The website below tells about increasing gas mileage by adding a little acetone to each tank of gas. It also indicates that Hydrocarbon emissions can be decreased this way. All of this is for piston engines. Curious if anyone has tried it in a rotary.

http://pesn.com/2005/03/17/6900069_Acetone/

Disclaimer: This is not a link to sell anything. It refers to going to the drug store and buying generic acetone.

 

I wouldn't go to the drug store. Lowe's, Home Depot, paint supply stores ( Sherwin Williams, Dulux, Porter ), and automotive parts chains ( Napa has it ).

It is already a common ingredient in many gas treatments, injector and fuel system cleaners, etc. Probably wouldn't hurt.

Hmmm, what about Zylene ? Methyl Butyl Ketone ( MBK) ? Methyl Isobutyl Ketone ( MIBK) ?

I believe I'll stick with 87 Octane Chevron with Techron already in it.

 

Hmmm, I believe that the rotary doesn't need any higher than 80 octane on an N/A.

 

California has everything, I tell you !!! Where can you get 80 octane ? Around here, it's 87, 89, and 92 I believe.

 

I thought you were supposed to use Toluene for octane boost.

EDIT: I also wonder how wiring for in tank fuel pumps and fuel hoses take the Acetone...

Also gotta see how much Acetone and Toluene cost per gallon. See if it's under $2.

EDIT AGAIN: No. It isn't

 

Its not about octane.

The article claims it has to do with lowering the surface tension of gasoline to help it vaporize. Since liquid gas wont combust [as effectively?] the acetone will help. I'd wager this is a lot like most additives, some people used it noticed an improvement. They talked about it made up some charts and its taken as truth.

IMHO its a reasonable conjecture, but the evidence shown on the site is far from scientific proof. Theres a pretty little graph, but no real explanation of thier test methods and measured results. The test that 'acetone is safe' is off too. Soaking a carb in a solvent only really proves that the metal the carb is made out of is impervious to that solvent. It is not a test of that chemicals effect on your fuel system, which includes a fuel pump, hoses, seals, injectors (on EFI cars), and emissions equipment.

The real way to test this would be to measure and prove that acetone lowers the surface tension of gasoline. The only test I can think of is like seeing how soap works by loweing the surface tension of water. Basically you float some stuff (like mesh baskets) in water then add soap and it'll sink when you get enough soap in there. Then once you've shown that it lowers surface tension, either test or cite other research showing that a lower surface tension leads to better vaporization.

 

not too sure about acetone, but have heard some good responses about mek ( methel ethel ketone) for raising octane. not filling your tank with it but adding some to raise the octain. maybe good for nitrous or high turbo'd cars.

 

MEK is dangerous and strong ****. My best friend used to work at a place that used it to clean out thier paint guns. There was at least one major fire because of it, and if you mistakenly wiped your nose or hands with a rag with any on it it burned like hell.

 

Not to mention it is one of the more carcinogenic (ie: cancer-causing) substances around. Nasty stuff.

 

yeah, but it smells sooooooo good. same with laquer thinner. yummy. i actually dump a little laquer thinner down my carb when i flood it.

 

when i was a wee young lad we had cow magnets to increase fuel economy.they were full of crap too.

 

Why keep your beef in the fridge when you can just stick it to the outside!

Seriously. WTF is a cow magnet?

 

Yeah what is this so called "Cow Magnet"?

 

Is it one of those things on the front of an old locomotive ?

No. I got it ! If an FB is a chick magnet, a cow magnet MUST be An FC

 

 

too bad neither is true

 

He's in denial...because he's an FC owner.

 

okay ... this gets the title of "funniest **** i've read all night!"

seriously though, i used to use acetone in a special concotion that i used to mix up for really cold starts .... it never failed me once. i don't know about emissions or gas mileage though ...

 

I second the funniest award of the night, and probably the week. Someone please link this to the 2nd gen forum =p.

 

A cow magnet is a bullet shaped magnet , It is inserted into one of the cows stomachs to attract and confine metal particles and plain junk that is ingested by a cow with its feed. they are sometimes recovered in the slaughter house. Some people tape them to their water pipes, in the belief that they attract and contain the iron bacteria in the water. All sorts of kookie ideas abound about magnets. They seldom work at attracting girls, unless of course the girl wants to be attracted.

 

8.5, 10.0, 10.0, 10.0,



Dave gets the high score again! (Oh and I think the 8.5 score came from a 2nd gen owner)

kenn

 

Dont appreciate learned discussions about cow magnets HUH !

 

Well, my question got answered.

Bob, thanks for the info on cow magnets. I did not know about cow magnets, but I have had to run from a few cows. Is this a great forum or what!

 

Why run from cows? they are just curious as to what you are doing in their field,, With the Rx you should not have any trouble getting away. Of course if you are a city boy...........
Learn the darndest things here don't we.

 

hahahahha Bob, you are a funny man. It's great to see city boys n girls get all scared from something as tame as Bessy. My roommate is scared to death of them.. thinks cows are meaner than a bear... Now buffalo on the other hand.. you have to be a bit careful.
Daryl