I want to hear some educated opinions on this topic...A friend of a friend (an old school racer supposedly) told me not too long ago that adding some rubbing alcohol to you gas tank (with the right amount) will help just like adding octane booster. Those who do use forced induction set-ups all know the benefits of higher octane fuels. If u think this idea or suggestion is Bogus or BS dont start flamin me just yet because its not something that I have gone and tried yet....thats why I'm asking for other opinions on the subject lol...let me know if anyone has ever heard of this or is actively doing it, because I havent heard much as of yet.

 

Uhhhhh...I personally would not do it.

 

Yeah the thought of it is kinda scarey, but I have seen alcohol injections that are used with boosted set-ups which makes me kinda wonder if theres a possibility that the idea may not be as crazy as first thought even though the alcohol is being supplied in a completely different manner.

 

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/misc/octanebooster.html

"FORMULA 5
Isopropyl Alcohol and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol
R+M/2...101
Cost...$0.60-$1.50/gal
Mixtures with 92 Octane Premium
10%...94.5 Octane
20%...Not Recommended
30%...Not Recommended
Notes: Similar to Methanol/Ethanol. Isopropyl Alcohol is simply rubbing alcohol."

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/misc...explained.html

 

ah Ha, so it is true....so if my civic has a 12 Gal tank I could still add a full gallon of it, to a near full tank without any probs...I do see however that the rubbing alcohol is not the best method of raising the octane rating and the 10% mixture only raises it slightly, although it is a lot cheaper than the race gas at the track...Hmmm I usually never fill my tank all the way up, I wonder if I'm sittin between an 1/8 and a 1/4 of a tank with premuim, could I still just add one bottle of the rubbing alcohol to it and be ok. I think I would be. I'm now considering trying it the next time I go to the track...

 

BTW... thanks for the post Jordan

 

I think that when you're talking about a concentration of 10% or less you'd probably be fine, but I do find it interesting that the creator of that guide has alcohol at the bottom, recommending the smallest mixture. I've been tempted to try dumping a bit into my Goped's tank just to see if it still ran well, but I haven't bothered since it doesn't really need the extra octane. If you're looking for a bigger gain, and one that actually has some positive firsthand experiences to back it up, I'd try the xylene/toluene route- it is more expensive, but several people confirmed the benefits of the mix and the stuff just seems to have more history/backing/science as an octane booster. As far as mixing goes, I'd mix into some sort of can unless you're going to run a very conservative percentage of the additive. The alcohol is the cheapest and easiest stuff to find on that list- I think I'll try some the next time I go to the track to see what it does for me, then move to the more expensive stuff. If you do run it, be sure to report back, just don't hold me responsible if something goes wrong, I'm just the guy that gave you the link .

 

alright, why do you want a higher octane rating? i really doubt your seeing alot, if any detonation. and thats all higher octane prevents...it doesnt have anything that makes you faster, it just has a higher flashpoint to prevent detonation in higher compression/boosted applications.

I have heard mothballs have a similar effect when put into a gas tank (im being serious, not an ass)

i would do alky injection though...alkycontrol.com is run by a friend of mine, julio. he does great work with alky kits. for an FI application i would totally suggest one, as much more boost can be ran before knock becomes a problem. and also, be careful of what mixture you drop in, there are many types of alky you can use..and denatured alky is VERY flammible.

 

Yes, I think we've seen what water injection can do, especially on small yellow econoboxes. Just don't let it run out during a high-boost run or you'll have problems. I would probably try it out, but I'm already planning nitrous, an e-cutout, an intercooler mister, possibly some sort of jury-rigged switch to keep the purge valve open during a run (since it will be pointing at the intercooler )- don't know if that's possible, I would think it would drop line pressure too much, a boost hi-low switch, and I don't think I'll have room for another switch (or another power adder ).

 

a intercooler sprayer gimmick is a huge waste of money imo. and as far as running out in the middle of a run, spend 20 bucks for a low coolant sensor and get it formed into the thing your using to hold the alky.