Octane booster is a mystery to me...
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Launching!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 203
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From: Chesapeake, VA
Octane booster is a mystery to me... I have a 382. Not an agressive cam but the computer tuning is agressive. Details in the signature. Anyway, the car idles rough usually (I have a split duration cam) but after adding the equivalent of about 2 points (i.e. 94 to 96) the car really starts to idle, accelerate, cruise, and coast better. Now, I have to admit I really was a skeptic as to how much good octance booster would really do me. I only hate the fact now that I can't buy higher than 94 at the pump for a reasonable price. Does anyone have a clear explaintion as to why the booster does so much. Does my agressive tuning just run that much better with a couple points higher that the pump. This sucks. Thanks.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: USA
Re: Octane booster is a mystery to me... Not sure what your meaning of POINTs is but most boosters fool customers by really meaning 2 decimal points 1 so instead of 96 2 points is 94.2
IMHO most boosters will pollute the 02s over time and they are not cheap to replace nor do you know they are getting lazy.
Better to mix 100 unleaded, like 4 gallons to rest of tank with street gas.
With a good PCM tune calibration with the 94 octane your getting should rid the knock for I am in Ca with the smog crapgas that is 91 and even with 11.3:1 engine (372 stroker) compression at just over 500 FWHP I was able to tune all knock out and still maintain good WOT timing ( 28 degrees) and got rid of all misfire at the same time.
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 99WhiteSS:
<strong>I have a 382. Not an agressive cam but the computer tuning is agressive. Details in the signature. Anyway, the car idles rough usually (I have a split duration cam) but after adding the equivalent of about 2 points (i.e. 94 to 96) the car really starts to idle, accelerate, cruise, and coast better. Now, I have to admit I really was a skeptic as to how much good octance booster would really do me. I only hate the fact now that I can't buy higher than 94 at the pump for a reasonable price. Does anyone have a clear explaintion as to why the booster does so much. Does my agressive tuning just run that much better with a couple points higher that the pump. This sucks. Thanks.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
<small>[ July 12, 2002, 09:07 PM: Message edited by: Team ZR-1 ]</small>
IMHO most boosters will pollute the 02s over time and they are not cheap to replace nor do you know they are getting lazy.
Better to mix 100 unleaded, like 4 gallons to rest of tank with street gas.
With a good PCM tune calibration with the 94 octane your getting should rid the knock for I am in Ca with the smog crapgas that is 91 and even with 11.3:1 engine (372 stroker) compression at just over 500 FWHP I was able to tune all knock out and still maintain good WOT timing ( 28 degrees) and got rid of all misfire at the same time.
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 99WhiteSS:
<strong>I have a 382. Not an agressive cam but the computer tuning is agressive. Details in the signature. Anyway, the car idles rough usually (I have a split duration cam) but after adding the equivalent of about 2 points (i.e. 94 to 96) the car really starts to idle, accelerate, cruise, and coast better. Now, I have to admit I really was a skeptic as to how much good octance booster would really do me. I only hate the fact now that I can't buy higher than 94 at the pump for a reasonable price. Does anyone have a clear explaintion as to why the booster does so much. Does my agressive tuning just run that much better with a couple points higher that the pump. This sucks. Thanks.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
<small>[ July 12, 2002, 09:07 PM: Message edited by: Team ZR-1 ]</small>
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: College Station, Tx
Re: Octane booster is a mystery to me... My guess would be it's a psychological phenomenon. As was pointed out above, most octane boosters raise your octane a fraction of a point. Additives which contain an agent which inhibits the knock pathway could concievable effect a change, but most boosters just rely on blending of alchohol or aromatics to increase your octane rating - and you would need to add them by the gallon for any kind of noticable change.
Try going to a track dyno and making back to back passes. That would put to rest the issue. If you truly do need more octane then I would reduce the timing and possible add fuel to see if you can create a workaround.
Chris
Try going to a track dyno and making back to back passes. That would put to rest the issue. If you truly do need more octane then I would reduce the timing and possible add fuel to see if you can create a workaround.
Chris
