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Re: [Healeys] no compression 100

To: Alan Seigrist <healey.nut@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] no compression 100
From: John Harper <ah@jharper.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 08:56:15 +0000
Alan

I have a different point of view on this subject. One which might well 
start a new debate.

Something like 20 years ago there was a great panic amongst UK users of 
older cars when leaded fuel was being withdrawn. Many owners of 100s 
asked me what they should do and my suggestion was; do nothing.

Around that time the Vintage Sports Car Club published a 25 page 
document which was the result of significant testing that they had 
carried out on older engines.

It was titled

Valve Seat Recession
Use of Unleaded Gasoline in Older Engines

It was very comprehensive but the conclusion was that for low 
compression, medium tuned engines such at the 100 the recession due to 
the lack of lead on the valve seat was likely to be virtually non 
existent.

Based on this many 100s that I know are still running around without 
changing valve seats without problems 20 years later.

Now to this I can add another point. As we know the 100 head is very 
prone to cracking across valve seats. One owner I know added seats to a 
perfectly good head but soon found the a fatal crack had appeared beyond 
the valve insert. The conclusion was that as the seat has to fitted by 
interference fit, the extra pressure had caused the crack.

My final point is that if one does get seat recession then all that is 
happening is that the part of the head that is being ground away would 
have to be cut away later when fitting a seat; so why bother.

Regards


>While you are at it, have the head set up to run on unleaded.
>
-- 
John Harper
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