I have a question for those with lots of experience with engines....

This link listed below has answered questions about adding acetone to your fuel to improve economy. It also confirms (?) some issues I had heard about ethanol, although it may be biased. Has anyone else checked into anything like this. I am waiting for some answers from an old drag racer, who seems to have all the info, but thought I would post it here for all you experts as well.

http://www.lubedev.com/smartgas/faq.htm

 

will it help your milage, maybe, will it eat away at all plastic components and melt your fuel injectors and make your truck not run at all, probably

just my opinion

 

Sounds great. I'm even tempted to try it... BUT, if there is something out there that could improve a car's gas mileage by 35% that was this cheap and easy, I dont think they could keep acetone on the shelves. Sets off the too good to be true meter. I'm tempted to try it though, I really don't see what three ounces per ten gallons could hurt, or help for that matter...

 

Right off the bat it will probably melt the fuel pump mesh screen in the tank. That might have worked years ago before fuel injection, electric fuel pumps and so on. If it aint broke dont fix it. Great saying.

 

You could also buy a $.50 bottle of heet off the shelf at the auto parts store. It is pretty much the same thing. If you use too much it will harm just about everything. I worked at advanced auto for years some people swore by it some people said it was a waste of time. One guy used 7 bottles on a camaro and his car cought on fire.

 

This crap is running in every forum I visit, even the political ones, and the computer ones. There is a guy trying to con people with a new device, and has put up these bogus web sites. I thought it was just the usual idiot/troll thing, but no, it apears that someone is marketing a 'fogger' or something like that.

Standard con-job, like the turbinator, magnets, etc.
Chris

 

Since posting the question, I have researched this even further. Yes, rubber/plastic parts are degraded, but only in high concentrations. Remember that gas is petroleum based, as are rubber and plastics. The theory of acetone is good, and the process in which it works is correct, but at what cost? It comes down to guts on the owners part I think.....of which my truck cost me a bit too much to experiment with. An interesting point I have almost 100% confirmed though, that the alcohol that is added, either by the company, or with COTS additives, decreases mileage, and that the octane requirements of a vehicle are solely based on compression. This makes me wonder why a 91 octance tune from a programmer won't work for 87 octane fuel? Maybe it has timing concerns?

Testimonials say mileage increases with acetone use, but today's O2 sensors may not like it......sounds like a trial and error deal.

 

You have got to be kidding? I may not be understanding your post. Of course the timing is advanced when you tune to a higher octane. That is how you make more horsepower, you light the mix earlier. Which requires slower burning gas or you will get detonation.


Testimonials say almost anything. Magnets have even more advocates, as do the flying saucer people, the Vegans, the crystal believers, the conspiracy believers, etc. etc.
If you want testimonials, there are lots of ways to get them;

You can do the Penn and Teller method and pay people for lying.

You can fake them yourself.

You can find idiots that will swear to anything you tell them. I've had a dozen or so friends over the decades that would believe anything you told them. And swear to it. They truly believed. Until something else came along...

To believe this site, you have to believe that all the race car builders, all the chemists working for every company in the world, the oil companies, the fleet mechanics, the entire world body of chemists, including in other countries where gas cost three times as much, the old Soviet Empire, etc. are all members of the vast oil company conspiracy to keep you from finding out about this miracle.

If you do, I have a cold fusion fish tank to sell you. Remember that hoax? Or was it? Millions believed they had found a loophole in the laws of physics, rather than some bad math and enthusiastic mistaken people.
Chris

 

Tell me more about the Penn & Teller thing, because I love their show Bull S*it. Thanks!

 

I vote for TAT to use it and get back to us with the results...

 

I see you mention ethanol in the opening thread. Last week when gas prices went up I was traveling the NYS thruway, Filled up with Mobile, and noticed that the pump stated 10% ethanol, first time I have seen this. Maybe that is why the prices were less that local staions.

 

Not a chance....see my post earlier. But to answer a few items in ChrisAdams' post...

I understand the timing issue, I think I may have posted my question incorrectly. The increase in HP is in fact due to the longer ignition time, which kind of works like using a different cam if I understand that part correctly - you increase the power portions of the 4-stroke engine. I agree on the testimonials, hope I didn't imply that I actuall supported them.

Again....from the chemical aspect, acetone has the ability to increase lubricity of fuel (like Techron?) which in theory should increase mileage. I think the manufacturers have maximized this with the use of computers, not chemicals....I personally do not think it would work.

 

Hi PiggNFord, I was going to put in more details on Penn and Teller, but it wasn't strickly on the topic.

On one of their TV specials they drove a semi truck over Teller. They had a huge crowd that swore there was no gimmick. Including a 'starlet' with a microphone. They all swore the truck that was to drive over Teller was not modified. Then after they showed the huge counter weights on the back of the semi, plainly visible to the crowd and 'starlet'.
Penn then asked the crowd and her why they hadn't said anything. They shouted back "Because you paid us".


A classic example of why you don't trust something just because a bunch of people enthusiasticly agree to it.


For anyone who thinks this stuff is true,
Do some back ground research, do a little research on who you are 'trusting' but most importantly, sit down and THINK about it.
Don't you wonder why they don't do it in other countries where they shut their cars off at intersections to save gas? Do you assume the Germans, the Swedes, the English, the Japanese, the Aussies, the Koreans, etc. where they don't have the finicky systems and emmissions we have, but do have much higher gas prices, are too stupid to do this? I've been seeing these posts for 10 years.
Chris

 

Ethanol is used here in AZ to help with emissions, but I have always seen a decrease in mileage when they add it. We have it (MTBE) in our fuel for our 'winter' driving.....

 

There is no such thing as longer ignition time. It is not at all like duration on a cam shaft.
The spark lasts the same amount of time, it just occurs earlier in the cycle. Rather than starting the explosion 4 degrees before the piston reaches the top, you might start it 12 degrees before. Actual start of spark will be much earlier, as the piston is traveling pretty fast under actual conditions. On a high octane fueled engine you might even start the flame front as much as 60 degrees before the piston reaches the top. With low octane fuel which ignites much faster, you would blow the top of the piston into the oil pan.

I think you might want to read up on fuel and four stroke engines and basic ignition systems before posting on that. Not putting you down, but it is one of those things that it pays to have at least a smidge of info about before posting.

Oh, and don't let the guys sucker you into trying this.
Chris