Are octane boosters worth the money

[obi_waynne]

Have you ever used an Octane booster? Did it make any difference? Would you use it again? Do you think octane boosters are worth the money?

There are also loads on the market so which ones are the best in your opinion?

Torco Accelerator
Gold Eagle 104+
Lucas Oil 10725-PK18 & 10026-PK12
STP Octane booster
Klotz Octane Booster
Fuchs pro boost
Millers Petrol Power treatment Boost

Or do you use and favour another brand? Anything to watch or any drawbacks in using octane boosters?

 

[old-git]

I have yet to see definitive proof that any of them actually work well enough to be worth the expense.

 

[T9 man]

One missing from that list in the late 80's was called Moroso Octane booster!

I know off two guys at least, one with a Granada 3.0 V6 heavily modified and another with a Chevy Camaro called the Rat Catcher. If memory serves me correctly it had a huge LS7 V8 engine with a supercharger and Holley double pumper carbs.
Both cars featured in the then Custom Car magazine. These were run on the Moroso octane booster and it was highly regarded at the time without a bad word to say about it.

 

[Redd]

In bog standard engines, they dont make any difference really. But in highly tuned engines, I think they are designed to prevent engine knock.

 

[HDi fun]

Many factors at work here. Compression ratio is just one. Combustion chamber temperature is another. Absolute pressure in the chambers is abother too. Ignition timing is the least of our worries.

No point tuning an engine for 102RON fuel when you can only buy 99RON at the pumps.

Also consider that calorific value of the fuel plays a massive part in determining the energy that can be realised from it.

I've never used Octane boosters ever.

Diesel Cetane boosters - different story altogether

 

[T9 man]

Never used octane boosters either HDi, but I certainly notice the difference between BP ultimate and Shell Optimax when there in the tank

 

[HDi fun]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yes agreed. That should be enough though, BP used to sell a 102RON fuel in Newport Pagnell - the forecourt was directly opposite Aston Martin's HQ. Over two quid a litre in 2006

 

[SLEEPER]

The idea is sound in as far that the good additives do raise the octane , but that wont make your car go faster.

It does however have a couple of uses for me.

I keep some in the car just in case I cant find any 99 petrol when I need it.

I was advised to add some when I was going to Marham airfield to do a top speed run - thats where you have 1.5 miles flat out starting from about 60-70 mph
This wasnt to make it faster but to be safer for the engine as flat out that long in top is when any det is most likely. (even with a very good map). It isnt expensive and in this case will only help.

But it is any good to make boy racers in hot hatches go faster ...NO

 

[GOGGA]

I us NX 6 tron, we only get 95 ulp ,

 

[gummy]

saw a program on tv once where they tested some octane boosters,they didnt make any difference,some made the engine worse!!!!!!!!!.

 

[HDi fun]

Tesco's Momentum 99 is a legitimate 99RON fuel. It (the 99 RON rating) is achieved (so I am told) by the addition of ethanol (possibly plant derived ethanol). And it works. BUT - the larger issue at work here is not the RON rating but the calorific value of the fuel. Ie - energy per kilo plays a bigger part than the RON rating.

Therefore, using an octane booster with good quality 95RON fuel will work well. Using it with poor quality fuel (and I'm not about to get into definitions at this point) of any pump rating won't.

Plus - all engines are not the same

 

[adam1983]

I think this video sums it up quite well http://youtu.be/2jbcCr2ll3c

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

If the engine does not require a higher octane then generally there is little or no noticeable improvement to be had HOWEVER in boosted applications the good ones are well worthwhile due to positive pressure forcing more air into the cylinders and raising the actual compression ratio well over the static CR .
OB's slow down the burning rate of the fuel.
My motor that has a 8.7-1 static CR and when I add 16 psi the actual CR is app 18-1 NO THAT'S NOT A MISPRINT
http://kb-silvolite.com/article.php?action=read&A_id=57

 

[Fwd]

Only time I would think of using an octane booster is if my tune required high octane fuel (98 in aussieland), but I was driving in the outback and I could only access lower octane fuel, which can happen.
As mentioned earlier if you have no knock sensor you can't even rely on different tuning parameters being of benefit.

I guess if your ecu has dual mapping you may find some benefits at the drags or whatever running the second map with the booster?

You guys get e85 over there?

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

When Octane boosters claim to increase 7 points that that really means 7/10 ths of 1 full point .The best performing ones are NULON and Lucas as both have been tested and take 98 RON to 100+ RON