Leaded or Unleaded heads ?
Discussion
Ok guys i'm trying to identify weather my 2.8i has the unleaded heads fitted. According to the bible Pre-83 heads were all non-unleaded after that who knows? The bible also says there's an identifying letter (D or E)stamped into the cylinder exhaust flange upper face near the middle spark plug for unleaded heads . Well I've looked several times and i cant find anything. Does this mean I've got std heads or am i just overlooking the markings? I've been using an additive as a precaution but would like to stop using it if poss as its just another expense. My car is on an A plate first registered 30-5-84. Any other way of identifying if I have the unleaded heads?
I can supply Chassis or engine No's if needed
Thanks in advance
Ron
I can supply Chassis or engine No's if needed
Thanks in advance
Ron
Its a pretty safe bet that almost all the 2.8 colognes aren't unleaded from the factory. never seen or heard from any one with one with the elusive stamp on the exhaust flange 
Unless the heads have been off and had hardened seats fitted, then its not really safe to use without some kind of lead substitute. Go on, ask me how I know
Unless the heads have been off and had hardened seats fitted, then its not really safe to use without some kind of lead substitute. Go on, ask me how I know
Hi mate..In my search a while back for a replacement engine for delilah i found a 2.8i that was registered in 85 and the seller was boasting that it had unleaded heads from when it left the factory..Its bull's doodoo...Some cars were held back and didnt get registered for a couple of years..Like its been said the only way would be if the previous owner has had it done and has the paperwork to show or it has been correctly stamped..Using a good quality additive like wynn's or even castrol would be ok even if you are using the car everyday but as i found out its long distance journey's that cause the valves to recess enough to damage the cam as in my case...Its a worthy conversion provided its done properly by someone who has done a few times...These guys have been doing for sometime..Or take stu up on his offer...Ziga
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=c...
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=c...
Thankfully my heads are both stamped with a date code which should be okay with unleaded, it took a bit of cleaning to be sure of what was stamped on there but it was a relief to find. I have a picture of it which i was going to post but it appears that the better half has been cleaning the computer, apparently i should have hidden the pictures i've taken 
judging by the stamp on mine either the heads were in the factory for only a few months (and from the dates on the body panels that would be significantly less time than the car sat about waiting for the engine), or someone has changed them
judging by the stamp on mine either the heads were in the factory for only a few months (and from the dates on the body panels that would be significantly less time than the car sat about waiting for the engine), or someone has changed them
As far as I know only export Colognes had unleaded heads, so it's going to be very rare to find them in UK. You can get hardened seats fitted at an engine reconditioners.
Before you go nuts on the unleaded damaging the valves though, look up "lead memory" or "lead memory effect" on the Web and have a read.
The fact is that any engine which has been run for many years on the old 4 star will have a lot of lead in the cast iron and it will continue to protect the valves, for perhaps as much as 20,000 miles. Also, when driven lightly (Yeah OK, not really a wedge thing !) there isn't always damage even without any lead or substitute.
I've driven my wedge for about 15 years here in NZ on the NZ standard 95 unleaded octane 'super' and put in valvemaster about every 3 fills, for an engine which ran around in UK for over 10 years whilst I owned it. I've not had any noticeable recession when checking tappets.....
The only other thing I did was to retard the timing slightly (2 degrees) and disonnect the vac advance and it runs just fine, and gives about 28-29mpg on a decent run
Before you go nuts on the unleaded damaging the valves though, look up "lead memory" or "lead memory effect" on the Web and have a read.
The fact is that any engine which has been run for many years on the old 4 star will have a lot of lead in the cast iron and it will continue to protect the valves, for perhaps as much as 20,000 miles. Also, when driven lightly (Yeah OK, not really a wedge thing !) there isn't always damage even without any lead or substitute.
I've driven my wedge for about 15 years here in NZ on the NZ standard 95 unleaded octane 'super' and put in valvemaster about every 3 fills, for an engine which ran around in UK for over 10 years whilst I owned it. I've not had any noticeable recession when checking tappets.....
The only other thing I did was to retard the timing slightly (2 degrees) and disonnect the vac advance and it runs just fine, and gives about 28-29mpg on a decent run
Edited by RCK974X on Sunday 28th October 19:39
Rockettvr said:
mk2 24v said:
Go on, ask me how I know
Let me guess....errr you had a "friend" who used unleaded without additive and suffered the consequences ??? 
