Your best approach will be to use an additive approved by the Federation of
British Historic Vehicle Clubs. They organised a series of independent
scientific tests of lead substitutes that were carried out by the Motor
Industry Research Association. In the initial tests, only six out of 12
products tested passed the MIRA tests including Millers VSP, Red Line,
Superblend and valvemaster. The FBHVC is planning further tests and has
invited other manufacturers to participate. Many will not as they know their
products will fail. Personally, (if I wasn't changing to an Unleaded
cylinder head) I would choose one of these approved products and stick with
it. Don't touch any of the "pellets", "in line fuel treatment" etc with a
barge pole. The manufacturers are under no obligation to provide any
scientific evidence that they work and you'll be 10,000 miles or so down the
road before you realise that your valve seats have receded.
A few years ago I followed John Kippings advice and just ran my car on
unleaded. I have observed since then that the valve seats have suffered
quite badly. However, this was only after 25,000 miles of hard driving,
including high revving motorway miles. To be honest, the valve guides needed
renewing due to normal wear sooner than the valve seats. If your engine is
well used and you do low, slow mileage then maybe this is a good approach.
Hope this helps,
Jonathan Miles
Spitfire 1500
----- Original Message -----
From: Sue <suzie_bear@hotmail.com>
To: <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: 03 September 1999 21:04
Subject: The dreaded unleaded problem
>
> Here in the UK we're coming up to our own Millennium bugbear, as of 1/1/00
> there's to be no more leaded petrol at the pumps.
>
> There are as many opinions as there are alternatives so I'm asking advice
> from the oracle - the list!
>
> I realise the main sure fire way is to convert the engine with an unleaded
> head but I can almost see the bank manager shaking his head, the current
> state of my finances rules that out for the foreseeable future.
>
> As I understand it the options include the following:
> 1 - changing the head
> 2 - changing the valve seats
> 3 - putting a 'thing' in the petrol tank
> 4 - putting an in-line 'thing' in the fuel line
> 5 - putting additives in with the fuel each time
> 6 - using Lead replacement Petrol
> 7 - just putting in unleaded
>
> My feelings on these options are:
> 1 & 2 - as stated before - I really can't afford it yet
> 3 & 4 - how can they possibly work?
> 5 & 6 - there are so many options & I undestand that once you choose one
> type (potassium, sodium, manganese or phosphorus) you have stick with it.
As
> I've just read an article which stated that 'All work on the proposed
> British Standards for Lead Replacement Petrol has been ceased' apparently
> because no-one can decide which way to go, how should I be able to decide
> which to use?
> 7 - According to Kippings catalogue 'the simplest way to convert your car
to
> run on unleaded fuel is to put it into the tank'.
>
> So far I've always had good advice from Kippings and my intention is to do
> the latter. I believe my engine to be original so it should have a decent
> lead memory and I don't do great mileage or drive at high speed.
Presumably
> a few months into next year there should be better information as to which
> options work the best.
>
> Remember, I'm the 'mechanically ignorant' one so please be gentle with me
> and my level of knowledge but I'd really appreciate hearing some other
views
> on this.
>
> Sue
>
> '68 MkIII
>
> PS. I tried a tankful of unleaded out of curiosity a few months ago and I
> didn't notice any difference in it's running or performance.
>
>
>
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