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  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

Octane Booster

  • Thread starter Thread starter vld
  • Start date Start date Feb 3, 2006
V

vld

New Member
Nov 5, 2004
132
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Feb 3, 2006
#1
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #1
How reliable is the STP Octane booster? Will it bump a tank full of reg up to 93 octane?
 

trinity_gt

10 Year Member
Jan 31, 2003
3,125
81
99
Canada
Feb 3, 2006
#2
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #2
Based on personal experience, no. My tune seems to require something higher than 94 Sunoco to be completely detonation-free in the summer months and the only additive I've found that seems to do the trick is the NOS street-formula octane booster:

http://www.permatex.com/products/prodidx.asp?f_call=get_item&item_no=12002

I've never had any noticeable results (i.e. reduced detonation) using STP (or other similar) boosters.
 

dustang50

Member
Jan 12, 2006
132
0
16
Cleveland, OH
Feb 3, 2006
#3
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #3
For the price of most octane boosters, you're better of getting 93 octane fuel.
 
V

vld

New Member
Nov 5, 2004
132
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0
Feb 3, 2006
#4
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #4
i had a full tank of reg and did not want to wait a week to burn it.
 

dustang50

Member
Jan 12, 2006
132
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16
Cleveland, OH
Feb 3, 2006
#5
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #5
Cool... Just wanted to make sure you weren't wasting your money.
 

trailblazr81

Member
May 17, 2003
571
0
16
Hollister, Cali
Feb 3, 2006
#6
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #6
I once read somewhere that 1 point on the octane booster is 1/10th of an octane point. So if you buy a bottle of octane booster that says will increas octane by 10 points, its really only bumping you up 1 octane point. Ive neve really used it nor could I tell the difference. The only thing I ever used regularlly was lead additive. I have an original 63 Mercury with 10.5 compression. I put the stuff in everytime I filled 'er up. Every once n a while I would add some 110 octane leaded fuel in it. Really waked up the motor. Racetrack around here has 100 octane but it aint cheap!!
 
K

Kilgore Trout

Fried or Broiled ?
10 Year Member
Mar 30, 2005
4,749
95
134
Feb 3, 2006
#7
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #7
Octane boost is worthless
 
M

MEandmyKB

New Member
Oct 13, 2005
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0
Feb 3, 2006
#8
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #8
Kilgore Trout said:
Octane boost is worthless
Click to expand...


Junk is worthless, but good octane booster works. Probably why KB says you should always keep a bottle of NOS 12007 in your car at all times. Amsoil octane boost seems to be okay too.
 
M

MEandmyKB

New Member
Oct 13, 2005
68
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0
Feb 3, 2006
#9
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #9
trailblazr81 said:
I once read somewhere that 1 point on the octane booster is 1/10th of an octane point. So if you buy a bottle of octane booster that says will increas octane by 10 points, its really only bumping you up 1 octane point. Ive neve really used it nor could I tell the difference. The only thing I ever used regularlly was lead additive. I have an original 63 Mercury with 10.5 compression. I put the stuff in everytime I filled 'er up. Every once n a while I would add some 110 octane leaded fuel in it. Really waked up the motor. Racetrack around here has 100 octane but it aint cheap!!
Click to expand...

I'd guess that the weaker boosters would be about "30 octane numbers" (or less) which would = "3 octane points" - the better NOS and Amsoil 2000 are probably closer to "70 octane numbers" = "7 octane points" ...when used per directions on bottle.

Maybe.
 

CanadaStang

New Member
Sep 7, 2003
2,093
1
0
Mb
Feb 3, 2006
#10
  • Feb 3, 2006
  • #10
MEandmyKB said:
Junk is worthless, but good octane booster works. Probably why KB says you should always keep a bottle of NOS 12007 in your car at all times. Amsoil octane boost seems to be okay too.
Click to expand...
The NOS boost works pretty good but I've tried a few others over the years [STP being one of them] that do very little.
 
R

RedGTvert

Founding Member
Nov 21, 1999
3,129
1
58
Wellington, FL
Feb 4, 2006
#11
  • Feb 4, 2006
  • #11
Try Torco.

www.torco.com

under the heading of power products.


The Unleaded concentrate when blended with a 93-octane super unleaded makes up to a 104-octane race fuel for many of today's streetcars, motorcycles, watercraft, ATV's, and many other motor sport applications
 
R

RedGTvert

Founding Member
Nov 21, 1999
3,129
1
58
Wellington, FL
Feb 4, 2006
#12
  • Feb 4, 2006
  • #12
trinity_gt said:
Based on personal experience, no. My tune seems to require something higher than 94 Sunoco to be completely detonation-free in the summer months and the only additive I've found that seems to do the trick is the NOS street-formula octane booster:

http://www.permatex.com/products/prodidx.asp?f_call=get_item&item_no=12002

I've never had any noticeable results (i.e. reduced detonation) using STP (or other similar) boosters.
Click to expand...

You need to back off on your timing a little. There is no reason you are tuned that way for the mods you are running.
 

trinity_gt

10 Year Member
Jan 31, 2003
3,125
81
99
Canada
Feb 4, 2006
#13
  • Feb 4, 2006
  • #13
RedGTvert said:
You need to back off on your timing a little. There is no reason you are tuned that way for the mods you are running.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I actually did use Extreme Tune and pulled a couple of degrees out but I can feel the difference. The problem with ET is that you can't tailor the curve to remove timing in specific areas...you're just given a global adjuster that allows removing "-X" engine timing overall and that's it. While that tended to cure the high RPM detonation, it hurt the mid-range torque too. Most of the time I don't mind running the extra timing and putting octane booster in it.

When I get my cams and install them I'll have a proper dyno (as opposed to mail order) tune done and straighten this out.
 
F

FalconGuy016

New Member
Oct 26, 2004
437
1
0
Northern VA
Feb 4, 2006
#14
  • Feb 4, 2006
  • #14
I have the same problem with my SCT mail order tune. They never got back to my emails, and by the time I was about to call them I had already learned to drive past the detonation. It only happens under load, low RPM, 5th gear.

Or a loaded car, sometimes I have to slip the clutch more.

I used an octane booster in the past and it seemed to help. However, it's good to know now which one to get. On a useless note, I find the stuff very interesting by how it actually works by not really raising the octane level, rather altering the properties of the gas itself.
 
V

vld

New Member
Nov 5, 2004
132
0
0
Feb 4, 2006
#15
  • Feb 4, 2006
  • #15
Falcon did you buy your car new? I see you are from Va, was your car built in Canada? Even though I got my car in the south she came from Il. and was built in Canada, wonder if that could have something to do with it? (Car has a block heater on it ! Strangest thing I have ever seen on a car in the south!
 
F

FalconGuy016

New Member
Oct 26, 2004
437
1
0
Northern VA
Feb 4, 2006
#16
  • Feb 4, 2006
  • #16
vld said:
Falcon did you buy your car new? I see you are from Va, was your car built in Canada? Even though I got my car in the south she came from Il. and was built in Canada, wonder if that could have something to do with it? (Car has a block heater on it ! Strangest thing I have ever seen on a car in the south!
Click to expand...

Hmmm, yes it's new. I don't think I have a block heater. I don't know how that would cause detonation either?
 
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