[s-cars] Toluene

[Charlie Smith]

Earlier, Linus Toy wrote:
>
> 1 gallon of toluene in a tank (+5%) will only raise your octane level from
> 92 to about 93...for a meaningful boost, you need an 10% (2 gal ~ 94
> octane) or even 20% (4 gal ~ 96 octane) mix of toluene.  google for Eliot
> Lim's Rocket Fuel FAQ

Here's a copy of Eliot's Rocket Fuel FAQ:

    http://www.elektro.com/~audi/audi/toluene.html

The Q&A for figuring octane is:

  -----
Q: How much toluene should I use per tank of gas?

A: Octane ratings can be very easily calculated by simple averaging.
For example, the tank of an Audi A4 1.8TQ is 15.6 gallons. Filling
it with 14.6 gallons of 92 octane and 1 gallon of toluene (114 octane)
will yield a fuel mix of:

 (14.6 * 92) + (1 * 114) / 15.6 = 93.4 octane
  -----

What this works out to, for octane of the mixture - is as follows:

(gal of gasoline * octane of gasoline) * (gal of toluene * 114) / tanksize

And as somebody has said, Sherwin Williams stores sell Toluene for
about $5.00 in a gallon can.  They can order 5 gallon cans for about $4.00
per gallon.  They can also order 55 gallon drums at about $4.00/gal but
you have to have a dock level unloading platform to get the drum(s) out
of the delivery truck.  Which I don't have; so that means I should go
for the 5 gallon cans.

    - Charlie