# Octane **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656 "2005-01-20T02:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ramesh\_sodum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/67e7ee/32.png) [@ramesh\_sodum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramesh_sodum)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/1 "2005-01-20T02:08:18Z")
I would like to increase the 96-98 octane unleaded fuel to 100-105 octane. Does anyone has quick ideas how to do this. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/2 "2005-01-20T02:16:36Z")
Why? Burning fuel with an octane rating higher than the manufacturer’s recommendations does do any good, and in some cases may even harm the engine. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/3 "2005-01-20T02:17:55Z")
> [@Fat Bald Guy](#): > > Why? Burning fuel with an octane rating higher than the manufacturer’s recommendations does do any good, and in some cases may even harm the engine. does **not** do any good :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/4 "2005-01-20T02:24:58Z")
Add an octane pill to your gas tank. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/5 "2005-01-20T02:29:07Z")
> [@ramesh sodum](#): > > Does anyone has quick ideas how to do this. No, it’s not possible. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/6 "2005-01-20T02:35:16Z")
[Gasoline Octane FAQ](http://www.handymanusa.com/articles/octane.html). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/7 "2005-01-20T02:39:36Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > No, it’s not possible. Yes, it is. Maybe not to the level the OP asks about, but the octane rating of a tank of gasoline can definitely be increased with octane boosters. If your engine doesn’t knock with a given grade of fuel, then you don’t need an octane booster or higher octance gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/8 "2005-01-20T03:05:12Z")
You could, theoretically, further refine the fuel by fractional distillation to get exactly the composition that you need. ---
**Author:** ![ramesh\_sodum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/67e7ee/32.png) [@ramesh\_sodum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramesh_sodum)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/9 "2005-01-20T04:54:53Z")
> [@Fuji Kitakyusho](#): > > You could, theoretically, further refine the fuel by fractional distillation to get exactly the composition that you need. how do you further distill fuel in home? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/10 "2005-01-20T04:57:24Z")
> [@ramesh sodum](#): > > how do you further distill fuel in home? You don’t. I’m curious why you want to increase your gasoline octane rating. Is it because you think it will give your engine more power? It won’t. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/11 "2005-01-20T05:18:20Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > You don’t. I’m curious why you want to increase your gasoline octane rating. Is it because you think it will give your engine more power? It won’t. I dunno. Maybe he’s got a Chevelle or similar vehicle which requires 100+ octane. Somehow, though, I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octane/285656/12 "2005-01-20T05:25:08Z")
> [@ramesh sodum](#): > > I would like to increase the 96-98 octane unleaded fuel to 100-105 octane. Does anyone has quick ideas how to do this. …and I’d like to invent a perpetual motion machine, in my spare time, for fun and profit. But it ain’t gonna happen. Octane can be boosted by additives, as others have said, but that wasn’t what **ramesh** was looking for, if you read his other threads. He was looking for a miracle process or machine to magically do this. Then the next step, as in his other threads, was to solicit members to fund his ideas. Closed this one too, **ramesh**. Please don’t continue along the lines of the posts that you have made so far. No one on here is gonna help you invent a Tom Swift machine, and you have to face the facts. Stick to fertiliser. [Project Director, Burrup Fertilisers](http://www.training.wa.gov.au/resources/docs/Burrup%20Taskforce%20Report.pdf) **samclem** GQ moderator.