rumblebelly
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- FT COLLINS, CO
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
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Acetone will increase gas mileage?!?!?
- Thread starter crazy4mopar
- Start date
Roll-over
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- San Antonio, TX
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
I've been watching this thread since the start and googling the topic thoroughly (sp?), and i decided to try a gut instinct only run... so I put *about* 10 gallons of 87 octane in the tank with the gallon or two it had and poured about 1 1/2 ounces of acetone (paint grade from auto store) down the pipe. Here were my gut feelings on a 50something mile trip to the inlaws:
1. no hp gain at the top end.
2. a little better low end.
3. ~100 rpm higher idle.
4. smoother midrange (it used to stumble between 2500 - 3k)
5. the gas needle didn't seem to move AS fast.
6. The trip back was MUCH smoother but that usually happens once I'm back in the jeep.
the one hard fact is that the gas smell in the cab I've been trying to track down (replaced injector orings and most hoses) has been replaced by an exhaust smell. If the source of the two smells is the same then I must be wasting far less gas than i was.
ps. I've got old fuel line and tank fill hose sitting in a mason jar with some acetone in the garage... I'll let ya know if the rubber is affected.
I've been watching this thread since the start and googling the topic thoroughly (sp?), and i decided to try a gut instinct only run... so I put *about* 10 gallons of 87 octane in the tank with the gallon or two it had and poured about 1 1/2 ounces of acetone (paint grade from auto store) down the pipe. Here were my gut feelings on a 50something mile trip to the inlaws:
1. no hp gain at the top end.
2. a little better low end.
3. ~100 rpm higher idle.
4. smoother midrange (it used to stumble between 2500 - 3k)
5. the gas needle didn't seem to move AS fast.
6. The trip back was MUCH smoother but that usually happens once I'm back in the jeep.
the one hard fact is that the gas smell in the cab I've been trying to track down (replaced injector orings and most hoses) has been replaced by an exhaust smell. If the source of the two smells is the same then I must be wasting far less gas than i was.
ps. I've got old fuel line and tank fill hose sitting in a mason jar with some acetone in the garage... I'll let ya know if the rubber is affected.
burntkat
NAXJA Member #1145
- Location
- Charleston, SC
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
unless you're running the car on pure acetone, this has no bearing on what we're doing.
Try the same mixture as is present with 4 oz acetone in 20 gallons of gas, and let's see the results.
Roll-over said:
unless you're running the car on pure acetone, this has no bearing on what we're doing.
Try the same mixture as is present with 4 oz acetone in 20 gallons of gas, and let's see the results.
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
I put 1 oz to 5 gal of gas.. in a 15 gallon tank in my wife's car.. made a trip and got 32.75 MPG.. definally an improvement.. I NEVER gotten better than 30 mpg on big long trips.. usally get about 27 on the hwy. So almost a 6 mpg increase.. just say 5 mpg gain to be average
89 olds with 3.3 L v6 and 213,000 miles and still hauling ass ! Another thing that amazes me about this car is it uses NO oil.. and gets great mileage.
I'm gonna try acetone in the Jeep..
Dan
I put 1 oz to 5 gal of gas.. in a 15 gallon tank in my wife's car.. made a trip and got 32.75 MPG.. definally an improvement.. I NEVER gotten better than 30 mpg on big long trips.. usally get about 27 on the hwy. So almost a 6 mpg increase.. just say 5 mpg gain to be average
89 olds with 3.3 L v6 and 213,000 miles and still hauling ass ! Another thing that amazes me about this car is it uses NO oil.. and gets great mileage.
I'm gonna try acetone in the Jeep..
Dan
myjeepsbigger
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Illinois
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
Ran a tank through my daily driver this weekend. 1996 Ranger 4cyl, automatic, 218K miles. I noticed that when cold, the engine ran pretty rough at first...maybe due to the acetone breaking gunk loose in the fuel system? But now that I've ran that tank out and am on my next tank, it's noticeable smoother.
The mileage, on the other hand, is not so hot. I actually droped 2mpg...but that's only one tank. I am trying this with a 10% alcohol blend for a few tanks, and then I'll switch to no alcohol to make a few trials. Hopefully, I'll see the same benefit many of you guys have....because it really sucks getting 18mpg in a stinking 4 cylinder (and yes, it has been tuned up, etc.).
Ran a tank through my daily driver this weekend. 1996 Ranger 4cyl, automatic, 218K miles. I noticed that when cold, the engine ran pretty rough at first...maybe due to the acetone breaking gunk loose in the fuel system? But now that I've ran that tank out and am on my next tank, it's noticeable smoother.
