Has anyone from here used Toluene as a supplement in gasoline. It is found in stock gasoline about 9% and also found in Race gas about 27% It is found in hardware stores in the paint thinner aisle. I have heard from racers that use this with no problems for high compression. Let me know

------------------
91 Firebird 305/TBI - cam:.420/.442 204/214 - Hooker 1 5/8" headers - TFX PaceSetter Cat-Back - 3.42's Auburn Pro Posi - ASCD Ram-Air hood - Polished Formula Wheels w/Futura's - Open element - .5" Corian TB spacer - Lakewood LCA's - Hotchkis Lowering Springs - KYB Struts/Shocks - 14.78 @ 97.5 mph(G-Tech) - MacEwen MotorSports Whiteface Overlays - 412ci sb waiting to go in this spring.
My Homepage

 

Highly toxic if I recall. Be damn careful with that stuff. I believe its is banned in Canada (British Columbia anyways).

 

Hrm, how much can be used? What would some negative effects be? By how many points does it raise compression?

------------------
89 IROC-Z 350 TPI

-Flowmaster Catback
-Performance Resource Chip
-700R4 (Rebuilt) Too much done to actually list
-K&N Airfilters
-Ported Plenum
-2.77 Gears (not much to brag about but eh, its there)
-MSD 8.5 mm plug wires
-Problems every other day with the car (probably not a mod, but to me it sure makes a difference)

 

If you know where it can be found in Canada let me know. My engine should be able to survive on 92 octane but 100 would make me feel better and VP fuel is getting real expensive.

Check out here on how to blend your own race fuel. Use at your own risk.

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

------------------
Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

I was just talking to my dad, and he says mothballs increase it pretty good. I guess that They are Naptha. Hmm with a 20 cent increase between 87 and 92 in my area, I think that I will do this for my car.

 

Toluene, like as in TNT? How does this raise compression?

 

Here is a page that spells out pump gas and the use of Toluene to increase octane: http://www.wauknet.com/douthitt/pumpgas.htm
Let me know what you guys think. My 412sb will be running around 11.5:1 compression so I am going to start with a pint per tank and listen for "knock" and go from there.

 

I know a guy Using it With No problems.

It is just an Octane boost, Check out those pages they tell you whats up.




------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

I have friends that HAVE to use it with their engines. No probs yet, and some of these guys have 70K on the clock. Don't spill it on the paint, Duh. I have always figured it as a back up plan if I have too much compression. It does get expensive though.

 

TNT is trinitrotoluene, not the same thing. Adding toluene doesn't raise compression, but it increases the octane rating, preventing detonation at higher compression ratios.

 

it is very toxic and does raise octane slightly.
the naptha in mothballs is basically nitro-methane and will increase the power output of your engine up to the point of parts failure. It contains it's own oxygen and will burn much hotter which can cause a meltdown a little similar to lean nitrous usage. Mothballs can also clog your fuel system.
Nitromethane burns very quickly and is very prone to knock. It does not raise octane value at all. It is common for racers to mix methanol with nitromethane to slow the burn rate and prevent knock.
Water injection is a better and cheaper alternative to get by with high compression on the street.

 

not sure what you mean by "very" toxic but toluene is not currently a listed or even suspect carcinogen. In the big picture it is considered mildly toxic by inhalation and moderate by subcutaneous. It targets the CNS, kidney and liver. Having said that, you need to wear an OV half mask respirator if you are going to be working with it for extended periods of time. I would be more concerned about nitro methane than toluene.
naphtha is generic term for aliphatic petroleum distillates whether coal, shale or petroleum naphtha.
Not sure why you are equating naphtha to nitro methane. nitro methane increases the amount of oxygen available in the fuel for combustion. it generates more heat (power as well) and probably generates acidic byproducts during combustion.
my .02

 

I received an email from the source that stated I should start out with a half gallon of Toluene for our 15.5 gallon tanks. Raise octane to around 105. Will see.

------------------

• 412sb

My Homepage

[This message has been edited by Josh91Bird (edited March 07, 2001).]

 

hell it can;t be that bad- we use it in chem lab with bare hands! anyways, the only prob i could think of is that it might attack rubber, so any seals in your fuel system could be prone to premature failure, but then again, the gas might dilute it enough...

Steve

 

Ah, chemistry class...that's where i've heard that name from before... Useing mothballs, i'll be danged...woulda never guessed...btw, how many mothballs would be needed to make a difference?

------------------
89 IROC-Z 350 TPI

-Flowmaster Catback
-Performance Resource Chip
-700R4 (Rebuilt) Too much done to actually list
-K&N Airfilters
-Ported Plenum
-2.77 Gears (not much to brag about but eh, its there)
-MSD 8.5 mm plug wires
-Gutted cat
-!AIR

[This message has been edited by branz28 (edited March 07, 2001).]

 

Back in the 60s somebody that hated one of our high school teachers put some mothballs in his gas tank... trashed the motor as I recall. Maybe he used too many.

Toluene and a closely related chemical are the main ingredients in most regular lacquer thinner. The other chemical is methyl ethyl ketone. Sometimes you see methyl isobutyl ketone in LT as well. AFAIK all of those have the same effect which is to raise the "octane rating" of gasoline. Toluene is also the solvent in glue for plastic models, like Testor's or the like.

TNT, tri-nitro-toluene, is what you get when you cause toluene to react with nitric acid.

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports