[Grumpfrompahrump]

For what it's worth:

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

Its an article about using Acetone with gas. Any of you scientific types out there care to share your opinion?

 

[onetouch]

Another link.

http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory: ... al_Reports

There's a Rodeo in there somewhere.

Jim

 

[hadji_85]

I think a rubber seal should be put in acetone for a long period of time to make sure it doesn't mess up the rubber. Also it says that adding 2 oz of acetone will increase gas mileage by 30%. I dont know about you guys, but that just seems like too much energy coming out of 2 oz of anything you can buy at walmart. (those are my initial thoughts but i will continue to look into it)

 

[onetouch]

Yeah, the link I posted had much more consertive claims, in some instances, no gain or a decrease.

Then you have to factor in the cost of the product.

Once more, if it worked that well, I expect everyone would be doing it.

Jim

 

[hadji_85]

You would think everyone would be doing it. But think about how many ppl dont care enough to look into something. They just go with the flow. Dont really question anything.

 

[hadji_85]

*cough* big-3 *cough*

 

[onetouch]

You would think everyone would be doing it. But think about how many ppl dont care enough to look into something. They just go with the flow. Dont really question anything.

Well, why dont you dump a big ol can of that stuff in your tank & get back to us? :wink:

Jim

 

[Russell89]

i might try it on the motor scooter acetone, gas, and 2 cycle oil...eww

 

[hadji_85]

Onetouch man, when i said ppl dont question anything i was talking in general. How many times do you think ppl wonder why there is a very toxic poison in their toothpaste (flouride)?

i really doubt that putting nail polish remover in your gas tank will help at all.

I dont know about you guys, but that just seems like too much energy coming out of 2 oz of anything you can buy at walmart.

 

[Hack]

I agree that there probably isn't much energy in a couple of oz of acetone. However, perhaps that is not the mechanism at work here.

Acetone is a solvent. In the past, solvents such as bezene were added to gasoline to increase the octane. Many of these were removed due to health/environmental concerns (e.g., benzene) or because they were found to be hard on engine parts especially the rubber hoses and seals. It is quite possible that adding acetone will increase the octane of the gasoline, which in turn, can increase the gas milage of some engines (i.e., those that can benefit from higher octane). HOWEVER, one has to wonder why it is not being used. Perhaps there are safety/health concerns or less expensive methods of boosting the octane?

Also, it may be possible that some engines benefit from a good cleaning. Again, there are other methods out there to clean one's injectors rather than experimenting with acetone.

 

[hadji_85]

Actually acetone would be a solute because it will dissolve in gasoline making gasoline (particularly the ethanol in it) a solvent. By itself acetone is a solvent so you are right in that respect. That is beside the point.

We need to find out what the octane rating of acetone is, and what the energy content of acetone is. Gasoline has energy rating of 29 MJ/L.

 

[hadji_85]

You know what though, even with higher octane, an engine not tuned to it will get nothing out of it.

 

[hadji_85]

and its ridiculous to think that car manufacturers are not properly tuning their engines for normal gasoline. Which suggests that the only way acetone is helpful is not cause of octane content (that is dependant on engine configuration) but on energy content.

 

[Hack]

Sorry Hadji, but acetone is clearly a flammable hydrocarbon used as a solvent. See for example, http://www.nsc.org/xroads/chemicals_htm/Acetone.htm

The hydrocarbon based solvents that I am most familar with that were used as octane boosters in gasoline are toluene and benzene. Whether or not acetone will boost octane, I do know. But if it does, then it will definitely improve the gas milage of some vehicles.

Why do I say this? To quote from the article on octane on Cars.Com:

Most modern, computer-controlled engines include a knock sensor that detects knock and retards the ignition timing, causing the spark plugs to fire slightly later in the cycle. This typically prevents abnormal combustion and knock, which allows vehicles specified for premium fuel to run on lower-grade gasoline if it is all that’s available. While this removes the immediate hazard, it’s a bad idea to make a habit of running a vehicle on gasoline of lower-than-recommended octane. Retarding the spark causes a richer fuel/air mixture, which decreases fuel economy, increases emissions, causes the engine to run hotter, and reduces the longevity of both the engine itself and the catalytic converter. The money you save by pumping low-grade fuel into a car that demands higher octane is lost anyway, in decreased fuel economy and possibly gradual damage.

The fact that the data suggest that the use of acetone may increase the gas milage of some but not all vehicles thus appears consistent with my conjecture that the mechanism may be through boosting octane.

 

[Hack]

Found another reference to the use of acetone in gasoline to boost mileage. According to the article:

Does a few ounces of acetone have 1/3 the potential energy of 10 gallons of gasoline? If not, this is a bunch of wishful thinking.
RESPONSE: It's not what that acetone does by itself. It's purportedly what it does to the gasoline's surface tension, enabling a more complete, and hence efficient, burn. Also, the acetone is cleaning up the engine without impairing lubricity.

 

[hadji_85]

Acetone - It is readily soluble in water, ethanol, ether,

Solute - A substance dissolved in another substance, usually the component of a solution present in the lesser amount.

Its late, i can't find the "ethanol is in gasoline" but we know its in there. And therefore

Actually acetone would be a solute because it will dissolve in gasoline making gasoline (particularly the ethanol in it) a solvent. By itself acetone is a solvent so you are right in that respect. That is beside the point.

 

[onetouch]

Onetouch man, when i said ppl dont question anything i was talking in general. How many times do you think ppl wonder why there is a very toxic poison in their toothpaste (flouride)?

i really doubt that putting nail polish remover in your gas tank will help at all.

I dont know about you guys, but that just seems like too much energy coming out of 2 oz of anything you can buy at walmart.

Hey hadji, did'nt mean tho get your hair up.

Actually, I did give this a shot a couple of years back in a 350 ci chevy.

On the down side, I noticed no improvement at all.

On the up side, it did'nt seem to screw any thing up.

This was three tanks on the highway.

Jim

 

[¡Oracle!]

I don't know enough about chemistry to give an opinion one way or the other, based on that. I do know that Acetone is a solvent that is able to dissolve and/or severely weaken many types of adhesives and polymers in a short amount of time.

I do use Acetone to clean adhesives from some projects that I do.

Given how much plastic you find in cars these days I'd be reluctant to put this stuff in the tank.

 

[hadji_85]

*sigh*....in gas acetone is a solute, i promise.

 

[Philp]

would it not just be a mixture as surely a solution requires a solid dissolved in a solvent, as both are liquids then it will just be a mixture.