Octane gasoline catalyst

A catalyst composition suitable for use in the catalytic hydrocracking of hydrocarbon feedstocks to gasoline which comprises a modified form of zeolite Y prepared by the steps of:

• (a) ammonium ion-exchanging zeolite Y to lower its alkali metal content of less than 4.0 weight percent;
• (b) hydrothermal steaming the low-sodium product of step (a) at a temperature of 550.degree. C. to about 850.degree. C. to reduce the unit cell dimension;
• and
• (c) contacting the steamed product of step (b) with a sufficient amount of an aqueous solution of ammonium ions having a pH of less than about 4.0 for a sufficient time to exchange at least some of the residual alkali metal cations for ammonium ions and to increase the bulk Si/Al.sub.2 molar ratio of the zeolite composition to the range of 6.5 to 20;
• an activated zeolite beta prepared by ion-exchanging the sodium and hydrogen form of zeolite beta in which the hydrogen cations are formed by the thermal decomposition of the organic templating cations, present in the as-synthesized form of zeolite beta, with a hydrogen-forming cation other than hydronium to reduce the sodium cation population to less than 25 equivalent percent, and calcining the thus-exchanged zeolite in air or an inert atmosphere at a temperature effective to form an initial concentration of weak acid species and strong acid species, and continuing said heating to substantially reduce the concentration of strong acid species without substantially reducing the concentration of weak acid species;
• and a metal hydrogenation component.