| Author | Message | ||
| Edward (Edward_96gts)
Junior Member Username: Edward_96gts Post Number: 113 Registered: 8-2002 |
Running leaded gas will foul the plugs easily. | ||
| P. Thomas (Ferrari_fanatic)
Member Username: Ferrari_fanatic Post Number: 624 Registered: 4-2003 |
The lubricating quality of lead was actually a "cushion" between the valve seats and the valve face. A fool proof method is to ascertain if the car was equiped with a catalytic converter. If it originally had a cat then the engine (ie, valve seats) were of the hardened type and does not need the lead as a cushion. Leaded gas can not be ran through a cat. equiped car (besides the obvious fill pipe restrictor component) because lead coats/clogs the cats. Deductive reasoning tells me that any car manufacturer would not Cat equip a car (Federally mandated) WITHOUT putting hardened seats in the heads. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 7306 Registered: 8-2002 |
Mitch, very cool bit of information, thank you... | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2825 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mark The MK-IV, Lola, and P4 run fine on Super Unleaded (93-94). I try to use Sunoco 94 when I can. The Deusey can run on anything as in the 30ies it ran on 60 octane unleaded. | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Intermediate Member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 1214 Registered: 4-2002 |
DES: the gas companies put lead in the cars starting in the middle 1920s. It dramatically raised the octane ratings, and immediately started cloging things up. While it is an effective valve lubricant, the gasolinie companies had to start adding benzene to the gasoline. Benzene causes the excess lead to not cling to to many things inside the engine and be efficiently transfered to the outside world where normal animals can become poisoned by both the lead and the benzene. Both GM and standard oil knew in 1925 that leaded gasoline was a public health problem and that other chemicals that were less toxic could be used almost as effectively. But these two held patent rights to this stuff and (basically) forced it down the throat of the buying public. We are still cleaning up this mess (by passively allowin it to decay.) | ||
| MarkPDX (Markpdx)
Intermediate Member Username: Markpdx Post Number: 1075 Registered: 4-2003 |
Jim What octane rating do you like to run in the P4 and the MK-IV? As for pumping ones own, out here in Oregon you are not allowed to. State laws prohibits anyone but the juvenile delinquents employed by the station from pumping gas, they seem to take great delight in dripping it all over the car. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 7218 Registered: 8-2002 |
James, once again, i stand corrected... i had no idea... As for pumping my own, i do; i'm just not allowed to in certain parts of the Island and NJ...  | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2818 Registered: 10-2002 |
Des I said unleaded. I didn't say low octane. Lead used to be in motor fuel as a lubricant for the valve train as well as a cheap way to raise octane. You can get high octane unleaded but it costs more to refine without lead. As for the rest of it as you know real men pump their own. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 7213 Registered: 8-2002 |
... Jim pulls up to a Mobil in the P4, hands the attendant his Amex black and says, "Fill it up, please... regular..." LOL...! | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2817 Registered: 10-2002 |
In a word no. Most F cars valve seats are hard enough to run unleaded. By now most of the older cars have had hardened seats installed. My P4 runs fine on unleaded. | ||
| James Angle (Jimangle)
Junior Member Username: Jimangle Post Number: 98 Registered: 9-2002 |
Is it required to run a leaded fuel additive in the older F' cars. 79 and older? Thanks, Jim |