NO GAS AVAILABLE!!!, What to do when there is no 93 octane!?! Options

[easternpiro1]

Hey guys, i guess im in an interesting dilemma. many areas in the south east are stricken with a CRAZY gas shortage! long lines, NUMEROUS fuel stations out of gas. all because of speculation and panic.

it struck me the other day while i was contributing my share to the panic when i was getting gas that there was ONLY 87 octane available...

I got teh thinking

1. Im getting my 3s back soon and anything less than 93 octane is a BIG NO NO

2. what the @%&@ am i going to do?

3. will octane booster work?


I got the answer to #3 and i cant say im a big fan of it (VERY bad idea to do). a friend of mine has a audi awd (a4 ithink) tuned to hit 500whp on race gas and around 400ish whp without. he told me about some interesting chemicals rated at about 114 octane that can be found in the paint section of home depot. he also said alot of guys use it when they go to the track and can be mixed with 93 octane (maybe lower) fuel. its name brand is xeylol but the chemical names are xeylene and toulene i couldnt find it when i looked in wikipedia (misspelled?)

but anyway, can you guys offer some suggestions?

[RichieRichJP]

Well I'll tell you right now not to use octane booster because it pretty much doesn't work. I would find other means of transportation to be safe

[supershannon77]

When you have the 3s, and you only have 87 available, you CAN use it and the car will run. If this is your daily driver and you need it to get you to work, well you dont have a choice but to use it I understand. My brother Joe had accidentally put 87 in his car due to none English speaking gas station attendant. The car is fine, idol was fine, acceleration off boost was fine, etc. But it would stumble under boost and high rpms. So if all you can get is 87, get it.....Just DONT boost it. I hope this doesn't hit Jersey. JIM

[lagos]

Park the car until the gas situation is resolved.

[Supersprynt]

Lower the boost & forget octane booster. Drive like an old woman.

[presure2]

like jim said, if its your daily driver, and you have no choice but to drive it, theoreticly, you can put whatever in it, and limp it around town if needed.
if you do STAY OUT OF BOOST.
what i would do, in a worse case scenario, is baby the car around, and prolly retard the timing a couple degrees.
since you have a larger turbo that spools a bit later, that will help with staying out of boost.
no quick throttle stabs or anything either. slowly roll into the throttle, to keep the load on the engine low, and you will be just fine on the cheap gas.

[easternpiro1]

oh that's cool, makes sense, was just wondering if i would be the only one beign affected on here, i have a beater, was just curious though.

what about those 114 octane chemicals? xeylene and toulene? have any of you heard of them? personally i think its a BAD IDEA.

Uses
Toluene is a common solvent, able to dissolve: paints, paint thinners, silicone sealants,[6] many chemical reactants, rubber, printing ink, adhesives (glues), lacquers, leather tanners, and disinfectants. It can also be used as a fullerene indicator, and is a raw material for toluene diisocyanate (used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam) and TNT. It is also used as an adhesive for fine polystyrene kits (by dissolving and then fusing surfaces) as it can be applied very precisely by brush and contains none of the bulk of an adhesive.

Industrial uses of toluene include dealkylation to benzene, and the disproportionation to a mixture of benzene and xylene in the BTX process. When oxidized it yields benzaldehyde and benzoic acid, two important intermediates in chemistry. It is also used as a carbon source for making Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes. Toluene can be used to break open red blood cells in order to extract hemoglobin in biochemistry experiments.

Toluene can be used as an octane booster in gasoline fuels used in internal combustion engines. Toluene at 86% by volume fueled all the turbo Formula 1 teams in the 1980s.
Toluene has also been used as a coolant for its good heat transfer capabilities in sodium cold traps used in nuclear reactor system loops.

