Fuel Additives

[rh77]

I've been monitoring other sites' experimental activity with various additives to fuel, including those mentioned here. Bottom line is that after weeks of testing and discussion, there hasn't been a clear-cut answer on a mix. Acetone and PIB seem to have potential, but their long-term effects on the engine have yet to be conclusive.

I propose we tighten-up the testing and keep this discussion going (seems to have died-down). I know Winter blends are killing mileage, but we can't let that effect our testing (we can't give up in the cold!)

So far I've observed:

*Acetone at 2 oz per 10 gals. of gasoline
*Polyisobutylene (PIB) not to be confused with PolyisoBUTENE. PIB is bought in raw form and melted/dissolved in a solvent and added to the tank
*Mixtures of 2-stroke oil
*Mineral Spirits (not otherwise specified)
*Any combination of the above

Every engine is different but we need some general conclusions. Anyone care to share???

RH77

[SVOboy]

General conclusion for honda's running one injector (only my type of engine really): acetone = bad.

I've lost out so much on testing because my cat is bad, and my mileage plummeted, and therefore my stuff doesn't mean anything, need to get it fixed.

:-(

[diamondlarry]

*Polyisobutylene (PIB) not to be confused with PolyisoBUTENE. PIB is bought in raw form and melted/dissolved in a solvent and added to the tank

Actually, polyisobutene is another one of the names for polyisobutylene. I beleive it is polybutene that should be avoided. I made that mistake early in my test of PIB when I bought Echo Power Blend in an attempt to find PIB locally.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

Actually, polyisobutene is another one of the names for polyisobutylene. I beleive it is polybutene that should be avoided. I made that mistake early in my test of PIB when I bought Echo Power Blend in an attempt to find PIB locally.

Gotcha -- that was the difference: polybutene vs. polybutene. Sorry for the mistake. I'm trying to pool resources from a variety of sources. Before the incident, did you notice a gain in the PIB addition?

RH77

[diamondlarry]

Gotcha -- that was the difference: polybutene vs. polybutene. Sorry for the mistake. I'm trying to pool resources from a variety of sources. Before the incident, did you notice a gain in the PIB addition?

Unfortunately I started my testing at the same time we got stuck with the winter crapoline. I did seem to notice more of a smoothness to the engine along with what seemed like more zip but I would hesitate to say the PIB did that. The "seat of the pants dyno" is not the most accurate way to measure. I don't think my mileage dropped as much as it did last year at this time though. It will probably take until spring before I can get accurate results on PIB. I don't want to give it any more, or any less credit than it deserves.

[GasSavers_DaX]

Yeah, the butt dyno can almost cause a Hawthorne effect or a placebo effect. You almost need someone to either put in the PIB or a placebo while you aren't looking, then do the driving.

[rh77]

Friends are approaching me and asking why they're getting bad gas mileage lately -- is it the new tires? or the cold weather? for example. 27 down to 20 for a friend's Galant V6 is the most dramatic. Honestly, this Winter blend is nuts. BUT the colder air coming in can't help. I'm down to 27 miserable MPG. Hopefully the new thermostat will help out...

RH77

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by rh77

Friends are approaching me and asking why they're getting bad gas mileage lately -- is it the new tires? or the cold weather? for example. 27 down to 20 for a friend's Galant V6 is the most dramatic. Honestly, this Winter blend is nuts. BUT the colder air coming in can't help. I'm down to 27 miserable MPG. Hopefully the new thermostat will help out...

RH77

It has to be the crapoline. Recently I went from 39mpg to 29mpg. This is the worst tank I've had on this car. It lowered my overall mpg to 37. Hopefully I'll be able to compensate soon.

[diamondlarry]

It has to be the crapoline. Recently I went from 39mpg to 29mpg. This is the worst tank I've had on this car. It lowered my overall mpg to 37. Hopefully I'll be able to compensate soon.

I was talking with Richard Gooden on Saturday. He is the one who has the distribution rights for much of the US. He said that winter mileage may get even worse this year. He beleives that the reason may be that the gas companies are using ethanol as their "winter additive".:-(

[rh77]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

I was talking with Richard Gooden on Saturday. He is the one who has the distribution rights for much of the US. He said that winter mileage may get even worse this year. He beleives that the reason may be that the gas companies are using ethanol as their "winter additive".:-(

Just brainstorming with my very limited knowledge of Chemistry, but...

Can something be added to Ethanol to change it's structure and make it more efficient? What makes Ethanol less efficient?

On a side note, it sounds like a great additive for the oil companies -- it makes people use more fuel, with most of the public not even realizing it.

RH77