What Octane Grade Fuel for 3800 SC?

Jack, yep so it would seem. The condensed octane boosters have to use stronger chemicals to increase octane/reduce detonation. What you also get by adding Toluene and/or Xylene is not only higher octane, but also a higher BTU (energy) in your fuel.

That's been Bat's runnin fuel 4 30 years,don't forget the ounce of mmo!!! 

deekster_caddy wrote:

Jack the R wrote:

Hmm Torco Accelerator looks good too, and not much more expensive by the ounce.

I'm not a fan of Torco. I would rather pour in a gallon of toluene or xylene from the paint aisle. Use the ingredients that are already in your fuel! Torco's primary ingredient is MMT which is what leaves the orange deposits behind.

MMT has an interesting history. Using it once in a while won't kill you but it's got a lot of restrictions on it's use and it will leave deposits in your cat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylcyclopentadienyl_manganese_tricarbonyl

Toluene and Xylene are existing components in your gas and you don't risk anything by adding them. They are usually right in the paint aisle at any hardware/home improvement store.

Here's a lengthy comment (on Torco Accelerator) I pulled off of Amazon.com -

Quote :

By Good on October 29, 2011
Amazon Verified Purchase
No five stars as there is virtually no perfection. I know this is lengthy but please bear with me.
Where to begin? I am very skeptical of "miracle products" and exaggerated claims by manufacturers. Being a performance enthusiast and long time shade tree I have noticed that my vehicles have not been able to realize their full potential due to the "bad" gas. I own two high performance vehicles that demand premium fuel. Since the fueling stations in my area have stopped offering 93 octane fuel, I have been forced to use 91 for some years now, not to mention the fuel here is not much better than the water they sell out west; ACN fuel commonly known to hamper efficiency of engines. Race fuel is inconvenient and expensive to purchase and would take a great deal to mix a ratio to obtain a 93 to 95 octane rating from 91. Cost prohibitive and thus out of the equation.
I have tried every off-the-shelf octane booster on the market with little to no positive results. I was on the verge of mixing my own from xylene or toluene but investigated enough to find that this was not very cost efficient and required gallons, not ounces, to make the proper ratio(s). Also, buying this stuff creates a space issue, not to mention the red flags it throws in my Meth making state.
I will not mention actual increased octane ratings, boosted to or otherwise made, this product creates. I am not a scientist nor have the equipment and could not factually substantiate those claims. I will not comment on what is in this can as I can't find any definitive answers, only rumors and assumptions and this product seems to be shrouded in a deep layer of secrecy. I can't give you any hard evidence if this product truly adds power as both my vehicles are AWD, no dyno exists for AWD vehicles in my area to even begin a report of power gains. What I can do is give you a report of my senses, the seat of the pants buttdyno. This can be just as informative if approached with an open but analytical mind taking out the placebo effect.
Mix ratio seems to be linear. The more you add to a specified base octane fuel, the more the target octane number is increased. 107 octane seems to be the limit of recommended octane by the manufacturer.

Vehicle 1: 2008 Subaru STi. 2.5 liter flat 4. Six speed manual. Typical stage 2 upgrades. OTS (off the shelf tune) Single turbo. No cats. 18.5 pounds of boost. Approximate crank power, 325hp/320tq.

Conditions present at time of 1 week testing: Mostly city driving with freeway commutes. Average ambient temp of 75* F.

Mix ratio of 14 oz of Torco to 16 gallons of 91 octane fuel with 10% ethanol.

Cost of use without MPG increase/decrease at previous stated ratio: If bought in 8 oz cans? about 14 dollars per tank. If bought in 32 oz cans? About 10 dollars per tank. if bought in 5 gal pails? About 5 dollars per tank.

Impressions: Seat of the pants says it adds power. Idle is more smooth and more prominent (idles a tick higher and deeper). Fire after initial crank of the motor is faster. Exhaust smell is different, sweeter? Power comes on faster and pulls harder under part and full throttle. 5th and 6th gear roll ons are more powerful at highway speeds, the need to downshift is reduced significantly. MPG is down about 1.5

Overall: She screams with this stuff in the tank. Overall it has enhanced the performance of the vehicle. However, MPG has decreased somewhat but i'll take the trade if the ECU isn't pulling timing and detecting knock.

Vehicle #2: 2004 Porsche Cayenne TT. 4.5 liter V8. Six speed auto with Tiptronic. Bone stock. No ECU tune. Twin Turbo. .8 bar or 11.5 psi of boost. I think this is the boost target?) Approximate crank power, 450 hp / 450tq.

Conditions present at time of 1 week test: 75*F average ambient. City drives with freeway commutes.

MIx ratio of 18 0z per 26 gallons of 91 octane fuel with 10% ethanol blend.

Cost of use without MPG increase or decrease at previous stated ratio: 8 oz cans, about 17 dollars. 32 oz cans, about 12 dollars. 5 gal pail, about 6 dollars.

Impressions: Seat of the pants says it adds a lot of performance. Part throttle response and acceleration is dramatically increased. This Porsche has sometimes a rough idle. This has been smoothed out considerably. Hesitation is eliminated. Pulls hard under wide open throttle. MPG so far, by the computer, shows a slight increase of 0.1. Who knew an SUV would be hanging with sports cars?

Overall: The Porsche loves this stuff and is evident that thus far it is benefiting from the Torco product.

In surmise: Both vehicles have shown great improvements with the product and nary a negative effect. If you own a boosted, supercharged or turbo, high compression, or any performance vehicle demanding premium fuels and are without a convenient source of higher octane fuel or don't need the extreme octane of race fuel, then this product should fill the gap nicely. From a skeptic whom doesn't easily bite, this stuff really lives up to the claim of enhancing performance. If one was so inclined, you might be able to use Torco and further gain enhancements from ECU tuning. A word of note: Some vehicles shouldn't use or rather won't realize the benefit of Torco. Not saying that they will show ill effects, just that there would really be no useful gains from putting this in the tank of those types of vehicles: EG: your minivan or family Camry. Also be cautious as adding too much could cause ill effects. I suggest going to Torco's site and doing your homework and brushing up on some simple math before venturing forward. Otherwise, dump it in and grin!

Link

Given that I'm in America's #3 meth making state, and suspect my neighbors are selling drugs of one kind or another, I'll be shying away from the Toulene and the Xylene.

Interesting testimonial. It doesn't mention the long term damage to the O2 sensor or catalytic converter from using an MMT based product. Have fun replacing those after extended use.

Yes, MMT works as an octane booster. But it will cause long term damage to your car. Price? $10-$14 per tank? Yeah, same cost as a gallon of Toluene or Xylene from home depot. Plus, he mentions a drop in MPG with Torco - I can definitely say that there is a measurable slight INCREASE in MPG with Toluene or Xylene. Try it Jack. I'm not kidding. The butt-dyno is about the same improvement as his description as well.

Have you tried a gallon of Toluene yet? You can get it at home depot, no need to order Torco and pay for shipping. Try it! Try it! Try it!!!!!!!!!!!

I already bought the Torco. I'll drive on in to town and get premium from now on.