robertbartsch

There is a post in the "fueling" section that discusses the benefits of adding a few ounces of Acetone chemical solvent to each 10 gallons of gas.

Apperently, it improves milegage up to 30%, makes additional power and helps the compustion process by allowing a more complete burn.

According to the posts I have read, it appears like there may be some ligitimate benefits!

Has anyone used this? Are there any special tuning requirements for acetone-laced gas?

wait4me

iTrader: (10)

If it was that simple why would gas companies not use it and make more profit?

Scooter70

iTrader: (1)

Because they would make less profit if we all got better fuel economy. They don't want you to know about it though. Just like the guy with the 100mpg carboretor. The oil companies bought the patent so that he couldn't market it and take away all of their profits...

robertbartsch

There are a few people responding to the post who have tried it and report significant improvements in gas mileage and power output.

It also cut HC emissions by more than 1/3.... I wish I would have known this when NY had the sniffer test. It would have made my life easier....!

Who is laughing now? Trucking companies that are now squeezed by rising desiel prices are buying acetone by the truck load (no pun)!

Hey a 30% improvement in MPG is a real benefit!

Did you also know that running a clean(er) fuel like propane and acetone-laced corn gas or deisel can reduce repairs and maintenance costs too? Wow - what a deal!

I'm going to Depo to buy some tonight!

Spectator

It is said to dry out seals like no other... A proper ratio is important. Someone needs to quantify its benefits in emissions, for people who have sniffer tests.

I'll put the stuff in my beater, but not my LS1.

robertbartsch

Interesting point about the seals. I've seen this stuff work and it is powerful! - it removes paint like magic... very toxic and nasty smelling too!

There have been many claims made including that it does not impact seals, gaskets, o-rings, etc when mixed with corn-based gas or straight gas in the proper quantites...

Apparently, its use is not new which brings a good question to mind.

Why hasn't this been mandated by the government? After all, corn-based alcohal additive did reduce oil companies profits so if acetone is so good, one would think the government knows this and would have stepped in to require it.

If the 1/3 reduction in HC is true, however, that would be a significant incentive to reduce air pollution and satisfy those European energy conservation kooks.

On the other hand, if the acetone fumes are highly toxic it could explain why the government has not acted on it now.

horist

I did a little research on the net... and while I didn't see the 30% (30% does seem really high... 1 ounce of this stuff and you get 6mpg or so more? )

But from what I read it sounds like it does indeed help fuel economy.... problem is finding someone willing to test it heh ... cause I'm not willing to test it in either of my cars... and really I wouldn't believe it to be true unless several people I know show good results (so hard to tell truth from fiction on the internet)

wait4me

iTrader: (10)

The stuff evaporates so quickly, It would be gone before it was all used.. ??

frcefed98

iTrader: (16)

Plus you are only talking 2.5-3.0 oz of the stuff per tank (depending on tank size) so I doubt its too harmful to seals and other components in such small quanities. I think i'll give it a go in my 6 banger 99 bird for a tank or too and monitor it with my HPT scanner.

J

robertbartsch

Gas also evaporates but acetone evaporates a bunch faster.

I thought our cars have an evaporator control system to limit the amount of fuel that evaporates? In fact, I get an SES light if I leave the gas cap off; right? This must prevent the acetone from evaporating; right?

I would be more scared about spilling it on my paint than it casuing damage to seals and such.... This becasue of the guy with the GEN 3 who has done acetone-laced corn gas for more than a year with no issues.

One other point. The benefits are not achieved during the first tank full. It takes several tanks to get the full benefits. I'm not sure why. It may have to do with burning off contaminants common with corn gas or straight gas..... Did you look at your compustion chambers the last time you had the heads off? Yuke!

kbracing96

iTrader: (25)

I've been running it in my truck for 4-5+ months or so and has seemed to help about 10% and not one problem with the fuel system. Its such a small amount that I don't see how it could ever hurt anything. I run 1-1.5oz/5gal (1 oz to 5 gal = 640 to 1) Now, since my truck only got 15-17 MPG, it bumped me up 1-2 MPG, but even with that, it still pays for the acetone and keeps a little $ in my pocket. In a road trip to my grand parents last month, (1200 miles) I did average 18.5 for the whole trip (I keep very close track of my mileage every tank BTW). Best I had ever gotten before on a tank was just over 17. I have notest if I don't put it in for a tank, my mileage does drop back down, so I don't thing it a mental thing.

