your car (additives). Thanks

 

I DO believe that you can buy Toluene at that 54 Gallon drum level as well. And since Toluene is at approx 114 octane, you can mix in even less to achieve a realistic octane rating for your boost needs.

TonyG- What pump do you attach to your drum for the pumping?

 

BrendanCampion

I use just the cheapo hand pump that you push up an down, that has the hose with the check valve in it.

TonyG

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought there was a difference between the Toluene and Xylene sold at Home Depot and the likes and the Toluene and Xylene you can run in your engine. Aren't there grades or something, like a purity level or something?

 

I wonder if the C12 is in the long run a better option then Xylene or Toluene, especially in CA.

The reason I say this is that Buying a Drum of Xylene makes you look like a Grug-producer, and buying C12 makes you look like a car-guy.

By that I mean that buying the race gas may be alot easier - possibly enough to make up for the additional cost.

Anyone found a source for Drums of Xylene or Touene? I know Paint stores have them in small drums, but thats a big hassle. I'm talking about the BIG drums.

BTW - Thanks tony - I was thinking you had an electric pump.

 

I want to know this too. I don't want to have a weekly trip to home depot, and pay retail prices for 1 gallon containers.

 

I found on another thread that people have actually ordered the 55 gallon drums from Sherwin Williams. Just over 200 dollars I think.

 

so regular toluene or xylene from home depot are good? Didn't know that was safe for the engine. Do you guys mix when you use that? If so, how much?

Thanks.

I'm gonna have to try this out.. :-)

 

I did try 5 gallons of Toluene with like a quart of a tank of gas once. But that was on my 928S4. I can't specifically say that it made much of a difference, though the car felt smoother at 5000-6500rpm.

The addition of this did nothing noticable to the combustion chamber. I did it quite a few times.

 

any one try it in a 951, or any turbo'd car, with knock sensors... and see how much extra boost could be dialed in without knock?

 

My dad is a VP dealer I keep C-12 mixed in all summer with 93 especially when I'm doing alot of street racing. Only prob is that when potential kills smell the VP it's a litle harder to suck them in. I need to start to start running the fuel fragrance additive!

 

And the C12 does not hurt your O2 sensor or cat?

 

Don't know if anyone noticed, but I added an article comparing over-the-counter octane-boosters in the "Fuel FAQ" of my RacerX website.

 

If you want to get a drum of toluene or xylene look in the yellow pages for chemical distributors. You should be able to buy a drum at prices cheaper than from Sherwin Williams.

 

"If you want to get a drum of toluene or xylene look in the yellow pages for chemical distributors. You should be able to buy a drum at prices cheaper than from Sherwin Williams."

Yep. I run Xylene all the time ins the summer.

Silver bullet,

you can run 20% mix and stil be completly safe. I run the Xylen/Toulen from Home Depot all the time. Usually Xylene as it is 118 octane.

yea, the stuff over the counter "nos", C-12 etc, do nothing. Also, if yo uread some of the labels, they are nothing but Toulene, except yo uare paying 4-5$ for 12 oz can. Also, if it says Methlybenzine??? that is another name for Toulene.

FSAEracer03,

In theory, you can run 2 more psi of boost for every 3 octane you increase.

But if you want the bible on additives, check out Danno's link.