Thing is there doesn't even appear to be a flange where the bible says to look ?
Find the engine number (towards the front LH of the engine), it's stamped into a protruding part of the engine block casting that is nothing to do with the exhaust manifolds (). Above the engine number is the engine type code; for the 2.8 this is PR. If PR is followed by a D or E then it has unleaded heads.
A 1984 engine would be unlikely to have them as they were only introduced (as far as I'm aware) in 1985.
). Above the engine number is the engine type code; for the 2.8 this is PR. If PR is followed by a D or E then it has unleaded heads.A 1984 engine would be unlikely to have them as they were only introduced (as far as I'm aware) in 1985.
Wedg1e said:
Find the engine number (towards the front LH of the engine), it's stamped into a protruding part of the engine block casting that is nothing to do with the exhaust manifolds (). Above the engine number is the engine type code; for the 2.8 this is PR. If PR is followed by a D or E then it has unleaded heads.
A 1984 engine would be unlikely to have them as they were only introduced (as far as I'm aware) in 1985.
I hate to argue, but I don't think that's [always] true - my understanding was that engine blocks stamped PRE were the ones with larger cam journals from late '84, and also for EEC-IV engine management. I have a block stamped PRE (from 85 Scorpio with EEC-IV), but the heads did NOT have a D or E stamped on them, and I had those heads reconned and they were NOT hardened seats.). Above the engine number is the engine type code; for the 2.8 this is PR. If PR is followed by a D or E then it has unleaded heads.A 1984 engine would be unlikely to have them as they were only introduced (as far as I'm aware) in 1985.
As far as I know they were the original heads, they certainly seemed that way on the stripdown.
Of course, there's bound to be overlaps and variations in the Ford builds, and I guess engines 1985 on would all be stamped PRE, so it would be a precursor check rather than final proof ??
The other little clue is that the later blocks are painted grey instead of black.
Edited by RCK974X on Monday 29th October 04:16
RCK974X said:
I hate to argue, but I don't think that's [always] true - my understanding was that engine blocks stamped PRE were the ones with larger cam journals from late '84, and also for EEC-IV engine management. I have a block stamped PRE (from 85 Scorpio with EEC-IV), but the heads did NOT have a D or E stamped on them, and I had those heads reconned and they were NOT hardened seats.
As far as I know they were the original heads, they certainly seemed that way on the stripdown.
Of course, there's bound to be overlaps and variations in the Ford builds, and I guess engines 1985 on would all be stamped PRE, so it would be a precursor check rather than final proof ??
The other little clue is that the later blocks are painted grey instead of black.
I bow to your greater depth of knowledge As far as I know they were the original heads, they certainly seemed that way on the stripdown.
Of course, there's bound to be overlaps and variations in the Ford builds, and I guess engines 1985 on would all be stamped PRE, so it would be a precursor check rather than final proof ??
The other little clue is that the later blocks are painted grey instead of black.
My Tasmin's replacement engine was from an XR4i; I had words with local Ford dealer who were certain it did have unleaded-ready heads and the PR-E code was what they told me confirmed it. There were no markings on the heads themselves that I ever found, just a cast-in letter E near the exhaust flanges - but that was a foundry identifier, not a production mark as such.
..Wedg1e said:
I bow to your greater depth of knowledge
My Tasmin's replacement engine was from an XR4i; I had words with local Ford dealer who were certain it did have unleaded-ready heads and the PR-E code was what they told me confirmed it. There were no markings on the heads themselves that I ever found, just a cast-in letter E near the exhaust flanges - but that was a foundry identifier, not a production mark as such.
OK - fair enough. More of what (I think) I know ! My Tasmin's replacement engine was from an XR4i; I had words with local Ford dealer who were certain it did have unleaded-ready heads and the PR-E code was what they told me confirmed it. There were no markings on the heads themselves that I ever found, just a cast-in letter E near the exhaust flanges - but that was a foundry identifier, not a production mark as such.
2.8 heads should have a cast 'EN' mark on *ALL* of them. 2.3 have 'AN' or 'A9' in them.
This is supposed to match the block casting A = 2.3, E = 2.8 by the gearbox flange (don't know what happened to B,C,D)
The unleaded mark is supposed to be on the exhuast flange above the actual manifold (i.e. you should be able to read it) according to guides. But I've never seen one, so I can't confirm.
I agree that some post 85 engines did have unleaded heads, and I think XR4i is probably a good candidate...
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