How do I...?

Posted by CosmonautOnFire@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 12 comments

How do I get a car tuned for 93 octane across 5 states, safely, that don't offer 93? I found a car I want thats half way across the States. I have to drive it all the way back to the West Coast. It's heavily modified with an engine that was never sold in the US. Can I just put in 91 and octane booster? I can try to limit my time in boost, but it's 100% freeway driving with short gears (3.90). It'd, ideally, be a 5 day trip

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12 Comments

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Icy_Math510@reddit

Will you even have 93 on the west coast?

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CosmonautOnFire@reddit (OP)

Nope! I just needed to know to drive it to get it to the tuner.

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Icy_Math510@reddit

Ohhhh okay gotcha, I was like I know we don't have it in california but wasn't sure if oregon or Washington had it lol

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CosmonautOnFire@reddit (OP)

There's parts of WA that have 98, but they're so far and few between its hardly worth mentioning.

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Icy_Math510@reddit

Damn really? That's crazy tho still but yea You only see 91 down here

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dg8882@reddit

Octane booster or just drive it like a grandma until you get back to 93

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Gwolfski@reddit

What car is it? If it still has a mechanical distributor, you can retard (yes, that's the technical term) the timing, as that lowers the octane needed.

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CosmonautOnFire@reddit (OP)

It's a Subaru with a jdm engine that had stock forged internals

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Emperor_of_All@reddit

Unless you are driving an RX7 your car will allow for some knock, and as long as you are not pushing your car and just driving normally in those states with 91 there is a 99% chance you will be fine.

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blizzard7788@reddit

91 will work fine on a modern EFI machine if you drive normally and not crazy. If it is an older car, get a couple of cans of toluene from the hardware store. It has an octane rating of around 116 and used to be the main ingredient of premium gas before MTBE was used. It is still used by racers at the dragstrip today. https://www.yellowbullet.com/threads/homemade-octane-booster.1334426/

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specialneedsWRX@reddit

Lucas makes a good octane booster.

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Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Yup, 91 and booster, research the boosters IIRC some are much better than others, but it's been a while since I've needed them so don't recall.