Toluene has also been used in the process of removing the cocaine from coca leafs in the production of Coca-Cola syrup.[7]

This post has been edited by easternpiro1: Sep 28, 2008 - 1:06 PM

[3WayStunna]

oh that's cool, makes sense, was just wondering if i would be the only one beign affected on here, i have a beater, was just curious though.

what about those 114 octane chemicals? xeylene and toulene? have any of you heard of them? personally i think its a BAD IDEA.

Uses
Toluene is a common solvent, able to dissolve: paints, paint thinners, silicone sealants,[6] many chemical reactants, rubber, printing ink, adhesives (glues), lacquers, leather tanners, and disinfectants. It can also be used as a fullerene indicator, and is a raw material for toluene diisocyanate (used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam) and TNT. It is also used as an adhesive for fine polystyrene kits (by dissolving and then fusing surfaces) as it can be applied very precisely by brush and contains none of the bulk of an adhesive.

Industrial uses of toluene include dealkylation to benzene, and the disproportionation to a mixture of benzene and xylene in the BTX process. When oxidized it yields benzaldehyde and benzoic acid, two important intermediates in chemistry. It is also used as a carbon source for making Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes. Toluene can be used to break open red blood cells in order to extract hemoglobin in biochemistry experiments.

Toluene can be used as an octane booster in gasoline fuels used in internal combustion engines. Toluene at 86% by volume fueled all the turbo Formula 1 teams in the 1980s.
Toluene has also been used as a coolant for its good heat transfer capabilities in sodium cold traps used in nuclear reactor system loops.

Toluene has also been used in the process of removing the cocaine from coca leafs in the production of Coca-Cola syrup.[7]

depends on much of that stuff you use
on its own, yea, bad idea. mixed with 87 octane though...might be good idea...experimented with it myself, adding it to 93 octane. Car ran fine, atually just tad faster than normal..anywho, enough blah, blah, here ya go...


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

[Razgriz]

Do you have race gas in the area? Don't shoot me if it's a stupid question. I realize you may be short on premium but was just wondering about race fuel. When my buddy Martin & I drive around in his stroker Cobra we have to mix fuel to get a higher Octane rating. Usually like C16 with like 91. Can't remember the ratio but it works for us. Considering it's a stroked 4.6 to 5.1 litres cobra motor with a 28psi blower on it and it works it should work for your 3sgte. (unfortunately it is pricey )

[GriffGirl]

I think his gas shortage is done - it was related to hurricane Ike, and now that gas is mad cheap again too (who knew!?) all is well I'd imagine

[Dr_Tweak]

Heck yeah, regular is $1.79 here right now

[bizzerk]

Heck yeah, regular is $1.79 here right now

lucky

[celicaST]

see if there is a place that sells e85 around you

[easternpiro1]

im pretty sure there is race gas around here somewhere... BUT i remember when i checked the citgo or texaco cant remember which, i saw a bag over the 100 octane... got me curious now... will check tomorrow.

[presure2]

im pretty sure there is race gas around here somewhere... BUT i remember when i checked the citgo or texaco cant remember which, i saw a bag over the 100 octane... got me curious now... will check tomorrow.

some sunoco stations carry the race fuel, a few sell 100 unleaded at the pump.

most can order 5 gallon cans if you want it.

http://www.sunocoinc.com/Site/Consumer/Rac...th+Carolina.htm

those are places in NC that carry it.

[brthrurik]

local airports, small airstrips are great places to get up to 107 octane fuel... it is expensive but cheaper than buying it by the drum...

[celica9110]

Heck yeah, regular is $1.79 here right now

$1.76 about 100 miles north of ya

[GriffGirl]

see if there is a place that sells e85 around you

Our cars cannot run e85

[easternpiro1]

local airports, small airstrips are great places to get up to 107 octane fuel... it is expensive but cheaper than buying it by the drum...

wait a minute.... are you serious? imma have to investigate on track days (zmax dragstrip and the airport right up the street) lol

[DEATH]

local airports, small airstrips are great places to get up to 107 octane fuel... it is expensive but cheaper than buying it by the drum...

wait a minute.... are you serious? imma have to investigate on track days (zmax dragstrip and the airport right up the street) lol

LOL - You didn't know this Matt? 106 octane at our local mini-airstrip and I have a guy that's a tuner [Got 4-5 old muscle cars he stores in his hanger with plane] so he hooks me up - haven't used it for years tho - hope he still remembers me.
That engine of yours will LOVE you for it

[GEpower]

wtf, 87 octane is the default? And 93 is the higher one?
I always put in 98 octane, 95 is the default.

