4.6L + Race fuel question

merc123

Active Member
Jan 27, 2003
420
2
39
North GA
Had a mechanic tell me tonight to fill the tank with regular fuel then add about a gallon of ~110 octane race fuel. He said it'll clean the injectors and stuff in the motor. He told me that the cleaners in the auto stores are basically the same thing. Any truth behind this?

This guy also put it in his lawnmower to see if it'd increase the horsepower :) He said it eventually blew the motor from the power.
 
The cleaners in the products you find on the shelf are detergents and lubricants, not race fuel. Race fuel will do little of nothing in for your car. As for it blowing up his lawnmower for making more power, thats a bunch of :bs:.
 
merc123 said:
Had a mechanic tell me tonight to fill the tank with regular fuel then add about a gallon of ~110 octane race fuel. He said it'll clean the injectors and stuff in the motor. He told me that the cleaners in the auto stores are basically the same thing. Any truth behind this?

This guy also put it in his lawnmower to see if it'd increase the horsepower :) He said it eventually blew the motor from the power.
Kick that mechanic in the gonads next time you see him.
 
Dark Knight GT said:
The cleaners in the products you find on the shelf are detergents and lubricants, not race fuel. Race fuel will do little of nothing in for your car. As for it blowing up his lawnmower for making more power, thats a bunch of :bs:.


Oh wait, the lawnmower didn't blow up. His son crashed it into a tree. The weedeater died though. Didn't explain how. Just said it fell apart.
 
Many cleaners work by causing higher temperatures which results in burning off carbon deposits. Would race fuel do this, I don't know.

Stick with bottles that are properly labled for the use that you want and you can't go wrong.
 
I don't know about the cleaning, I do know that you should not mix fuels though. If you do run 110 on a stock engine , you will get less performance than with 87 or 89 octane. The higher octanes are for engines with higher compression or advanced timing or power adders. any name brand fuel injector cleaner will also cost less than the fuel and work fine. :D
 
forpit2000gt said:
I don't know about the cleaning, I do know that you should not mix fuels though. If you do run 110 on a stock engine , you will get less performance than with 87 or 89 octane. The higher octanes are for engines with higher compression or advanced timing or power adders. any name brand fuel injector cleaner will also cost less than the fuel and work fine. :D

It won't cost less than the fuel...he uses it in a dirt track car and would give me a gallon ;) It might cost less in the long run though if you know what I mean.
 
The mechanic didn't say do it EVERY time you fill up. Do it sparingly...which to me means like every 2 years.


UA2k1GT said:
gas from the station already
has detergents and additives in it. you shouldn't need anything else.


Tell that to my 99 Cougar :)

I've only used Chevron, Texaco and Amocco gas. I've also ran 3 bottles of the "strongest stuff they had" injector/fuel system cleaner. I've also ran 2 bottles of additional techron and other STP stuff. Here's my intake manifolds after 60k miles:

View attachment 525724
View attachment 525727
View attachment 525729
 
If it helps for you to know, I use a fuel conditioner at every tank. I fill up with regular 87 and add about 5oz. of this stuff. I've noticed I have improved gas mileage and have yet to loose any performance. The fuel conditioner I use is Lucas fuel conditioner with injector cleaners. Its kinda thick like a thin motor oil and even looks like oil. I can get a 32oz. container for just under 7 bucks. I can also get a full gallon for about 12. In the end, it pays for itself. Not to mention it keep the fuel system running clean.
 
KaPPaBaLL said:
Do it and tell us how your O2 sensors are doing. btw.. kick the guy in the gonads if he has any :D

Right on brother...used 4:1 (93 octane:110).......buh-bye 02's......$80 per side....but the nitrous liked...and the car went like hell....for a little while lol. Be careful....and find that mechanic and rip his balls out through his prostate :fuss:
 
63_Fairlane said:
Those throttle blades are ahead of the fuel injectors in the air stream, correct? If so, fuel cleaners won't do anythingfor that particular problem.

Spray some throttle body or carb cleaner on it. :)

Yeah, never thought about that ;) Used carb cleaner on them.
 
ImportEater98 said:
Right on brother...used 4:1 (93 octane:110).......buh-bye 02's......$80 per side....but the nitrous liked...and the car went like hell....for a little while lol. Be careful....and find that mechanic and rip his balls out through his prostate :fuss:

80 bucks?!?!? They were 13 a piece on my firebird :bang: