All posts by FTE

What’s the Difference Between Hybrid and Gasoline Cars?

November 2, 2022 FTE Leave a comment

Gasoline cars have been around for more than a century and what Carl Benz started as an endeavor became the most common means of transportation. Since then, there have been dozens of new auto manufacturers, and the technology has advanced rapidly. More unique engine configurations, refined transmissions and suspension systems, and betterment in almost every aspect occurred. But the real change occurred after nearly 100 years when Toyota unveiled their first Hybrid car, the very popular Toyota Prius. Thanks to its unbelievable fuel economy, controversially silent powertrain, and fewer emissions, it had everybody in its awe. It was an all-new concept with a grand promise for the future of greener mobility.

Although hybrid technology has matured a lot since its inception and the world is moving onto electric cars, it remains the most striking development in the auto industry. Let’s review some of the most significant differences between hybrid and gasoline cars and relive the nostalgia of technology transformation.

Powertrain and Technical Specs

Hybrid cars are similar to gas cars, but there is one significant difference, an electric motor and a battery. The engine is augmented by a battery-powered motor which supplements the available power. Not only does it enhance fuel efficiency, but it also reduces carbon emissions and offers a more refined driving experience. The motor runs all the time, especially at lower speeds, to keep the load off the engine and improve the mileage. The driver can also choose to drive in hybrid, electric-only, and engine-only modes.

The technology behind gasoline cars is straightforward. They have an internal combustion engine mated to a manual or automatic transmission, supported by a suspension setup. The engine has many other periphery parts, such as a timing belt, alternator, radiator, and fuel system, emission control system, for it to function. The engine uses gasoline to deliver a combustion process that generates power to rotate a driveshaft, which is directed to the wheels via a transmission. The technical specs and ICE (internal combustion engine) technology has been refined immensely over time, with the introduction of advanced fuel injection system, emission systems, and low viscosity oils to reduce friction.

Mileage and Fuel Efficiency

One aspect setting these types of cars apart is the fuel economy and mileage. Gasoline cars are great to drive but are known gas-guzzlers unless you opt for the more refined, smaller-capacity engines.

Hybrid cars changed this and offered improved fuel efficiency without sacrificing drivability or refinement. With the motor and engine running in synergy, the hybrid can offer greater mileage with the plugin variant ideal for short journeys running solely on battery only.

Service and Maintenance

Maintenance and servicing of the gas and hybrid cars can be different, and one has to be meticulous with their hybrid car, in contrast to an ICE car. Hybrid cars feature more complex technology, additional parts, and an intermittently running motor powered by lithium-ion batteries. Auto manufacturers have sketched an exact maintenance schedule for hybrid vehicles that must be followed to ensure long-term durability and optimal performance. A few of the essential maintenance steps involved in hybrid cars’ servicing can include a battery check, calibration, and possible recalibration of the electric motors.

On the other hand, gasoline cars are simpler to maintain, replacing fewer wearing parts every few thousand miles, mainly engine oil and filters.

Utility and Dependability

Gasoline cars have been around for much longer than hybrids, and needless to say that they served the purpose very well. Long-term durability, easy usage, a wide range of applications, and, more recently, longer service intervals.

Hybrid cars can offer excellent dependability, thanks to hybrid technology and improved fuel economy, in an eco-friendlier manner. Then came the plug-in hybrid vehicles, where batteries could be charged from home and allow short trips on battery-only power.

Some PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) have been tested and are known to offer up to 75 mpg in fuel economy. Many also use regenerative braking, the technology that converts the kinetic energy of the brakes into electrical energy and charges the battery while you drive.

Emission Standards

There is no comparison in this department. Hybrid cars have two main goals, fuel economy and greener functioning. These cars generate substantially fewer carbon emissions than gasoline cars and are touted as the stepping stone toward zero-emissions mobility. This helps considerably with car tax, especially with company-supplied cars.

Gasoline cars are notorious for creating pollution and emitting toxic gases into the environment. Diesel cars are even more harmful to the environment and are slowly being phased out in favor of more environment-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles on a global scale.

Types

Unlike gasoline cars, Hybrid cars are offered in different types and come with different technologies, mostly based on the battery type used in the car. Types of hybrid cars include;

Conventional hybrid
Mild hybrid
Plug-in hybrid

Summary

	Gasoline	Hybrid
Fuel Efficiency	Poor	Good
Emissions	Poor	Poor-Good
Complexity	Average	High
Performance	Good	Good
Maintenance	Average	Average
Price	Average	Above Average

Race Fuel, Uncategorized

Race Fuel Composition and Its Effects on the Engine

October 15, 2022 FTE Leave a comment

It’s a common misconception that race fuel is an otherworldly, specially formulated concoction. Some think it is a unique blend of chemicals that a regular road-going car cannot handle. However, the reality is quite different.

We will try to separate the truth from the lies and unravel the secrets behind race fuel, its composition, and its effects on an engine.

For the sake of this argument, we will choose Formula 1 as our case study, since it is, after all, the pinnacle of motorsports. No other racing series comes even close to the level of innovation and engineering promoted by Formula 1. Therefore, it is only fitting that the series be chosen as an example.

What is Race Fuel?

In simple terms, race fuel is a highly specialized variant of regular fuel used in motorsport competitions across the globe. However, its composition and nature vary from one racing series to another.

Usually, race fuel has a high octane rating and it consists of additives that support performance. But various motorsport series regulate their race fuel and Formula 1 is no different.

So, what is unique about race fuel? Let’s look at its composition from the F1 perspective.

Race Fuel Composition 300

The race fuel must have the following composition to be declared legal.

Property	Units	Min	Max	Test Method
(RON+MON)/2		87		ASTM D 2699/D 2700
Oxygen	wt%		3.7	Elemental Analysis
Nitrogen	mg/kg		500	ASTM D 5762
Benzene	wt%		1	GC-MS
DVPE	kPa	45	60(1)	EN13016-1
Lead	mg/l		5	ASTM D 3237 or ICP-OES
Manganese	mg/l		2	ASTM D 3831 or ICP-OES
Metals (excluding alkali metals)	mg/l		5	ICP-OES
Oxidation Stability	minutes	360		ASTM D 525
Sulphur	mg/kg		10	EN ISO 20846
Electrical conductivity	pS/m	200		ASTM D 2624
Final Boiling Point	oC		210	ISO 3405
Distillation Residue	%v/v		2	ISO 3405

Such detailed guidelines show the precise measurements of the compounds involved in creating race fuel. But one thing is missing from the table, which has only recently been added to Formula 1.

We are talking about ethanol and F1’s push towards a sustainable future. The racing series has declared that from 2022 onwards, race fuel must have 10% ethanol in the mixture. In other words, F1 cars must run on E10 fuel and cut down on their dependence on pure gasoline. The percentage of ethanol or bio-fuels will increase even further from 2025 till the entire composition of race fuel consists of sustainable compounds.

But why take such radical steps?

Well, Formula 1 is trying to save the environment by shifting their cars to sustainable fuels. They also know that their technology transfers quite quickly to road cars. Therefore, if they make the change now, future cars would become more environmentally friendly. The fuel they use will be ‘greener’ and the earth as we know it, might be spared from adopting EV technology and its side effects.

Bio-fuel Ethanol and its source 100

The interesting thing about ethanol is that it is extracted from various plant materials like corn starch or other non-edible fibrous materials. You do not have to cut down mountains or drill deep holes to extract this soon-to-be precious liquid.

In other words, it is a non-exhaustive renewable source which does not produce harmful carbon gases on combustion.

The process to produce ethanol is completed in a lab after which the pure ethanol is mixed with the gasoline to make the E10 fuel we can see in F1 cars today.

Ethanol and its effects on the engine 200

The introduction of ethanol in the mix is a good omen, right? After all, the world would benefit from manufacturers tuning their engines to support ethanol and then that technology would transfer to road cars. It sounds too good to be true, and it is!

You see, ethanol might be good for the environment but it is not suitable for a gasoline engine. So, the idea to introduce an increasing amount of ethanol in fuel looks good but it isn’t practical as of now. Perhaps, with the regulations in F1, we will get to see some improvements in the engine’s ability to adapt to such a change. But quick results won’t be possible and they might not be possible at all without sacrificing performance.

Currently, commercial fuel has 3 to 5% ethanol included in the mixture and that works. But experts believe that a 10% increase could do considerable damage to engine components. Let alone a 15% or 30% increase in composition. That’s because ethanol dries up the engine from the inside, causing damage to the injectors, fuel pipes, hoses, rubbers and other materials.

The last thing you would want is to do irreversible damage to your car. So, what is your way out?

Luckily, F1 teams and fuel suppliers have taken to the challenge and found ways to work around the issue. The Formula One racecars are a living example of how a 10% ethanol composition is efficiently possible and even sustainable.

You can take a look at the Ferrari and Shell partnership in the current F1 season. The Italian team feared a 20 HP loss due to the changes they made to their engine’s combustion chambers. The latter was necessary to mitigate the effects of the E10 fuel.

However, the team recently cut down the gap and found a way to regain the lost 20 HP, thanks to Shell. The renowned fuel supplier has found a way to make E10 fuel more powerful and efficient. In fact, Shell’s E10 fuel is expected to get even better in the coming few months. They could perfect the E10 fuel in a few years to make it commercially viable.

Unfortunately, Shell is tight-lipped on how they managed to extract 20 extra horsepower from their E10 fuel just by researching the chemicals and compounds. They do not want their rivals copying their research. But all the teams may come out with a different solution to the problem and find another unique way to tackle E10 fuels.

One thing is for sure, whatever hacks the fuel suppliers employ during this season and the next will come in handy in the future. We will know for sure once regular fuel would be forced to run a 10% ethanol composition.

Can race fuel be used in a road car?

We have already established that race fuel is quite similar to regular fuel. But if that is true, can you use race fuel in your daily driver?

The answer is no, you shouldn’t put race fuel in your car. First off, you won’t be able to find it too easily. But if you do get your hands on some, it would be dangerous for yourself and your car to run on specialized fuel.

The biggest reason is that modern cars are designed to run on unleaded fuel. A racecar, on the other hand, is designed to run on leaded fuel. You can see the composition for race fuel in the section above and there you will find that a maximum of 5 mg/l of lead is allowed in race fuel.

Meanwhile, your road-going sedan needs unleaded fuel, meaning you can’t even put a small amount inside. Otherwise, you would mess up the entire engine and the costs of repair would shoot through the roof.

Conclusion

Ethanol is becoming an increasing factor in racecars and it will soon be a concerning factor for road cars. We will see innovations in technology, like the one we saw by Shell. But the fuel part of the equation won’t be enough unless engines are redesigned and changed alongside it.

The efforts by Shell, its rivals as well as engine manufacturers would change the world as we know it! Perhaps, we will make it in time to stop total EV domination. Maybe we won’t make it, but the revolutionary research in fuel technology would help reduce carbon emissions a bit further. The trucks, ships and other large vehicles would be able to do their work without producing carbon emissions.

Pentosin

Pentosin FFL-Racing for the Nissan GTR

January 9, 2013 FTE Leave a comment

After extensive development, Pentosin (now FUCHS) has released a dedicated fluid for the Nissan GTR transmission – FFL-Racing. This has been developed specifically for the GTR transmission and thoroughly tested on stock cars and highly modified vehicles running more than 800 hp.

FUCHS are the world leaders in transmission fluids, supplying over 95% of OE fluid for DCT transmissions in Europe. Their focus is not on marketing; instead, they choose to invest heavily in their own research and development programs and own four of only ten multi-million pounds ZF drive-line test rigs that exist in the world today.

FFL-Racing is designed to transform the transmission in your GTR, significantly improving drivability and component protection.

Smart O Plug

How does SMART-O Plug work?

February 19, 2012 FTE Leave a comment

SMART-O Plug is not just any ordinary drain plug. It’s a leap forward in oil drain plug technology, and its patent-protected design is proven to eliminate the risk of oil loss in engines and transmissions.

Here are some of the most common problems that arise when an oil change goes wrong. Smart-O helps prevent:

– Loss of plug, sudden oil loss, or engine damage from negligent installation
– Stripped threads and damaged oil pan
– Increased risk of oil leakage and damage to other vehicle parts
– Oil leakage from oil pan- Oil stains on driveway & roads
– Oil pan replacement costs between £125 – £250
– Oil entering waterways and contaminating large amounts of water

Every SMART-O plug features an intelligent O-ring that acts as a safe seal, reducing the risk of oil leakage, rapid oil loss, and oil pan damage. Finally, it reduces the risk of adverse environmental impact – especially water pollution through engine oil.

The unique O-ring system works by including a fail-safe mechanism that uses a patent-protected technology. Upon contact with oil, the specially designed O-ring reacts to the oil and expands by up to 10%. This immediately prevents potential oil loss that could cause damage and problems elsewhere in the car or environment.

The O-ring is also designed to generate higher prevailing torque with an anti-vibration function. This counteracts the self-loosening caused by vibration in the car and means your plug will stay firmly in place, even if under torqued and in the harshest conditions such as motorsport or track days. Tests have shown that even hand-tightened plugs did not vibrate loose.

And as If that wasn’t enough, there is yet another safety feature built into SMART-O. A specialist thread guard allows safe sealing at standard torque to reduce pressure on the oil pan thread and allows for a safer and longer life span with less wear and tear.

Best Motor Oil

Best Synthetic Motor Oil

May 25, 2011 FTE Leave a comment

Synthetic motor oils have been around since World War II, although they were mainly used in the aviation industry back then. It wasn’t until decades later that the automotive sector pulled its finger out and started incorporating synthetic technology into the engine oil. Although more expensive, there is no doubt they offer much more significant benefits than conventional mineral oils for most automotive applications.

We will not bore you with Ester this or PAO that because it doesn’t have to be complicated; after all, the role of oil is to lubricate, cool, clean, and protect, and the best synthetic motor oils have one quality that makes them stand out from all other kinds of oil: they satisfy these four criteria very well. They can also withstand higher operating temperatures without breaking down while remaining effective at lower operating temperatures.

So you are looking for the best synthetic motor oil? Well, it doesn’t exist. What might be suitable for one engine may not be ideal for another, but we are discussing extremes here. Also, there are many similarities when comparing the highest quality synthetic blends. Many revered brands exist, such as Fuchs, Amsoil, Motul, Rock Oil, Millers, Mobil 1, Castrol, Red Line, and so on. However, it is vital that you trust the brand/supplier and then ensure that you choose the correct specification, approval, and viscosity for your engine, whether standard or modified.

Does a shear point difference of 180 versus 185 degrees matter when the oil temperature never exceeds 110 degrees, even during the most spirited driving? The very best engine oils exceed the recognized standards anyway. Our advice is if you want the best, gain trust in a brand and choose the best that the brand has to offer for your particular engine.

Why this approach? Being in the trade, we know what goes on firsthand behind the scenes. The consumer is oblivious, but we will reveal some truths because it’s one big con. This may upset a few, but what it is, is that we would be remiss if we told it to you any other way.

1. A £50 or $50 gallon of oil probably contains around £5 or $5 worth of ingredients.
2. Most oil companies purchase additives packs from one of the two prominent formulation companies to their own specification, of course. That’s right; they subcontract the procurement of ingredients and their formulation to the SAME companies.
3. It’s just one big marketing competition.

The oil companies have little interest in outdoing each other with the quality of their oils as it does not pay them to do so. It’s a marketing competition, not a product performance competition. The best engine oil technology is reserved for specialist applications such as motorsport.

Again, if you are looking for the best motor oil, then our advice is to research, gain the trust of a reputable brand and ensure that you purchase from a legitimate vendor that will provide you with honest and accurate advice. Advice that includes recommending the best oil for your particular engine needs.

Best Motor Oil

What is the Best Motor Oil – Our View

April 4, 2011 FTE Leave a comment

Motor oil is used to lubricate, cool, and protect. It lubricates the moving parts and keeps your engine clean and cool by absorbing and dissipating some heat generated through friction and the combustion process. Its additive pack is also designed to collect particulates and other contaminants and transport them to the oil filter.

To understand the best motor oils for your car, you need to know different oils and what they can do for or to your engine. Quality of oil will mean other things to different people, but the better you know your engine and how it works, the easier it is for you to identify the best motor oil for your engine.

There are synthetic motor oils, synthetic blended motor oils, and regular motor oils. You need to know the difference and the attributes of all three.

Let’s have a look at synthetic motor oils. They can withstand greater temperatures while remaining stable. They are the best motor oils concerning protection and lubricity capability. They are generally better at reducing friction. They have one weakness – they can penetrate and leak more easily, but only on much older vehicles. They are also expensive, but on the upside, and depending on the quality of the additive pack, they have a longer change cycle. You can usually keep the oil in your engine for a more extended period before it needs changing. Being the best, they are widely used in performance vehicles and long-life service intervals, where the demands on oil are far greater.

Blended synthetic motor oils are blends of synthetic and regular mineral oils. This means that they have picked the best qualities of both oil types. They are usually a good compromise and the best motor oil for mid-range vehicles as they offer a good compromise between protection and cost. They can endure the more demanding driving conditions while not costing the earth. The fact that they are blended also brings down their price. Because of the mix with mineral-based oil, the risk of leakage you would get with synthetic motor oil is significantly reduced. Still, again, this only applies to older vehicles.

Lastly, we have regular mineral oil. This is considered the most inferior kind of engine oil on the market. They are, of course, the cheapest and are generally more suited for the much older or specialized vehicle. They are more susceptible to leaving the sludge behind in the crankcase. This is because they break down much easier than their synthetic counterparts.

When choosing the best motor oil, you’ll find many brands in the market. There are prominent stand-out brands as well as lesser-known ones. The key is ensuring that they satisfy the relevant SAE, API tests, etc., and are suitable for your vehicle. Check with the owner manual and choose a suitable oil based on its suitability (specification-wise), how often you change the oil (synthetic for more extended changes), and the type of driving you do.

As for the best, look for authentic, fully synthetic (PAO, Ester) base stocks with the latest nano additive packs.

Biodiesel & Biofuels

What is Biodiesel and Biodiesel Production

April 4, 2011 FTE Leave a comment

Fuel prices are rising daily, making operating even at a domestic level more expensive. Anything that uses petroleum or associated products has become more expensive. The only alternative is to look for a source of fuel that is renewable and, at the same time, cheap. So far, biodiesel, a biofuel, seems to be the answer.

Biodiesel is a kind of fuel that’s made from plant and animal oils. Plants are preferred because their production is easier and cheaper than animals. On a commercial scale, the most used are soybeans, sunflower seeds, canola, and other recycled vegetable-based oils.

Biodiesel production seems to be gaining popularity because it’s generally a cheaper and more efficient way of powering up and because it’s more environmentally friendly with fewer pollutants. Some tests have shown emissions to be nil.

It also has a positive effect on reducing the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fossil fuel emissions produce plenty of these and are “allegedly” responsible for much of the climate damage present today.

Producing biodiesel is an easy enough process so long as you obtain the correct equipment and necessary materials. As an individual, it wouldn’t be unwise to start thinking about how to make this a part of the way you power your life; the more fossil fuels deplete, the more expensive they will become.

Biodiesel, on the other hand, is relatively cheap to produce. The only thing that might cost you is the initial capital to buy the equipment, but after that, the materials you will use are cheap and easily obtainable. The supplier usually dictates commercial biodiesel costs based on where and how much he sources his raw materials.

You will not need to change your engine if you plan to start using biodiesel, providing it is fortified with the correct additives. Most engines today are compliant, although you should get a warranty that covers biodiesel use. There are advantages to your engine for using biodiesel; it is a great lubricant, but it is important to blend it correctly and fortify it with the correct additives to improve flow, protect against gelling and waxing, raise cetane, correct pH, and improve the combustion quality.

Biodiesel Production Process

The process involves chemically altering the molecular structure of organic oils. It requires a catalyst and alcohol. The organic oil is heated to a specific temperature to initiate the chemical reaction, and then the catalyst and the alcohol are added.

They are then mixed for a while and left to settle. The resulting oil will be in several layers. The topmost is biodiesel, which at this stage is called an ester.

The lower layers contain soap and glycerine. This layer facilitates separation. The soap and glycerine are drained, and the biodiesel is purified and dried. It is then filtered to remove any particulate matter before it is ready to use.

Equipment for making biodiesel has come on a long way; it is now highly automated, and you can create high-quality biofuel faster and more efficiently.

You can have your equipment custom-made depending on your needs, or you can purchase DIY using kits with instructions that are downloadable from the net for free. It’s best to start small, so you can fully understand the process. If you’re going to buy a processor, estimate your needs. It will determine the size of the processor that you will buy. They range from £500 to several thousand pounds. You will pay around £200 for a DIY kit, but kits for more complex systems will cost you more.

Microwave technology has now been incorporated into processors to make the process faster and improve the quality of the final product. It also makes it more energy efficient than the older biodiesel production because the chemical process is shorter.

It is the future. Ensure the fuel is fortified with the correct additives and can outperform standard pump fuel.

Octane Boosters

Octane Boosters – Which is Best?

August 8, 2008 FTE 23 Comments

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Please note that this article and respective tests are old and outdated. The octane market has changed significantly over the past decade due to increased legislation on the use of anti-knock compounds. MMT, Ferrocene etc, are toxic and now heavily restricted in the UK and EU market. Products containing more than 0.3% volume can only be sold to professionals and are illegal to sell to the public. This is why you see manufacturers moving out of this market because <0.3% is inadequate for even a weak octane booster. Amazon will no longer sell such products. Products like NF Race should not be on the market and it is only a matter of time before the HSE catch up with the importers of non-compliant octane boosters.

Also note that regular use of these products will foul spark plugs and contaminate engine oil. There is no substitute for using a higher octane fuel.

So are octane boosters all they’re cracked up to be? Furthermore, do they really increase the octane rating as much as advertised?

Octane boosters are popular in the performance scene because they often regain power lost through detonation. Sold for around $10 – $50 (£7 – £30) in a handy bottle, they’re a convenient fuel additive and horsepower helper. But with so many brands on the market, you may be fooled into thinking they’re all as effective as one another.

Well, they’re not! Differing chemical compounds, additives and even volumes, mixed in with a good percentage of advertising, ‘independent” testing and testimonials all conspire to confuse the consumer away from the single most important point: does it improve the octane rating? Let’s find out the truth.

Firstly, Do I Need an Octane Booster? If you haven’t already done so then read our article “Do you really need an octane booster” first.

If you have determined the need for an octane booster then continue…

For this test we tracked down nine common makes and variations of octane booster; two fuel “additives,” a straight race fuel and a drum of Toluene. Where there were several different “levels” of octane boosters in the one brand, we chose the strongest version.

The biggest claims the manufacturers have is the amount of “points” they claim to increase. This can be ambiguous as a “point” can relate to either 1.0 RON (Research Octane Number) octane points, or 0.1RON octane points.

The list of entrants in our octane Olympics included:

• STP Octane Booster
• Wynns Octane 10+ Power Booster
• Amsoil Series 2000 Octane Boost
• Super 104+ Octane Booster
• VP C5 Fuel Additive
• ELF HTX 330 Racing Fuel Stabilizer
• Nulon Pro Strength Octane Booster
• PowerFuel Super Street Nitro Based
• PowerFuel Max Race Nitro Based
• NF Octane Booster Racing Formula
• NOS Octane Booster Racing Formula
• Toluene
• VP Motorsport 103 Unleaded Racing Fuel

The Test

To conduct these tests we contracted independent laboratory Intertek Testing Services, who would test our products on a “knock engine.” We also had to find a base fuel to add our boosters to so we went to the closest public petrol station, which happened to be Shell.

Being a performance-based test, we chose premium unleaded fuel as this represents the most common high performance fuel (i.e.: if you start with regular unleaded, you’re wasting money!) We should add that “some” boosters would have improved the octane rating of regular unleaded proportionately more than our tests with PULP.

With a RON rating at a minimum of 95, we first established the exact octane of the PULP. The biggest surprise was our randomly select Shell resulted in a quite high 96.8 RON. We precisely measured and mixed each additive to the PULP, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and poured each into the knock engine’s tank. The compression ratio was then slowly increased until it started to knock, gaining a threshold of detonation and subsequently a maximum RON rating.

Of less importance but still worth mentioning is the design of the bottles: since most people will be pouring it straight into a tank, the design of a bottle is important to prevent any spillage on paintwork causing damage. So let’s look at the results!

