I just saw mythbuster and they did it and it sounded like it ran better, but they're not for sure. anyone ever heard of this? tried it?
-Chris

 

try it YOU WONT!

 

theres some sort of chemical in it then. id rather do the toluene from home depot haha

 

oh god. i can see it now "national mothball shortage as every 240 and civic fanboy buys them to use as secret weapon in streetraces"
jk

 

It only works with the old mothballs... Newer ones lack the chemical that was the actual octane booster.... I wouldnt do it....

 

This is a new technology

 

Our Fathers were doing that.

 

I heard that putting sugar in your gas tank makes the car faster. But if you want higher octane I'm pretty sure Discount Auto Parts can help.

 

Google owns mythbusters!!!

from: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasol.../preamble.html


6.20 Can mothballs increase octane?

The legend of mothballs as an octane enhancer arose well before WWII when
naphthalene was used as the active ingredient. Today, the majority of
mothballs use para-dichlorobenzene in place of naphthalene, so choose
carefully if you wish to experiment . There have been some concerns about
the toxicity of para-dichlorobenzene, and naphthalene mothballs have again
become popular. In the 1920s, typical gasoline octane ratings were 40-60
[11], and during the 1930s and 40s, the ratings increased by approximately 20
units as alkyl leads and improved refining processes became widespread [12].

Naphthalene has a blending motor octane number of 90 [52], so the addition of
a significant amount of mothballs could increase the octane, and they were
soluble in gasoline. The amount usually required to appreciably increase the
octane also had some adverse effects. The most obvious was due to the high
melting point ( 80C ), when the fuel evaporated the naphthalene would
precipitate out, blocking jets and filters. With modern gasolines,
naphthalene is more likely to reduce the octane rating, and the amount
required for low octane fuels will also create operational and emissions
problems.

 

hahaha This is one of the old stories my Grandpa tells me all the time. Him and his friends ran a car on mothballs and mineral spirits. It worked great for a week or two, until the motor shalacked itself shut. This was in the 50's.

I mean... mothballs work great, but only if you have a big wing and a fart can!