[Agent21]

Piro you want the Nextel Cup stuff. 98 octane unleaded sunoco 260gtx . And the strip won't have it. Lots of the local tracks concord, tri-county stuff like that will have 110 octane but it is leaded. My source for the stuff dried up in early 08 so I have been on crappy 93. sigh free 98 octane.

[easternpiro1]

local airports, small airstrips are great places to get up to 107 octane fuel... it is expensive but cheaper than buying it by the drum...

wait a minute.... are you serious? imma have to investigate on track days (zmax dragstrip and the airport right up the street) lol

LOL - You didn't know this Matt? 106 octane at our local mini-airstrip and I have a guy that's a tuner [Got 4-5 old muscle cars he stores in his hanger with plane] so he hooks me up - haven't used it for years tho - hope he still remembers me.
That engine of yours will LOVE you for it

i Had no idea man! i figured there were aditives just for airplanes... i will begin poking around to find out. hendrick has shops ALL OVER the place around here!

Piro you want the Nextel Cup stuff. 98 octane unleaded sunoco 260gtx . And the strip won't have it. Lots of the local tracks concord, tri-county stuff like that will have 110 octane but it is leaded. My source for the stuff dried up in early 08 so I have been on crappy 93. sigh free 98 octane.

that stuff is leaded?!? no way! im going to find out about it at the test n tune theyre having next week @zmax have you heard aboutit?

[phattyduck]

I've run my gen3 3s-gte on California 91 octane for 10k+ miles at 14psi of boost. It hesitates a bit here and there (knock sensor controling timing), but it hasn't thrown any codes for that. When I go to the track, I put in some 100 octane to get it up to the 94/95 octane range and it runs great at 17psi, just under boost cut.

-Charlie

PS. GEpower, octane is rated differently in the US than most other coutries. Our 93 octane is pretty similar to your 98 octane. Some places in the US only get 91 octane max though, which can cause problems with JDM motors.

[Cevax]

I just purchased a JDM motor and didn't even research this, So its not street legal and going to have to find somebody to do the inspection and the gas is not compatible? What about those octane boosters that you can buy at any parts shop. Only a few bucks a can suppose to work for up to 10 gallons and my car takes about that. That should work right?

[presure2]

I just purchased a JDM motor and didn't even research this, So its not street legal and going to have to find somebody to do the inspection and the gas is not compatible? What about those octane boosters that you can buy at any parts shop. Only a few bucks a can suppose to work for up to 10 gallons and my car takes about that. That should work right?

your fine using 93...those octane boosters dont work.
with a good working cat a jdm swap will pass a mass emmissions test.

[TheMadScientist]

I read in a tech article that leaded fuel is murder on a injected engine!

[presure2]

I read in a tech article that leaded fuel is murder on a injected engine!

yes, your not supossed to run leaded fuel in a unleaded fuel car, however, running it once in a while, wont hurt anything.
just ask the mr2 guys.

[97celiman]

ya av-fuel (not jet fuel but standard aviation fuel) is 100 low lead...this is for cessnas and small sport PROP aircraft...this 106 octane that easternpiro is talking about is confusing me...

side note: everyone should check out the newest car and driver in the back there is a letter from a reader/engineer about making octane boosters effective to add mpg to your gas consumption it is interesting
i dont know if i would ever do it but its seems somewhat legitimate

[jgreening]

Install a water injection system with appropriate safety measures.