jumpinjan wrote:
>Bill Laucher wrote:
>
>>Someone told me a while back that I should add a lead substitute to today's
>>unleaded gas to preserve the valves and head that were made for use with
>>leaded gas. At the corner auto parts store, I find only octane boosters.
>>Do I need this or a true lead substitute? Or are they the same thing? Or
>>just use premium gas? Am I just avoiding ping, or is there more to it?
>>
>>Bill Laucher
>>Series V heart in a Series IV body
>>SAOCA Charter Member #0042
>>Houston, Texas
>>
>
>Bill,
> All Alpines have steel valve seats, so you don't need to worry about
>lead additives. You won't hurt anything running unleaded gas.
>Jan
>
Jan:
I have to differ on this one. My (now sold) Series V was my every day
driver....15,000 miles or so a year. The engine was re-built, head
freshened, etc. I started noticing hard starting, valves needed
adjustment...temporarily solved the problem. A few thousand miles later,
same deal, etc. had to adjust valves a couple more times. The head came
off. Sure enough, the valve seats were damaged. I had hardened seats
installed and drove the car another 30,000 miles before I sold it with
no further problem.
What I was told is that if you occasionally drive your Alpine, no real
problem with unleaded, but if you put a lot of miles on it and stand on
the pedal a bit, hardened seats are in order.
Steve Sage
ex-Series V owner (still Sunbeaming in a Tiger)
|