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Gauge Lights and Unleaded

To: spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Gauge Lights and Unleaded
From: Michael Hargreave Mawson <OC@46thFoot.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 12:49:05 +0000
In article <11EEFA4B6844D511A0E70008C71E9F01383604@ABDEXH01>, Richard 
Gosling <richard.gosling@exprogroup.com> writes

>You basically have two choices that I would recommend.  Either you trust
>that it probably has been converted, and run on normal unleaded, and there
>is a possibility that in 4-5 years time you will suffer valve seat recession
>and have to have the valves and seats replaced (which is what is done in a
>conversion anyway), OR you play it safe and use an FBHVC-approved additive
>(I can point you to a list of these if you need) in combination with normal
>unleaded.

There is another choice - full-fat 4 Star.   There are a small number of 
petrol stations that retained the right to sell leaded fuel when the 
rest of UK went dry a few years ago.   There should be one within twenty 
miles of you wherever you are - my local one is about five miles up the 
road.   It will be significantly more expensive (typically 99.9p per 
litre) than any of the other options, but I find that it out-performs 
anything else, and unless you are doing a lot of miles, the cost 
differential is not worth worrying about (it's about 2p or 3p a mile). 
There is a website somewhere that lists all petrol stations which still 
stock 4 Star.
>
>I would NOT recommend using 4* LRP.  Firstly, none of the oil companies was
>prepared to submit a sample to the FBHVC when they were testing petrol,
>additives and other devices, so it has not been tested by an indepenant
>body.  Secondly, there have been some reports of some LRPs dissolving rubber
>fuel lines.  Thirdly, having selected a particular brand of additive you
>need to stick to that brand exclusively, so you can't buy, say, Shell LRP
>one day and BP LRP the next.

When I ran Carly on LRP, I found that Jet LRP made her perform quite 
well, but that others (especially Shell) made her perform like a sick 
tractor.   YMMV.
>
>Yes, the rev counter (as with all the gauges) should be lit up.  Do some
>contortions and get in behind the dash, you should be able to see the screws
>that hold the rev counter in place, and remove the gauge.  At the top there
>should be a bulb holder with a bulb in it - most likely the bulb has gone.
>
>There is a strange feature with my car, which I believe is original as
>others have also said they have it - the speedo and rev counter have a green
>filter in front of the bulb, so the gauges glow green at night, but the fuel
>and temp gauges do not have this, and they glow white.  Odd...

Not really - this is designed to minimise glare.   White light is 
relegated to the centre panel, whereas the lights in front of you are 
shaded green to avoid dazzle - not that the illumination is bright 
enough to dazzle anyone...

ATB

-- 
Mike
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html

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