Last night I was at the local 76 station filling up with the usual 91 octane gas, when I noticed one pump that will dispense 100 octane "racing fuel". It costs $5.69 a gallon!

Anyone ever try this stuff in their MINI? I would think it would set the engine on fire! Literally!

I wonder what mix ratio with 91 would give me a safe octane level? Anyone have any experience with this stuff?

 

Haven't put it in my mini yet, but I've heard you'll run very lean and gain a couple horses. It shouldn't harm your engine at all, just don't get the 110 or 114 which are leaded gasolines which 76 also sells, but not at the pump. We have 100 octane for about $4.25 a gallon here in the bay area. Check out 76.com and you can get a list of all the locations through-out California and the U.S. Also check out racegas.com for more info on the octanes.

Lagston

 

I've tried it once and the butt dyno didn't notice much except how much lighter my wallet was.

 

I've run 100 many times. Don't expect to get your money's worth. The hp gains in a factory spec'd engine are minimal.

 

100 Octane fuel is harder to burn, so it won't detonate in a high compression engine.
That's the whole point of high-octage fuels.
If you are not pinging, you don't get any benefit out of a higher octane, harder-to-burn fuel.

You won't light the engine on fire or anything.

As others have said, you most likely won't see and performance difference either.

 

OK, thanks for the feedback. Great websites too, very interesting data there!

Now, how about these "octane boosting" additives I see at the store. STP puts one out, in a small bottle for about 3 bucks. Is this stuff worth it?

 

You're better of chipping your ECU with MTH Cartune and telling Franz you've got 100 Octane gas, and he'll optimize your ECU for that fuel. I know he's got both 91 and 94 octane programs. $76 is the least expensive ECU mod on the market, i.e most bang for the buck.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...8&goto=newpost

 

I thought the max our ECU can accept was 98octane?

Anyway, an alternative to higher octane is to mix toulene (114oct) with
your gas. About $7 for a 1 gallon jug and it can be stored unlike race fuel
which will spoil within weeks if left in a plastic container.

Go to your nearest sherwin williams or any commerical paint store. :smile:


(93oct x ____ gallons + 114oct x ___ gallons)/Total gallons = octane in tank.

 

Gawd, the cops are gonna think I'm making home-made crank!

 

We ex-naaawws users call it pocket rocket-fuel.

 

What would be the advantage to making your gasoline burn less-well?

I'm not understanding something.

 

Had to look for this Topic so I dont duplicate any posts:


Found 100 Octane at 4.259 / Gallon. Gives it a nice boost but at over $40.00 a tank it's a hefty price...

 

100 octane fuel has less energy per gallon than 87 octane fuel, so don't expect any increase in performance unles your car is set up to take advantage of the anti-knock properties of the higher octane. Higher octane fuel burns more slowlly than lower octane so it is less likely to pre-ignite, or start burning before the spark plug fires the mixture. 100 octane should not cause any damage, but would not yield any perfromance gains either. Since it burns slower it could lead to increased engine deposits. Stick to the fuel the car was designed for.

 

Used to have 100 at a station I used to own...loved it, ran it in my Harley and a couple of cars. Some cars it will make a difference due to the fact the ECU adjusts for detonation, most cars it doesn't make a difference at all.
Personally, I just like the way it smells coming out of the exhaust and how it makes my exhaust tips a nice powdery white color
Here in Ohio, 3.59 a gal at the pump

 

Unless you Mini is in a very high state of tune 100 oct will do nothing but empty your wallet. All likelyhood you will lose some power in a stock or near stock car. Remember the higher the octane the slower the fuel burns. Seen the results on a dyno many times.

 

I agree. I had 104 put in my car a few month ago and I felt absolutely no difference from the 93 I use daily.

 

I run 103 octane from time to time from the 76 near me. $7 a gallon on the west side of LA.

Very noticeable diffrence, about the same as adding the K&N typhoon vs. stock intake.

 

It can be very addictive (not to mention expensive). Currently running full tanks of 100 in both Works cars. The old butt-dyno leads me to believe that there is a slight improvement in overall performance. (Whether it can be objectively measured - who knows?) However, no stumble, no hesitation, the cars pull well in all gears and red-line comes very, very quickly. I plan to go the MTH route with a 100 octane map and see what difference (if any) it makes. (Obviously, my Works cars are not my daily drivers ... at the price of 100 octane, I'd need a second mortgage.)

ftbt

2004 X3 -3.0, silver metallic, premium, auto, moon-roof, clear bra, etc.

2005 Works Cooper S Convertible, DS-w- White Bonnet Stripes, Sn. 6808 + Clear Bra.

2002 Works Cooper S, Sn. 1165, + '05 JCW upgrade; DS/W; Sport + Premium + H Sport Springs, Competition Front & Rear Sway Bars, Rear Camber Control Arms + 17" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1's; 215-45-17 Kumho MX's + AP Racing Formula Big Brakes, XDrilled Rotors, Goodridge SS Lines + Clear Bra + Cobra Daytonas + Schroth Harnesses and a full tank of 100 octane ... life is good

 

Octane is kind of like taking vitamins - up to a certain point, it does you good, but past that, you're just wasting money.

To put it simply, octane is a measure of how easily the fuel ignites. In a high compression engine, the heat from compression can cause the fuel to ignite before it's supposed to - before the spark occurs. This pre-ignition can damage the engine, punching a hole in the pistons or damaging the bearings or connecting rods. The solution is to run a higher octane (less ignitable) fuel.

A lower compression engine, which can run on lower octane fuels, can be given higher octane fuel, but there's no point in it. You're just wasting money. If you don't get pre-ignition, there's nothing to be gained by going to higher octane. (Someone else in this thread suggested that going to much higher octane than required could actually decrease performance. I hadn't heard this before, but it kind of makes sense.)

Things get a little more complicated in this era of computer-controlled, emission-controlled engines. If a modern engine's computer starts to sense pre-ignition, it will adjust the spark timing (or some other parameter? I'm not sure) to prevent harm to the engine. That's why they say you should run at least 91 octane in your MCS, but 93 octane is better. You may get a little more performance out of 93 than 91. But beyond that, you pay a LOT more money and probably don't get anything in return.

P.S. Califzeph - where was this 76 station you're talking about? Somewhere in Citrus Heights?

 

I have been using 100 octane mixed with 91 octance already in the tank on hot track days here in Northern California at Thunderhill. It gets in the 90+ degree range there in the summer months and at WOT, it gives you some extra protection. Also, I received this advice from several of the instructors at Thunderhill. Interesting also that last week at Laguna Seca BMWCCA school, the instructors said that 100 octane was not needed because of the cool temps (in the low 50's), and wet conditions (slowing cars down) at the track.

 

Maybe the difference here is that some of you are running lower octain to start with? Here in CT we get 93 out of the pump at todays price of about 1.99 gal.

 

About all you can find in N. Calif. is 91 octane, and it's more like $2.11/gal. these days.

 

Brad - where is this? I'd like to try it :smile:

 

the local gas sation in town (Chardon Oil) sell race fuel for the drag strip down the street from me. they have 109, 113,AND 125 octane fuel. 125 is called JET FUEL!!!! jet fuel is 7 a gallon. and i has a waring label on the pump!

 

Pretty funny since "jet fuel" is actually a form of diesel. Whatever you run make sure it in unleaded and not low lead. If you have cats and run even low lead you won't have them long. Lead will also ruin your O2 sensors.