Octane Booster's. Worth it?

[Excaliber]

My "X" is a PhD chemist, she's gotten pretty good at researching my chemical "car questions" for me (so I'm still nice to her, lol).

Octane Booster's increase the "host" gasolines ability to resist abnormal combustion by using manganese. LIKE "LEAD" of the old days, manganese releases vapors during combustion that surround the gases farthest away from the spark plug, thus keeping them from being ignited by "hot spots" or pressure spikes. Ensuring a more "controlled burn". Combustion is NOT an explosion process, THATS pre-ignition! So boosters don't "add" power, they allow the existing fuel to be used in the most "efficent" way.

Therefore, if pre ignition is NOT a problem, no gain will be realized from booster! Like Cobrashoch said pre-ign is so insidious how do you KNOW you don't have it, and I bet MOST engines have SOME!

Rule of thumb for timing:

87 UP TO 100 octane: Base timing and total advance remains the same (MOSTLY). The higher the octane, the more power you are LIKELY to make at the same timing (more control of the burn rate).

AFTER 100 octane, it gets complicated:
RETARD the total timing 4 to 5 degress! Uh oh, here comes the "controversey" part...
RED alert, man the guns, were about to be over run!

A high octane fuel (like RACE gas) generally means it is a faster burning fuel with more "power" inherent within the fuel (octane does MAKE power, it controls the BURN). With a faster burning fuel it is likely you will get better burn control with slightly less total timing, therefore, you will make more "power".

Whew,,,I'm done.

Ernie