The mileage, on the other hand, is not so hot. I actually droped 2mpg...but that's only one tank. I am trying this with a 10% alcohol blend for a few tanks, and then I'll switch to no alcohol to make a few trials. Hopefully, I'll see the same benefit many of you guys have....because it really sucks getting 18mpg in a stinking 4 cylinder (and yes, it has been tuned up, etc.).
nhrocker
Jackstand wheeler
- Location
- Claremont, NH
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
Edit: Unless you are trying a different test, which is possible....
It's supposed to be acetone, not alcohol. That may be your difference (or just a slip of the fingers)
Edit: Unless you are trying a different test, which is possible....
Last edited:
myjeepsbigger
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Illinois
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
No, I'm adding 4oz of Acetone to a gasoline that already has 10% alcohol in it from the pump. (like you would buy at Quick Trip, etc).
nhrocker said:
No, I'm adding 4oz of Acetone to a gasoline that already has 10% alcohol in it from the pump. (like you would buy at Quick Trip, etc).
nhrocker
Jackstand wheeler
- Location
- Claremont, NH
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
Ah, I see. I thought you meant you were adding more! My mistake....I forgot about the alcohol that is already in the gas coming into play for these trials. Good luck with the mileage on that 4 cyl.!
Ah, I see. I thought you meant you were adding more! My mistake....I forgot about the alcohol that is already in the gas coming into play for these trials. Good luck with the mileage on that 4 cyl.!
jjvande
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Albuquerque NM 505 burque
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
could this just be forcing the O2 sensor to lean the motor out and use less gas? It would be interesting to run a few tanks on some new plugs and then have a looksee.
could this just be forcing the O2 sensor to lean the motor out and use less gas? It would be interesting to run a few tanks on some new plugs and then have a looksee.
BrettM
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- michifornia
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
the only way to increase both power and MPG (as people are reporting) is to increase efficiency...
the only way to increase both power and MPG (as people are reporting) is to increase efficiency...
jjvande
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Albuquerque NM 505 burque
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
so does the acetone have more energy per unit volume than gas? If we're adding .15% volume and getting 15% more mileage.....then where is that energy coming from? wish i was a chemist.
on a different note...
Does anyone who is running this have a friend at a smog shop that could measure the difference in what's coming out of the tail pipe? Might give us a better understanding on what's changing in the combustion reaction.
BrettM said:
so does the acetone have more energy per unit volume than gas? If we're adding .15% volume and getting 15% more mileage.....then where is that energy coming from? wish i was a chemist.
on a different note...
Does anyone who is running this have a friend at a smog shop that could measure the difference in what's coming out of the tail pipe? Might give us a better understanding on what's changing in the combustion reaction.
Goat
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Merrimack, NH
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
Nope, go-juice has 18,000-19,000 btu/lb. Acetone on the other hand is 12,500 btu/lb.
You guys need to turn this into a nice experiment. Keep tabs on you mpg over several tanks for gas then post the results.
On a side note, if you want to increase mpg why pay for it. Water is free.....I built myself a device that performs electrolysis of water which generates hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen has 50,000 btu/lb and water is free. No need to buy acetone, just pour some water in that's in your Brita filter.
jjvande said:
Nope, go-juice has 18,000-19,000 btu/lb. Acetone on the other hand is 12,500 btu/lb.
You guys need to turn this into a nice experiment. Keep tabs on you mpg over several tanks for gas then post the results.
On a side note, if you want to increase mpg why pay for it. Water is free.....I built myself a device that performs electrolysis of water which generates hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen has 50,000 btu/lb and water is free. No need to buy acetone, just pour some water in that's in your Brita filter.
MaXJohnson
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- The Kansas Rockies
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
mmmmmmm....
free lunch.
just about the time when the refineries are switching over to summer gas ....
mmmmmmm....
free lunch.
just about the time when the refineries are switching over to summer gas ....
5-90
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hammerspace
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
Apparently, the issue at hand is an increase in fuel efficiency (and by extension, fuel economy) by (someone let me know if I have the concept straight here) increasing the vapour pressure of gasoline.
Remember that liquid gasoline isn't even flammable. Gasoline vapours border on explosive. Therefore, it is very much in our interest to not atomise the fuel (thereby creating a fine mist of droplets - still liquid) but to actually vapourise the fuel (therefore, a true "phase change" from liquid to gas is in order.) Apparently, acetone helps this - mainly by reducing surface tension of the liquid and therefore making it easier to shift from a liquid to a vapour.
The problem with most fuel systems (as I've been seeing) is that they are designed to create a fine mist of droplets - still dispersing liquid gasoline all over the place. This doesn't really solve the problem - even though making the droplets much smaller makes them evapourate faster in the presence of heat (in the form of combustion.)
