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Moth Balls in Gasoline???

Ricci Wright
Just heard an old guy on a local radio car show say when he was driving a hot rod flat head ford in the 1950?s and 60?s they would put five moth balls in 10 gallons of gas to make ?racing fuel?. Anybody know anything about this???
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20 comments

Date Votes
  • Horse Plains Drifter
    Nope, I been around several old time racers, but never heard that one.
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  • Beeramid
    I believe moth balls used to consist of naptha. Its an ingredient in marvel mystery oil, which is used to clean fuel, and oil systems.
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  • Grasshopper
    A moths ballls has to be small, I wouldn't think it would do much for gas-)
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  • Junkballer
    In the 60's and early 70's I did that sparingly when motorcyle racing (1 ball per tank), very few knew the trick....taught to me by and old WW-2 fighter pilot....my Dad [;)] Note: I do remember he said it increased the octane [?], Personally I really couldn't tell the difference but did it anyway.
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  • Bubba Jr.
    That was common knowledge back when I was working at the local Sohio station in the 60's. I never tried it though.
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  • montanajoe
    • Community moderator
    the story goes; my great uncle had a motorcycle that was never caught by the St.Loius PD. He'd put a chunk of moth ball in the gas tank. This was back in the '40's-50's.
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  • fordsix
    sea foam or get a can of naptha at the hardwear store,,you tube vid on moth balls the moths are not happy
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  • 11b6r
    Mothballs USED to be made of naphthalene (not quite naphtha) and naphthalene is about 90 octane. Back in the 1920s, gasoline was between 40-60 Octane. You COULD add mothballs, raise octane rating of the fuel mix. In the 30s they started selling "Ethyl" gas- tetraethyl lead added- and bumped the octane up a lot. Mothballs did not really do much good after that.


    Mothalls are now usually made from a different material than naphthalene. Would not suggest you try this.
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  • asop
    My old departed father used to do this. He also ran gas in diesel engines to "clean them out"! Used encapsulated "either balls" put in the cylinders of caterpillars he owned in the cold month to help start them. I also remember him placing burning logs under crankcases in the cold months to thin out the oil for easier starting[:0]
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  • wpage
    Mothballs are useful in closets to keep moths away as well.
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  • Ditch-Runner
    I remember the old fellows talking about it but never seen any one do it
    but the post about why they did it way back seems to make sense
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  • select-fire
    https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mothballs-as-an-octane-enhancer/
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  • buddyb
    I remember that back in the 70s gas crunch that moth balls were supposed to increase fuel economy.
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  • He Dog
    Today moth balls are paradichlorobenzene. Not much help.
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  • lew07
    Mothballs are a waste of money.I threw 26 at one moth and didn?t hit it[:D]
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  • 11b6r
    Lew- gotta use a slingshot
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  • lew07
    quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
    Lew- gotta use a slingshot

    [:D]
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  • Aztngundoc22
    OK :

    Back in the days of long ago while in High School : A bunch of my friends while wasting good money on cars & car stuff ( I was buying & trading guns ) : several of them would put some moth balls in their gas it was supposed to make it burn hotter and hence the car faster , story was that if You put too many in (the gas) it would burn up the valves or something like that & cause problems ? Their was also a gas additive that was expensive that did the same thing ?

    Thanks !!!
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  • gearheaddad
    I heard that when I was hot rodding as a kid.
    I always wondered how a guy could spread open those teeny tiny little legs to even see the moth balls.
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  • kannoneer
    Use butterfly balls instead. They are bigger and produce pretty colors in the exhaust smoke. Also produce higher octane. Will not work in diesels, however.
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