In a message dated 14/12/97 10:04:41, you write:
<< Guyot Leon F wrote to us on the subject of leaded fuel
disappearing from the British market in the next century,
and then asked if anyone had any experience with different
methods of inserting harder valve seats into cast iron heads...
> Does anyone have any further thoughts on all this grief ?
> Leon
I can comment on the subject and say that in Sweden we've
had no leaded fuel for something like 10-15 years now, to
no ill effect it seems.
One can choose from either the unleaded 95, or 98, RON fuel
for cars with catalytic converters or the 96, or 98, RON
fuel for cars without a perverter. The later one is a fuel
with an additive based on either potassium or sodium (it
differs between different petrol companies). For cars that
have the inserts in their heads, but no cat con, the fuel
without the additive is OK, and it is usually cheaper also.
Thanks,Odd for those words of encouragement,but what worries me more than
anything is that if there is a way to get something wrong,then invariably our
government will find it!!!
I have heard about what happened in New Zealand and how their unleaded fuel
destroyed all neoprene hoses in the fuel systems,I have used Californian De-
Oxygenated gas in a GT6 engined Vitesse,and even with religiously using the
aftermarket additive as the cars' owner instruced me,the valves receded over
just 3500 miles.
I also recall how the Esso Chemist stated that NONE of the additives used
elsewhere in the world,including Sweden,Finland,NZ and Canada made any
significant difference to preventing valve seat recession and indeed some of
them wre worse for the environment that the original lead,and therefore
they,(Esso) had no plans to use any of them in their fuels at this time (March
97).
The fuels with additives have shown themselves to have about
the same protecting properties as the old leaded fuel had,
but without the environmental impact of the organic lead
additives. Over here we drive all our Triumphs on the petrols
with additive, and it's been quite all right as far as we've
heard about it from our members. We usually recommend to our
members that when doing a full restoration the head be fitted
with inserts (and also with valve stem seals so the external
oil feed kit can be fitted without problems). So far we have
had no incidents of inserts falling away, like Leon's did, in
Sweden. Neither on in Sweden rebuilt heads, or imported rebuilt
heads. Not one such incidence has been reported to the Club,
and I'm pretty sure such a thing would be discussed in the Club
Magazine at least... So probably the technique in fitting valve
seats into our cast iron heads have developed during the 5-10
years gone by since Leon's Herald head was done? (And Leon's
Herald was also at the time fitted with a Shorrock supercharger
that could have meant some extra thermal load on the engine...)
You may be right about that,but a stuffed Triumph engine is still a stuffed
triumph engine!
I've also not heard about the dropping out valve seats happening to anyone
other than me,but why is it always me? (Rhetorical Question).
Thanks anyway Odd,and I would be particularly interested in the experiences of
Listers in New Zealand,Scandanavia,Australia and Unleaded American States, IRO
the use of Unleaded Gas in their Triumphs,even though the formulations of the
gas may vary dependent upon climatic variations,especially regarding whatever
valve-seat protection additive(s) may be included in their fuel and if they
consider that they work or not???
Leon
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