I'd be only mildly surprised to find out that the legendary "100mpg carburettor) was little more than a fuel vapouriser - perhaps a carburettor with a well-heated float bowl? The idea of adding a fuel preheater to injection setups seems to be gaining a little ground recently as well - probably for much the same reason. Unfortunately, they often use exhaust heat to heat the fuel - which makes me a little paranoid.
I like the acetone idea, and I'll be trying it myself shortly (picked up a quart can yesterday, and I dug out a number of sample bottles (4oz size) to have premeasured amounts ready to go. They're small bottles, and should therefore easily pour into the fuel filler.) The reports from the field here are encouraging as well.
I may have to do some "before/after" smog checks at school in one of my upcoming quarters - I don't like giving them any excuse to monkey around with my engine as it is. Hell, I don't even like letting them touch anything under my hood - most of them don't seem to be much as mechanics go... May have to work out dosages for daily operation as well as "pre-smog" dosing - kinda like "shocking" a swimming pool (those of you with pools or in the pool biz know precisely what I'm talking about - usually at the beginning of the season...)
5-90
Apparently, the issue at hand is an increase in fuel efficiency (and by extension, fuel economy) by (someone let me know if I have the concept straight here) increasing the vapour pressure of gasoline.
Remember that liquid gasoline isn't even flammable. Gasoline vapours border on explosive. Therefore, it is very much in our interest to not atomise the fuel (thereby creating a fine mist of droplets - still liquid) but to actually vapourise the fuel (therefore, a true "phase change" from liquid to gas is in order.) Apparently, acetone helps this - mainly by reducing surface tension of the liquid and therefore making it easier to shift from a liquid to a vapour.
The problem with most fuel systems (as I've been seeing) is that they are designed to create a fine mist of droplets - still dispersing liquid gasoline all over the place. This doesn't really solve the problem - even though making the droplets much smaller makes them evapourate faster in the presence of heat (in the form of combustion.)
I'd be only mildly surprised to find out that the legendary "100mpg carburettor) was little more than a fuel vapouriser - perhaps a carburettor with a well-heated float bowl? The idea of adding a fuel preheater to injection setups seems to be gaining a little ground recently as well - probably for much the same reason. Unfortunately, they often use exhaust heat to heat the fuel - which makes me a little paranoid.
I like the acetone idea, and I'll be trying it myself shortly (picked up a quart can yesterday, and I dug out a number of sample bottles (4oz size) to have premeasured amounts ready to go. They're small bottles, and should therefore easily pour into the fuel filler.) The reports from the field here are encouraging as well.
I may have to do some "before/after" smog checks at school in one of my upcoming quarters - I don't like giving them any excuse to monkey around with my engine as it is. Hell, I don't even like letting them touch anything under my hood - most of them don't seem to be much as mechanics go... May have to work out dosages for daily operation as well as "pre-smog" dosing - kinda like "shocking" a swimming pool (those of you with pools or in the pool biz know precisely what I'm talking about - usually at the beginning of the season...)
5-90
burntkat
NAXJA Member #1145
- Location
- Charleston, SC
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
- and if it does have some effect- and it will- it doesn't prove anything, because there's no control group in your experiment, and your experiment is not in keeping with the doserates at hand.
Zipdrive007 said:
- and if it does have some effect- and it will- it doesn't prove anything, because there's no control group in your experiment, and your experiment is not in keeping with the doserates at hand.
burntkat
NAXJA Member #1145
- Location
- Charleston, SC
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
no, as it also works on vehicles that don't HAVE an O2 sensor.
jjvande said:
no, as it also works on vehicles that don't HAVE an O2 sensor.
burntkat
NAXJA Member #1145
- Location
- Charleston, SC
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
Summer gas is not the issue here. If you'd actually bother reading all of the links, you'd see there's been folks who've done the experiment with several fillups on the same day, same pump, same station, etc.
If you don't take the time to read the data with an open mind, why are you wasting time to snipe something you don't understand?
MaXJohnson said:
Summer gas is not the issue here. If you'd actually bother reading all of the links, you'd see there's been folks who've done the experiment with several fillups on the same day, same pump, same station, etc.
If you don't take the time to read the data with an open mind, why are you wasting time to snipe something you don't understand?
burntkat
NAXJA Member #1145
- Location
- Charleston, SC
Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
- and how do you burn hydrogen in an internal combustion engine? I'm honestly listening, here...
Goat said:
- and how do you burn hydrogen in an internal combustion engine? I'm honestly listening, here...