Octane Points

As mentioned earlier, it’s very easy to confuse octane ratings as there are a number of separate international standards. MON (Motor Octane Number) is the number derived from a fuel when it’s applied to a test engine run at 3000rpm rather than 600rpm and with higher inlet temps and ignition advance. An known importer of 104+ fuel suggested MON is seen as a more real-world test. Although none of the fuel companies promote the MON figure which is normally between 7 and 10 numbers less than RON (Research Octane Number). Intertek’s Graeme Marks believes RON provides the general public with an idea of which additive works more effectively. And being the most commonly-used reference, we’ve decided to use RON for all our tests.

The Results

BASELINE OCTANE 96.8

11th PowerFuel Super Street Nitro Based – 946ml treats 35 litres RRP: $35
Octane Improvement: 97.0 (+0.2 RON)

Right from the start, we were told PowerFuel’s additives weren’t necessarily octane boosters, but horsepower helpers. We kept this in mind when testing both the products, but of the two, only the Super Street claimed it was specifically designed to increase the octane rating of PULP. With a 20-percent nitro mix, Super Street Nitro-Based still improved octane ever so slightly (0.2RON) but the real test for these two would really come on dyno power runs.

10th PowerFuel MaxRace Nitro Based – 946ml treats 35 litres RRP: $45
Octane Improvement: 97.0 (+0.2 RON)

Containing another 15 percent more nitromethane than the SuperStreet formula, MaxRace doesn’t claim to increase octane, but the verbal recommendation was the same, i.e.: its main characteristic is to boost horsepower, not octane. For a fair comparison of these two additives, you need to look at the power they produce. As for octane, it proved very similar toe the SuperStreet formula bumping up octane ever so slightly.

9th STP Octane Booster – 350ml treats 57 litres RRP: $10.95
Octane Improvement: 97.4 (+0.6 RON)

One of the cheapest of the group, the STP was also one of the hardest to find. Auto stores either didn’t stock it, or had simply run out! Claiming to increase the octane 2-5 points, in a well-designed-for-pouring bottle, the STP – used in the ratio determined by the label – improved the octane marginally by just over half a point. A little disappointing unless you interpret STP’s claim actually meant 0.2-0.5 points. Then it’s a good result!

8th Wynns Octane 10+ Power Booster – 325ml treats 60 litres RRP: $10
Octane Improvement: 97.6 (+0.8 RON)

Wynns was the cheapest of the lot and claimed an increase between two and five points, again not actually listing what a “point” related to. Strangely though the 10+ could indicate 1RON and if this is the case going by our tests it almost lived up to its name. But, not quite, increasing the octane rating by 0.8RON.

7th Super 104+ Octane Boost – 473ml treats 83 litres RRP: $25.95
Octane Improvement: 97.5 (+0.9 RON)

The acknowledged winner of all previous testing, Super 104+’s bottle stated we should expect an increase between four and seven point. With a new formula introduced about 12 months ago, identified by an “Eagle” logo on the back of the bottle, the Super 104+ seems to have lost its edge with a marginal gain of just less than 1.0RON.

6th VP Racing C5 – 355ml treats 75 litres RRP: $19.95
Octane Improvement: 98.1 (+1.3 RON)

VP has a strong reputation with fuels and its high octane formulas are very popular with drag racers. VP Racing’s C5 Fuel additive lacked information concerning its contents or claims, but the C5 additive still provided a reasonable increase of 1.3RON.

5th NOS Octane Booster Racing Formula – 355ml treats 60 litres RRP: $28
Octane Improvement: 98.6 (+1.8 RON)

NOS, a relatively new octane booster, comes in “1/10th” scale bottles designed to emulate the actual nitrous bottles of its successful NOS systems. The Racing Formula is the strongest of three concentrates and containing Hydrotreated Aliphatics and Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl (try saying that 10 times in a row), it contains a lead replacement which NOS claims increases the octane rating by as much as seven points. Obviously not recommended for street use, it also included with a handy pouring spout. In testing, it proved a good result improving the octane rating by almost 2 RON.

4th ELF 330 Fuel Stabilizer – 1000ml treats 50 litres RRP: $45
Octane Improvement: 98.6 (+1.8 RON)

“If you spill it on your paintwork, don’t rub it off – rinse it with water” were the words of warning. We were also told to “pre-mix” the ELF before adding it in a fuel tank (which we were doing anyway) as the ELF has a tendency to settle to the bottom of fuel if it’s either not mixed properly or left to sit. This was made somewhat more difficult by the design of the bottle, which tends to drip when pouring. With some nasty stuff known as Aniline, the ELF 330 doesn’t claim any numbers, but provided a decent 1.8 RON point improvement.

3rd Amsoil Series 2000 Octane Boost – 354ml treats 57 litres RRP: $23
Octane Improvement: 98.8 (+2.0 RON)

Recommended for off-road and racing use, the Amsoil Series 2000 claimed to increase the octane rating by up to seven points. It came up a little short, but still proved surprisingly good with a full 2.0 RON improvement. This was good enough for the bronze medal in our Octane Booster Olympics.

