Leaded Petrol

[saif]

Now That 4 Star Petrol Is Not Avalible On My Car 1965 Model,Can I Use Unleaded Petrol?

 

[Blobcat]

There has been quite a lot of 'hype' surrouding use of unleaded in cars designed for leaded fuel. It depends a bit upon your head construction as to whether you need or should replace the valve seats.
If you have an Alu head then you will have hard steel inserts and unlikely to need replacement. With an iron head the seats are not that hard and may require replacement.
However due to the number of years that your car has used leaded fuel there will be a build up of lead which could last for years and years still protecting the valves.
Also unless you really are revving the nuts of it the normal valve seats can survive for years without replacement.
I had a recent article on this issue and will try and find it.

 

[television]

You used to be able to buy a lead addative in a can,you could put some in now and again.

Malcolm

 

[Myros]

you can still get Broquet Fuel Catalyst

I ran my old BMW (soft valve seats) with it for years with no problem. Not cheap though at about £100, but it is a one off cost. That's only 30 bottles of redex from Wilko's, if put another way.

 

[Silver Arrow]

It also depends on how you drive.
Only using low revs is a lot gentler than revving the nuts off.
I have an old boat engine with iron seats, but it only revs to about 1.2K max and runs retarded and it trundles along quite happily.
My 66 spitfire is in perfect condition, despite higher rev ranges, we took the head off intending to replace with stainless valves and hard seats, but were advised to leave it alone.

 

[clive williams]

Now That 4 Star Petrol Is Not Avalible On My Car 1965 Model,Can I Use Unleaded Petrol?

Saif,

As the others have said, your valve seats should cope. Has the engine ever been decoked? How many miles has it done?

Remember, with the low octane rating of unleaded you will have to retard the ignition to suit 95 RON Regular Unleaded or alternatively, you could use one of the higher ratings such as 97 RON Super Unleaded/Optimax/BP Ultimate or better still Tescos Super part ethanol, which is reported to be 99 RON, but still check for pinking as this is just as damaging as valve seat regression.

Bring back the days of 101 RON. eh RON!

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

 

[mlc]

You dont say what the car is, but I assume that you only do a very low mileage in it.

I use LRP from Sainsburys in my 1972 350SL, since I only do about 2000 a year the price isnt a problem and I am sure it will go on for ever. Interestingly at the last MOT the garage did the full gas analysis for me, it actually passed the emmisions for a 2002 model SL, to be fair they pointed out it would have been a rather poorly 2002 model but a pass anyway! So I dont appear to have done aby harm in the last 3 years.

Mark

 

[television]

Interesting that my old 1928 Rolls Royce ran fine on unleaded with cast valve guides, lead was not used much in those days and did not take off untill the mid 30's. I do not know anyone who has had a problem.

Malcolm

 

[Blobcat]

More classic car owners have had problems with replacement valve seats comming out than with valve seat wear due to running on unleaded

 

[asahartz]

Unleaded

I run several non-Merc classic cars. I run them on straight unleaded, no additive. I have yet to encounter any problems with the valves.

OK, none of them do a huge mileage, but my principle is that if I do get any problems, I will get valve seat inserts fitted - I have a nephew who does this for his business.

However all these cars run old BL A-series engines, which are easy to strip and parts are cheap. If I were running a car whose engine is significantly more expensive to rebuild, then I think I would seriously consider using Miller's VSP additive, which is well-regarded by the classic car community.

 

[Jay Kilby]

you chaps are mad in 1965 the concept of unleaded fuel had not been thought of. the lead is there to provide lubrication. work on the theory that a 1965 car was not designed to use unleaded fuel. whilst you can run it on unleaded it in my opinion is not advisable when there are lead replacement fuels around and additives you can use.
for the sake of a few quid i would use the additives or splash out and have a conversion done.

 

[Blobcat]

you chaps are mad

Possibly a little strong
If you do some research there have been many incidents of replacement valve seats coming out and ruining the engine.
With many classic cars they are lightly used and not driven hard. The 'Memory Effect' of the lead can easily last for 10,000 - 15,000 miles which can be 10 yrs use.
By all means use an adative, but once you use one do not change as they use differing formulars which are not always compatible.

 

[Jay Kilby]

Just expresing an opinion if you are prepared to make that gamble that is fine. whilst i agree it "could" last. the man was asking for advise and i would never offer somebody a gamble option, if it went wrong i would feel bad.
fact is unleaded fuel was introduced in the states in the mid 70's not in 1965 unless this unit has had a conversion i would not recomend running on unleaded.
please do not take offence to my comments none is ever intended, i am an old fashioned chap who prefers to talk, and as yet has not mastered this new type of communication!

 

[mlc]

Nice to have confirmation that I am mad after all

I think you will find unleaded started a bit earlier and also (I think) in Japan. 1972 spec SL's (like yours only older) ran on unleaded in the US west coast market and even had an early form of Cat known as after burners. After burners sound good, got to get myself some of them!

Just got to get back to the funny farm, more work to do.

Mark.

 

[television]

Organic Lead was first used in the mid 20's, I even had concern's about my 1928 Rolls Royce tunning on unleaded. In the RREC we had a ex Shell man who came and gave a lecture in the early 80's.


http://www.daimlerchrysler.co.za/DCNewsRooms/General/FAQs_fuel.doc

Have a look on this site, you will see it was used in the 20's

Malcolm