Octane Booster test results anyone?

richstephens · Sep 3, 2001

I'm actually asking this for my other car, not my Focus, but thought you performance guys here may have some info.

I've searched the web looking for independent test results of the various brands of octane boosters but can't find anything except one from australia (with brands we can't get here in the states). Anyone have any info on boosters? There are at least 10 brands on the shelves around here and the prices vary wildly.

We can only get 91 octane out of the pumps here and with my 10.4 pistons and triple-double webers I figure I need to raise octane a few points to be safe.

thanks and hopefully this thread will be helpful to Focus people too who have gone with high comp pistons (though having that fuel injection and knock sensor technology sure is convenient).

(if you are interested, the car i'm talking about is the dino coupe at http://www.4mMoa.com/dino/)

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Rich Stephens
Pacifica, CA
2001 Focus SE Wagon
(and a bunch of old Italian stuff...)

smd3 · Sep 3, 2001

The Octane boost won't do you any good unless you are having detonation problems. For example, putting it in our Foci's will be of no use.

In the case of your car with higher compression it may allow you to advance the timing a bit a squeeze out an extra hp or something.

Stick to 91, if it's not pinging.

richstephens · Sep 4, 2001

in the focus it would be useless of course. but in a carbureted car with 10.4 to 1 compression ratio, i don't think there is any way one can get by with straight 91 octane. It's not an issue of wanting to advance the timing (it already has max advance of about 38 degrees) to squeeze out an extra horsepower (I've already got 200 hp out of 2.4 litre engine - no turbo) it's just a matter of wanting what's best for this engine when I get it broken in and drive around at 7000rpm everywhere, ha!

Anyway, if anyone knows which octane boosters actually work, please post it. thanks and once again, sorry for being off topic!

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Rich Stephens
Pacifica, CA
2001 Focus SE Wagon
(and a bunch of old Italian stuff...)

eurozx3 · Sep 4, 2001

Octane boosts do work. They do just as claimed, increase octane. How well they work is another issue in itself. Reading the bottle or package is very misleading. Some octane boost packages state that they raise the octane 7 points. People think that if you add a bottle of octane boost that claims a 7 point increase to say 93 octane you will get 100 octane. What you actually get is something around 93.7 octane. Not what most people expect. If you ever go to the track they sell race fuels with real high octane levels. Some leaded and some unleaded. They are real expensive. But they do work if your car requires those type of octane levels.

[This message has been edited by eurozx3 (edited 09-04-2001).]

Octane Booster test results anyone?

richstephens

smd3

richstephens

eurozx3

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