I am the proud new owner of a 71 GT6 MKIII and have a basic question. I was
informed by the previous owner that I should add a lead additive to the
fuel. How importnant is this and what happens if it is not added? Are there
long term effects? Thanks in advance.
Cameron, you've heard from others that this is no great issue with Triumphs.
'Lead memory' has proven to last a long time in these engines and as someone
has already commented, if your valve clearances start to tighten up you
probably have valve seat recession. In 2000, when the UK went over entirely
to unleaded fuel, there was a hue and cry (fuelled mainly by journalists who
hadn't got a clue of what they were writing about) that unleaded fuel would
wreck all engines without hardened seats. It hasn't - and many cars,
including Triumphs are running happily on the original 'soft' seats with no
signs of VSR. I'll admit that there does seem to be better performance from
high octane unleaded (98 RM for Europe) but I don't use it in my Triumphs.
They just run on the ordinary *cooking* unleaded (95 RM) with Castrol
Valvemaster, a potassium based additive. Your GT6 should do the same and its
no disaster if you should do a few fill-ups without putting in an additive.
Done it many times myself. However, the moral for using any additive seems
to be that you dose only according to the fuel you take on, never put in "a
bit extra" for luck - and you don't chop and change additives. Choose one
and stick to it - or don't bother at all. Either way seems pretty safe.
Jonmac
"I have only once followed a rigid, cholesterol-free diet and it was the
most ghastly afternoon I can ever remember" Denis Norden
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