Extract More Power from your EFI Hot Rod with VP Racing Products

One of the biggest dilemmas facing car owners is the quality of pump fuel available at their local gas station. This is especially true for performance-based EFI engines. Most of us have been conditioned to purchase premium fuel, such as 91 or 93 octane, either because that’s what the owner’s manual calls for or due to the belief that higher octane fuel means more horsepower.

Some folks will argue that increasing octane doesn’t necessarily lead to more power because EFI engines self-monitor the air/fuel mix to compensate for engine knock. Well, they’re half right. It’s true that the ECU will cut timing to eliminate knock, but the unfortunate side effect is reduced horsepower. And lest we forget, the goal of the auto manufacturers is not to produce maximum power, but to avoid engine warranty claims. So they tune the ECUs and knock sensors to be extra sensitive to limit early engine detonation—and unintentionally, horsepower. 

The two primary factors of early detonation are fuel quality and heat. Both can affect whether the ECU advances timing for more power or retards it to protect the engine. Hot rodders know that “tuning to the knock” is where the most power can be found. If you can extend the window of when the knock sensor kicks in, you could advance timing to an acceptable detonation limit. 

Fortunately, the fuel formulation experts at VP Racing Fuels have the answer to the fuel quality issue—Madditive Octanium. This fuel additive boosts octane by up to eight numbers to reduce detonation and increase power in everything from modern EFI, high compression, and forced induction engines. It’s also great at improving throttle response and acceleration, eliminating gum and varnish build-up, and cleaning fuel injectors. A special unleaded gas version, Madditive Octanium Unleaded, is safe for cars and trucks equipped with catalytic converters and oxygen sensors. 

So now that the fuel quality problem has been solved, what can be done about the heat? VP Racing has a couple of inexpensive solutions to manage that problem, too. VP Racing’s Madditive Cool Down is an additive that improves coolant flow and heat transfer to decrease engine operating temperatures up to 25° F. Safe for all radiator types and materials, Madditive Cool Down also lubricates all vital cooling system components and forms a thin, protective surface on aluminum surfaces to prevent them from corrosion and electrolysis. 

Stay Frosty is a unique coolant that contains a specialized blend of wetting agents and propylene glycol that improve the coolant’s ability to transfer heat away from engine components to protect against overheating. Reduced operating temperatures allows the engine’s ECU to increase the density of the air/fuel mix and advance ignition timing without the threat of detonation. VP Racing also makes Stay Frosty Race-Ready, a water-based coolant that can be used at virtually any race track that bans glycol-based formulas.

SEE VP RACING MADDITIVE AND STAY FROSTY PRODUCTS AT SUMMIT RACING