Trevor wrote:
Is the metering unit really so unobtainable?
My comments are basically price-oriented. Prevention
is a good thing, but that lead additive is not cheap.
Going through hundreds of dollars of lead additive a
year to potentially reduce wear on a part that isn't
all that expensive... well.... doens't make a lot of sense.
For the non-PI crowd, it's kind of silly if you have
a "common" LBC like we do. $2.50 a fillup doesn't take
long to add up to the price of an full rebuild on
the components we are supposed to be protecting.
In other words... most people are probably better off
to ignore it, and fix the problems if and when they
happen. Odds seem to be that it'll never happen anyways,
and even if it does, it's paid for by not buying lead
substitute.
Trevor,
Yes, metering units are hard to find. They are no longer in production nor
is anyone making a replacement part. If the metering unit falls down, they
are replaced/rebuilt on an exchange basis only.
Is not the metering unit per se that is of concern but the shuttle inside.
The metering unit is the most complex and critcal part of the Lucas PI
system. If any internal component fails, the entire unit must be
dissassembled, repaired and relcalibrated. The latter is the tricky part.
This can only be performed by an professional mechanic using specialized
equipment. And those people and places are in short supply and lie mostly
across the pond. So its not the cost of the component but the total cost
and time to rebuild the metering unit that makes us most cautious when
using unleaded fuel. For the extra $1.00 (US)/tank full-up (or about
$55.00/year) that is costs me to use the additive, it's well worth it in
terms of total costs and downtime.
I hope this helps explain why this thread about unleaded fuel in Lucal PI
systems is very important to some of us TR owners. I have yet to see a
definitive answer to this question. Hopefully, with all the expertise
connected to this list, this question can be resolved. I would hate to be
the victim of ill advise and end up incurring a big cost to have my
metering unit rebuilt.
Dave,
San Diego
1970 TR6 PI CP51649
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