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From: mpc@rayssd.UUCP (Manny P. Costa)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Of Octane and Mothballs and such...
Message-ID: <1096@rayssd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 16:53:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: rayssd.1096
Posted: Thu Sep 26 16:53:59 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 07:51:17 EDT
References: <762@fisher.UUCP>
Sender: mpc@rayssd.UUCP (Manny P. Costa @ Raytheon Co., Portsmouth RI)
Distribution: net
Organization: Raytheon Co., Portsmouth RI
Lines: 38

=== REFERENCED ARTICLE ===================================
> About mothballs: ( No flames from chemists on minor points please...)
> 
> Seems that gas is basically just a mixture of carbon chains (in essence at
> least), the longer the average chain, the higher the effective octane
> rating.  Also seems that some mothballs (there seem to be two kinds, I do
> no suggest getting the wrong one!) are 100% (in fact lab grade, although
> not USP) naphthalene(sp?).  Seems that naphthalene is a very long carbon
> chain, and that it dissolves fairly quickly ( ~ten minutes or less) in
> gas.  I have had several chemically oriented Ivy League types consider
> possible bad side effects, and they all admit that naphthalene should
> burn completely at combustion chamber temps, and that it is very, very
> stable stuff, sufficiently so that it will not react and form any nasty
> compounds in my engine.
> 
> This all boils down to saying that adding 3 real moth balls per gallon
> to my tank will make my car run on leaded regular (89), which means that
> it is bringing the octane up to ~92 or so.
==========================================================

I'll be honest and admit right up front that I have never personally tried
to do the following, but several "motor heads" that I knew in high school 
swore that this was true:

             If you really hate someone and want to ruin the engine
             of their car, pour a box of mothballs into his gas tank.
             They said it worked better than pouring sugar into the
             gas tank.

Okay all you "motor heads"/chemists, is this true, or will you merely boost
this guy's engine performance?

Thanks,
Manny Costa
Raytheon
Submarine Signal Division
PO Box 360
Portsmouth, RI 02871


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