2nd Toluene (Toluol) – 20 litres treats 100 litres RRP: $48
Octane Improvement: 99.3 (+2.5 RON)

Since toluene (pronounced toll-you-een – also known as methyl benzine) isn’t a commercially advertised octane booster, we were unsure of exactly what ratio to mix the clear Toluene to the fuel. From personal experience, and although we had seen high percentages increase octane even further, 30 percent was considered the maximum. Available only from various fuel distributors (it is a special order through services stations), under advice we ran a 20 percent mix (quite a lot more than the others) and saw an impressive improvement of 2.5 RON. This achieved the silver medal.

1st NF Octane Booster Racing Formula – 250 ml treats 80 litres RRP: $29.95
Octane Improvement: 99.6 (+2.8 RON)

An Australian-made product from Perth, the NF Octane Booster Racing Formula was the smallest bottle in the field, but looking at the mixing ratio, also the strongest relying on an incredibly small dose – a mere 3 percent! Claiming to increase octane as much as 6.0 RON , NF took the gold medal in a surprising tie. If it were a split decision based on concentration though, it would be the clear winner.

1st Nulon Pro Strength Octane Booster – 500 ml treats 60 litres RRP: $20.95
Octane Improvement: 99.6 (+2.8 RON)

The Australian-made Nulon Pro Strength Octane Booster is the top of the range Nulon fuel product, claiming to boost octane “up to seven number”. The Pro Strength gained a joint gold-medal equalling NF’s 2.8RON increase.

Race Fuel

VP Motorsport 103 fuel – Used straight fuel (20-litre minimum) RRP: $70
Octane Improvement: 107 (+10.2RON)

Purely for interest, we also decided to test a straight racing fuel. While there are many available (such as ELF) for no particular reason we chose VP. The highest octane VP fuel which was still totally street-legal was the Motorsport 103. Working out at $3.50 per litre and “designed for maximum power and throttle response”, the VP was very impressive with an octane rating of 107RON – more than 10RON points more than PULP. Obviously more expensive than the boosters but if octane is problem, racing fuel like VP may be the answer.

Further Information

As the name suggests, a knock engine is designed to test the detonation or anti-knock rating of fuels and fuel additives. It’s a slow revving engine capable of running most fossil fuels through an adjustable compression ratio. As the comp ratio increases, it accurately measures the intensity of the knock and determines the fuel’s octane rating.

The world standard is a one-cylinder two-valve four-stroke engine with exposed valve gear. Archaic in appearance, a “carby” is fed from any one of three fuel bowls to allow three different fuels to be run back to back. The mixture is actually controlled via gravity feed and by raising or lowering the float level of each bowl!

Run under load via a belt-drive linking the flywheel and load system, it ensures a real world situation and ensuring minimal variation between tests, oil temperature, intake air density and air temperature are all monitored and controlled.

The engine is somewhat agricultural; however its unique ability to vary the compression ratio while running between 5.0:1 and 15.0:1 is quite amazing. The operator simply winds a handle and the entire head and cylinder assembly moves up and down relative to the crankshaft.

A knock sensor measures both the frequency and intensity of the ping (as displayed on a knock metre). Figures are then cross-referenced on a chart using the information provided by the knock meter, plus the height of the head and barrel. Finally, knock intensity is figured in and the fuel’s octane rating determined.

Taking two hours to warm, this $200,000 engine is super robust and rarely needs rebuilding. Individual tests can then proceed at approximately $120 per test sample.

Being subjected to so much detonation, you can only imagine how much maintenance an engine of this nature must need. Interestingly, this isn’t the case as the piston and rod assembly are rejects from a monstrous ship engine (just kidding)! They’re huge with an incredibly thick piston crown contributing to a combined gudgeon pin and piston weight of 1794 grams! Likewise, the rod weighs an astonishing 1929 grams. The bottom line is these engines which have replacement value of over $200,000 and almost never require rebuilding.

Dyno Boosters

Ultimately, the role of an octane booster is to regain horsepower lost through detonation or retarded ignition timing due to detonation. But two of our products, the nitro additives, weren’t specifically designed to increase octane. Instead, they contained a mix of nitromethane (the petrol Top Fuellers run) in a “percentage” concentrate. Power Fuel’s Super Street and Max Race additives had 20-percent and 35-percent nitro respectively, and the Australian importer specifically claimed they would increase power, not necessarily octane.

So, we took those two products and the two best-performing octane boosters to MRT Performance for some Dyno Dynamics dyno testing. Interestingly, we were going to use MRT’s rally Civic, which normally runs on avgas. On PULP – even with the booster – it was pinging too much, so a Jap-spec EF Honda Civic was used with a 1.6-litre VTEC and about 10.0:1 comp ratio.

The graphs tell the story though, and to be fair to the products, with variables such as heat soak, the results weren’t as conclusive as could be gained from an engine dyno. But that is not to say the products don’t work. As our test proves, they do, but it’s not as easily measured on a chassis dyno. Plus the Civic had no detonation problems on PULP, further hampering the apparent effectiveness of the boosters.

Summary

Both the Nulon Pro Strength and the NF Racing Formula rated the best octane boosters in our test. And considering that less NF was needed than Nulon, it evens out a little with a slightly higher cost. Still, both proved extremely effective at increasing octane, even outranking Toluene, which needs much higher levels of concentration.

