[justa6]

I'm an airline pilot with a fair amount of General Aviation flying.

Av Gas is a bad idea for all of the reasons already mentioned. However, there are other ways around the "octane" problem. None of them involve off the shelf products like "Octane boosters". These booster talk about raising your octane by several "points". The points they are talking about are "tenths" of ONE octane.

There are some fairly easy alternatives. You can raise 93 octane fuel to 96/98 by adding either Toulene or Xylene. This is what they add at the refinery (along with other things) to raise octane.

I've found that I can get away with 11.5 to 1 compression with a gallon of either Toulene or Xylene mixed with 93 octane. BUT YOU MUST MIX THE STUFF WITH GASOLINE IN A CAN FIRST. DO NOT GET EITHER on your paint full strength. DO NOT GET EITHER ON YOUR HANDS.

These products can be purchased at most paint stores and contain no lead.

Also, someone mentioned that LEAD was somehow bad for you motor. That isn't entirely true. Lead is bad stuff but you engines valves "like it". The car company's had a lot of problems with valves when lead was first removed from street gas. Modern valves can do fine without Lead. But it certainly won't hurt your motor UNLESS you have a Catalytic converter. Don't use leaded gas with a CAT or an O2 sensor. It will destroy both.

I bought a 50 gallon drum of 117 octane race gas and put a couple of gallons in my cars tank when I fill it with 93. Works great and SMELLS terrific. And yes it has lead in it.