We've been talking about octane booster on a bigger turbo topic. Better we stop doing off-topic there and gather info about this option for more performance in a specific topic.
I only have access to petrol with 98 RON octanes, which my tuner says translates to 95 AKI.
Here's a bit of a explanation of what AKI and the other indexes mean taken from Wikipedia:
"
Research Octane Number (RON):The most common type of octane rating worldwide is the Research Octane Number (RON). RON is determined by running the fuel in a test engine with a variable compression ratio under controlled conditions, and comparing the results with those for mixtures of iso-octane and n-heptane.
Motor Octane Number (MON):Another type of octane rating, called Motor Octane Number (MON), is determined at 900 rpm engine speed instead of the 600 rpm for RON. MON testing uses a similar test engine to that used in RON testing, but with a preheated fuel mixture, higher engine speed, and variable ignition timing to further stress the fuel's knock resistance. Depending on the composition of the fuel, the MON of a modern pump gasoline will be about 8 to 12 octane lower than the RON, but there is no direct link between RON and MON. Pump gasoline specifications typically require both a minimum RON and a minimum MON.
Anti-Knock Index (AKI) or (R+M)/2:In most countries, including Australia, New Zealand and all of those in Europe, the "headline" octane rating shown on the pump is the RON, but in Canada, the United States, Brazil, and some other countries, the headline number is the average of the RON and the MON, called the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), and often written on pumps as (R+M)/2). It may also sometimes be called the Posted Octane Number (PON).
Difference between RON, MON, and AKI:Because of the 8 to 12 octane number difference between RON and MON noted above, the AKI shown in Canada and the United States is 4 to 6 octane numbers lower than elsewhere in the world for the same fuel. This difference between RON and MON is known as the fuel's Sensitivity, and is not typically published for those countries that use the Anti-Knock Index labelling system."
I hope you can understand that what matters is the AKI of the fuel because a high RON rate with much lower MON will mean a lower AKI and less timing pull available.
The octane booster discussion started with Dave sharing his personal experience:
Little bit off topic here guys but just want to mention something another member on here brought to my attention...
NF Octane Booster
It's a South African product and it claims to increase your RON by up to 6 points (if you used a full bottle in one tank). Initially I presumed that was just marketing bullsh*t and couldn't possibly be true. But, I was keen to give it a try all the same as any increase in Octane will help avoid knock/detonation/pre ignition whatever you like to call it.
Holy sh*tballs. This stuff has blown me away!! I've a simple set up being just stage 1.5 on a K03. There's been a HUGE hike in midrange punch since I've started using it. Was talking to my tuner and he was confirming he's seen big hikes on the rollers for cars running this stuff. Can't wait to get mine back on the rollers so I can quantify the difference it's made.
Anyways, just thought it might be of interest to some of you guys looking to get the most from your setup
Cheers,
Dave
So I've ordered these from Roger Clark Motorsport:
19-20 Brindley Road
Leicester United Kingdom United Kingdom
Suburb: Hinckley
Phone: +44-1455-610728
http://rogerclarkmotorsport.co.uk/store/category/154-lubricants-consumables?NF Nitrous Formula Octane Booster 300 ml - 6 Pack
I've contacted the dyno owner where my car was tuned and he's also curious to know the difference. I'm also going to add a VWR intake but preferably just after doing a couple of runs with the booster to see what I get with the current VWR/ITG panel filter.
I received the 6 pack yesterday.