The VP Motorsport 103 fuel was an interesting exercise, and if a little more effort (i.e.: buying it from the selected outlets) is worth the octane, it’s a good representation of what to expect from straight racing fuel.

The FuelTechExperts Team

Octane Boosters

Do You Really Need an Octane Booster?

July 18, 2008 FTE 1 Comment

We get asked time and time again whether octane boosters work. The answer is yes and no because it depends on the application and what you are trying to achieve. Let us clarify.

Firstly, we need to understand why octane boosters exist in the first place – to prevent the onset of detonation. Detonation is described as: “Excessively rapid burning of the fuel mixture, often caused by auto-ignition due to excessive temperatures in the combustion chamber, incorrect ignition timing, lean mixtures, too high a compression ratio or unsuitable fuel.” A too-low an octane rating of the given fuel. Heard as a faint, metallic rattle, detonation is accompanied by a loss of power and can cause severe damage to piston crowns. It is also known as pinking.

The significance of detonation is such that many companies produce fuel additives designed to increase the inherent octane rating of a given fuel. The proliferation of octane boosters has, in part, come about in recent times thanks to low-quality fuels, particularly with the demise of leaded fuel, which had a much higher octane rating.

This presents a problem for high-performance cars designed to run on higher octane or 100 RON Japanese fuel. Japanese import performance cars, Subaru’s STI WRX, for example, run an ECU program for 98 to 100 octane fuel and may detonate on lower octane fuels if the ECU cannot compensate for the lower octane. Some have even had ECU upgrades that require 102 RON fuel, which is readily available in Japan but not in Europe or the US, or certainly not from a conventional gas station.

Usually, octane boosters would be of little use if an engine is not detonating. However, with more sophisticated ECU/EFI programming, many engines can optimize the engine management system by advancing the ignition timing and thus benefit from higher octane fuel. This means more power. They are also advantageous as an “octane buffer” for highly tuned vehicles. For example, suppose your vehicle’s fuelling and ignition are mapped for 98 octane, and you are using 98 octane fuels. In that case, it may be beneficial to use an octane booster to increase the octane to 99 or 100 as a safety margin in the event of having “degraded” fuel, etc.

For example, Honda’s S2000 2.0-liter engine, running a high 11.0:1 compression ratio, relies on advanced engine management as much as quality fuel. But it can sustain its power on a lower octane pump fuel because the ECU compensates. However, this is achieved by reducing the ignition timing and thus results in degradation in performance. This is where a modern vehicle with advanced engine management can take advantage of a higher octane fuel or a base pump fuel plus an octane booster.

Also, any turbo owner who has experimented with boost will know if you run too much, it will detonate, so improving the octane is vital for maximum performance. However, non-performance vehicles designed and mapped to run comfortably on base pump fuel, say 95 RON, will not gain a performance advantage. Sure, many octane boosters offer other benefits, such as valve protection, but they will not gain power. Unless…..the vehicle in question has been remapped, chipped, or tuned in so that it can take advantage of a higher octane fuel.

For example: if you take a bog standard Ford Fiesta designed to run on pump fuel, there will be no performance increase from using an octane booster. But if you have the ECU (fuel and ignition) remapped for higher octane, then it will be necessary to use either a higher octane fuel or a base fuel plus an octane booster to achieve the power safely. Octane boosters are popular in the performance scene because they often regain power lost through detonation due to tuning upgrades.

Unfortunately, some popular TV car shows have been quick to rubbish the use of octane boosters. One, for example, demonstrated the use of several products on low-performance cars with basic engine management, such as a Peugeot 106, basic Clio, etc. We could have told you the results before they even started. They were all vehicles designed to run on basic low octane pump fuel, and their ECUs are not sophisticated enough to take advantage of a higher octane fuel, let alone an octane booster. Of course, it doesn’t help when many manufacturers put ridiculous claims on their labels that octane boosters will increase performance on all vehicles when they clearly won’t.

To summarise:

You can/should use an octane booster if:

1. You have a modern, high-performance vehicle and wish to make the most of the available power, and you cannot easily obtain a good quality high octane fuel in your given area.

2. Your vehicle manual specifies a particular high octane fuel (i.e., 98 RON super unleaded), but you can only find 97 RON or below. To clarify, many modern cars will adapt accordingly if using a lower octane fuel than that specified, but a reduction in performance will result.

3. You suspect that you may have a tank of old or degraded fuel where the octane value has deteriorated.
Your engine has been explicitly mapped for a higher octane fuel, and/or the engine has been mapped very closely to the edge (detonation threshold), and you require an increase in octane to provide a buffer.

4. You have modified your vehicle in other ways, such as an increase in the turbo boost pressure making detonation much more likely.

5. You are about to go on a track day where the engine will spend most of its time under considerable stress, and you wish to prevent the onset of detonation under prolonged high-stress conditions.

6. You are not looking for a performance increase but wish to lubricate and protect the valves using an octane booster in small regular dosages.

We hope this helps clarify any confusion.

The FuelTechExperts Team

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