The way it works from what I understand, is it helps release surface tension of the gasoline making it vaporize better and get a more complete burn. Probably why it helps with emissions too.

Spectator

It definitely works, in the right ratio, ~1-3 oz per tankful. I've had two tanks, with 10% gains, on my beater. But I can't see the damage it's doing to the seals.

Can anyone elaborate on the evaporation issue? I'd assume that the fuel tank would keep the fumes in, but I might be missing something.

Josh McGrath

iTrader: (4)

The EVAP systems takes the fumes and injects them into the combustion chambers via the throttle body port. So, the fumes would just be burned anyhow along with the gas fumes.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

From what I can remember of high school chemistry,
I make out acetone having a 10.4:1 stoich AFR.
CH2OCH2. Adding it will lean out the motor because
the motor doesn't know about the acetone fraction.
That ratio is somewhere betwen methanol and
ethanol, both of which also lean out the mixture
which is why the guv'mint loves gasohol (that, and
a little bit of lovin' from the checkbook of Archer-
Daniels-Midland).

What effect acetone has on the octane rating, I
do not know. I do know that stuff with attached
oxygen, has less energy content than stuff without,
bond-for-bond. Economy, swell, but I didn't buy my
car for anything to do with that.

Acetone wants out of the can, in a bad way. High
vapor pressure, hasta la vista, baby.

I guess if I were going on a long highway trip I could
see putting a quart in, just to cruise lean, figuring
it wasn't going to be there long enough to bother
any rubber.

Acetone chases water out of solution while alcohol
holds it in. So you might see some funny stuff, you
Great White North dwellers. Like "Dry Gas", not.

cam75w/ls1

iTrader: (2)

I guess I'll try some in my 85' S10 daily driver to see if it helps. The truck has to run on 89 octane or higher or else it sounds like a bucket of bolts went in the motor. The average fuel consumption is 260 miles to 17gallons of fuel. A little over 15mpg but I punch the **** out of it all the time since the 4cyl is totally gutless w/ AC on. Can't get a speeding ticket w/ this one so it keeps me out of trouble. Let you know after a tank....

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Ill probably try and pick some up to throw in my tank for the next couple fill ups. Ill monitor closely with HPT on my daily commutes.

JimmyBlue - I think youre going under the assumption that you need to mix in a significant enough quantity to change stoich. I dont believe this is the case. It is said to break any surface tension inherant of the gasoline / gasohol / h2o-lene. This aids in atomization and more complete combustion, which may not be as helpful with our injectors spraying right on the intake valves.

Anyway, I think if it did increase the atomization of the fuel, which resulted in more complete conbustion, the o2 sensors would sense the extra combustion as a rich condition, and the fuel trims would lean out to compensate. The lag in the fuel trim learning is my guess as to why it takes a couple of tanks to get the full benefits.

robertbartsch

If I stored a quart or two of acetone in the trunk and parked the car in a hot sunny place would the Acetone be dangerous?

If yes, this would be a pain since I would have to store the acetone in my house and then I would have to remember to put it in the car if I was going to fuel up during the trip.

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Buy a small bottle of acetone nail polish remover. They seal up pretty tight and i think youd be okay to keep that in the car. Just fill up the small bottle from time to time from a gallon jug at home.

BJM

iTrader: (1)

I should try to find a pressure table for acetone but I do not think the vapour pressure is very high at all. When I open my tin of Acetone there isn't much pressure in it at all. Gasoline is much higher. It may have a very low specific heat so it easily evaporates though.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

There's Canada vapor pressure, and there's Florida
vapor pressure. Looks like 400mmHg at 40C (which
is almost 8PSI vapor pressure on the blacktop).

Boiling point 56C (1atm). I guess you'd be wanting a
carb that's got a bowl well thermally insulated from
manifold heat.

BTW I had the wrong chem info for acetone, not C2 as
you'd think the acet- indicated, but aka 2-propanone,
CH3COCH3. Making stoich AFR more like 10.6:1 as I
refigure it. Which still may be wrong....

Maybe its fizzy nature makes it a good droplet self-
atomizer as said.