Acetone?

lexluthr69 · Nov 19, 2006

After reading several threads about putting acetone in your gas, I recently added some to a full tank. I have yet to be able to tell if there's any result from it, but thought I'd post here to hear other folks' thoughts.

Here's a link to a google search for "acetone gas mileage":

http://www.google.com/search?q=acet...-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

I'll be sure to post any noticeable differences.

Luke

DropTopPony · Nov 19, 2006

There is a thread here about it somewhere....someone was doing some testing but i don't remember the outcome.

Duke309 · Nov 19, 2006

yeah, search for that thread. It was at least 3 or 4 pages long. I think it ended with out a real conclusion.

lexluthr69 · Nov 19, 2006

I'll do a search, but from the sounds of it, I shouldn't expect any final assesments beyond those in those sites that google found?

Kilgore Trout · Nov 19, 2006

Meh, too lazy to even measure the acetone out...

lexluthr69 · Nov 19, 2006

LOL I actually used one of the few syringe type "thingies" that I have laying around from the kid's medicine. It worked out very well.

sgarlic · Nov 20, 2006

I tried using Acetone in my Jeep ZJ for 4 or 5 tanks. I measured it 3oz per 10 gal as per the how-to's I had read. My average city MPG went from 14.4 to 14.5, and since there was nothing controlled about my testing, it was probably just a fluke. Maybe it works for some people.. didn't really do much for me.

04GTMustang · Nov 20, 2006

yea it helped me out just a tad but i dont do it anymore cause i lost interest. But i have put toluene in the stang and thats a pretty good octane booster right there. Add about a gal. of this stuff to ur gas and you could increase octane to around 98 depending on how much 93 octane u have in teh tank. A 50 50 mix will give you around 104 octane. Its some good stuff i got my dad using it in the dirtbikes now.

Kilgore Trout · Nov 20, 2006

Toluene is very dangerous man, be careful with that stuff.

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/toluene.html

Also, adding it to gasoline is prohibited by the clean air act of 1990.

How do you even get it by the gallon?

bierbelly · Nov 20, 2006

Acetone is a wonderful solvent. It'll dissolve your paint and likely many of the plastic parts within your fuel system. I wouldn't even think of putting that in my tank.

Now toluene (along with benzene and xylenes) is already in most gasolines, so it shouldn't hurt anything. But buying it "pure" and mixing it in quantities large enough to make an impact on your octane is likely to be quite a lot more expensive than just buying premium, or racing gasoline if you can get it.

You can often find toluene or mixed xylenes by the gallon at a paint store (used for thinner/cleaning solvent), but it ain't cheap.

miller766 · Nov 20, 2006

Okay lets do the math and figure out the outcome on doing this. Acetone will improve your gas mileage, yes. Still, acetone will eat rubber/plastic type parts. Fuel lines....injectors...etc. Yeah so you save $100 for the next year or so on gas, but then you have to replace lots of fuel related components which will cost LOTS more than than what you will save. I've seen lots of people try this that come into the parts store where I work and IT WILL eat fuel lines and all that. Word of advice....don't use it anymore after this tank. Just keep use some Lucas fuel injector cleaner or some seafoam every few fuel tanks and that's the best thing you can do.

speedfreak98r · Nov 20, 2006

Kilgore Trout said:
Toluene is very dangerous man, be careful with that stuff.

QFT..Most things to make benzene are

Kilgore Trout said:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/toluene.html

Also, adding it to gasoline is prohibited by the clean air act of 1990.

You work for the EPA? Go snitch on us for running O/R pipes while your at it. What they dont know may hurt them, but they wont know it

Kilgore Trout said:
How do you even get it by the gallon?

You gotta know people that work at chemical plants.
My uncle Barry gets me that stuff they used to put in gasoline before they went to ethanol Texas Petro Chemical FTW

Susky · Nov 20, 2006

bierbelly said:
Acetone is a wonderful solvent. It'll dissolve your paint and likely many of the plastic parts within your fuel system. I wouldn't even think of putting that in my tank.

+1

merc123 · Nov 20, 2006

Susky said:
+1

+2. Imagine getting a "drip" down the size of the car and it eats a nice stripe down your paint job.

lexluthr69 · Nov 20, 2006

Understanding the corrosiveness of acetone, I think a fairly simple test would be to place a bottle of acetone in any plastic gas container and see how the container holds up. My guess is it would hold just fine. I may have to spend the 5 bucks to see how it plays out... LOL My gut feeling is that most folks' concern of acetone in the fuel system is purely conjecture based purelly off the uncertainty of what they do not know. BUT... I have been known to be wrong before. /wink

68torinogt · Nov 20, 2006

LOL, acetone

COramprat · Nov 20, 2006

Copy and paste from a guy who is a chemical engineer...

Let's see...

benefit of 1 - 3 MPG vs putting a substance that draws water molecules together in your gasoline mixture. Not saying that all refiner's fuels are perfect, but there are some that go to great lengths to ensure quality. Not adding that to my trucks (or cars). I'd put a wood block under the long, skinny pedal before I corrode my valvetrain. Sure, water will heat, convert to vapor, but can you gaurantee that the vapor will flow through, and not cool before it hits the atmosphere.

Try at your own risk. Though it may not hurt for the next 5, 10, or 15 thousand miles, but I'd hate to buy a pre-owned vehicle or motor with that history. Just my $0.02.

*edit* As far as the racing industry... pro racers tear engines down more often than street racers, weekend racers, or average joe's like most on this site (including myself). Pro racers are likely to catch potential corrosive substances before damage is done. That, and meth showed to be a better alternative with regards to performance.

Not worth it to me...
__________________

lexluthr69 · Nov 20, 2006

Thanks ya'll. I appreciate everyone's opinion on the matter. It's why I asked.

In the end, the hassle of adding 3-4oz per tank may be more than it's worth, also taking into account the corrosiveness of acetone.

Thanks again.

sgarlic · Nov 21, 2006

Before you accept certain peoples belief that just because Acetone has the potential to disolve paint or eat away at plastics, you should also check out another perspective. Wiki has a link to a study that several hundred people were involved in, where they all reported their results. Most reported an improvement.

The interesting part of the articles are how he placed certain parts made of various materials in pure vials of Acetone, and allowed them to soak, to observe the damage caused. He mentioned that he had parts that had been sitting for YEARS, and still had no visible damage. One would think that plastic parts that are part of the fuel system aren't just every day cheapo plastic. If they can withstand years of gasoline passing by, I'm sure they are a little heavier duty than people think of when they hear "plastic."

I'm not encouraging you to experiment, but I am encouraging you to read and get input from some other sources too. Good luck either way.

lexluthr69 · Nov 21, 2006

Sgarlic!! Finally! I love your post. It essentially says what I've been thinking this whole time. My thoughts regarding plastics in the fuel system mimic yours. Gasoline itself is a fairly corrosive animal, and although not as bad as acetone, the fuel system is much more resilient than your average rubber or plastic laying around the house. That's not to say that it's perfectly capable of holding up to acetone, but that it's not your average plastic spoon or fork you have at home.

The interesting thing about that study you mentioned, is that it is the basis for about 3-4 other website and their articles. Many sites reference the same information, so there is definitely more to it than that one person's experience with acetone.

Thanks again for your thoughts! It's always great getting different sides to an argument.

My only concern now is the water bonding properties of acetone that someone mentioned in this thread, as well as when I looked it up online.

Luke

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