Fuel additives and classic cars
Discussion
I've got a '78 X1/9 and use the Castol additive though to be honest the X1/9 was sold in the US in the mid-70's when they were already on 95 RON so it could probably handle without. The Fiat 128 SOHC engine is pretty much unburstable.........
Nice Fulvia BTW - I had a Series 3 Coupe - its was factory Brown with OE Orange seats and Green carpets..... gotta love the '70's!
Nice Fulvia BTW - I had a Series 3 Coupe - its was factory Brown with OE Orange seats and Green carpets..... gotta love the '70's!
I use Valvemaster, or Superblend 2000 (a bit hard to get hold of now) and... a 200:1 mix of two stroke oil!
But I'm running modern pistons in a total loss oil engine (predecessor of dry sump) and modern pistons have effective oil control rings, 1930 ones, less so the top end would have seen a bit of oil in days past.
But I'm running modern pistons in a total loss oil engine (predecessor of dry sump) and modern pistons have effective oil control rings, 1930 ones, less so the top end would have seen a bit of oil in days past.
I used Tetraboost before I had hardened valve seats fitted. Unlike the others mentioned it's not a lead substitute but actually a tetraethyl lead additive.
Yardelli said:
I've got a '78 X1/9 and use the Castol additive though to be honest the X1/9 was sold in the US in the mid-70's when they were already on 95 RON so it could probably handle without. The Fiat 128 SOHC engine is pretty much unburstable.........
Nice Fulvia BTW - I had a Series 3 Coupe - its was factory Brown with OE Orange seats and Green carpets..... gotta love the '70's!
True enough. Any 70s car with a US spec cylinder head will be fine with unleaded. Ethanol is another matter entirely. Nice Fulvia BTW - I had a Series 3 Coupe - its was factory Brown with OE Orange seats and Green carpets..... gotta love the '70's!
http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2005/11/1963-...
Hemmings (very well respected over the water) say Fulvias had hardened valve seats, so should be fine on normal unleaded.
I've had and still have a number of cars from the early seventies, mainly British and Italian and was initially convinced by the unleaded additives argument. I then decided that the amount of time it takes for potential valve damage to occur it is more cost effective to let it happen (if it ever does) and then replace the valve seats, which on an old engine will probably be due a rebuild anyway. I've had one of those cars since Leaded was phased out in '98 (a car used on track days), and probably more than 10 other early seventies or late sixties cars since then and have never had any damage or had to replace any valve seats.
I've also just got a Fulvia (a Fulvia 3)which will be run on high octane unleaded with no additives. I'll report back in 10 years or so if I've had to have the valve seats replaced...
Sparkey..
I've also just got a Fulvia (a Fulvia 3)which will be run on high octane unleaded with no additives. I'll report back in 10 years or so if I've had to have the valve seats replaced...
Sparkey..
davepoth said:
True enough. Any 70s car with a US spec cylinder head will be fine with unleaded. Ethanol is another matter entirely.
http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2005/11/1963-...
Hemmings (very well respected over the water) say Fulvias had hardened valve seats, so should be fine on normal unleaded.
Thanks for the excellent link. Very helpful indeedhttp://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2005/11/1963-...
Hemmings (very well respected over the water) say Fulvias had hardened valve seats, so should be fine on normal unleaded.
Sparkey - nice Fulvia, enjoy it
My understand is the hardness of valve seats pre-unleaded is bit of a lottery. You'd think an alloy head would already have hard valve seats but some are not hard enough. Early Ford CVH engines are a no no, but I think later ones were hard enough. I'm told, any XK Jaguar engine should be fine. The Austin A series though is supposed to be one of the worst.
What with that, the lead memory effect and the fact that if one keeps the revolutions down, not much recession occurs even on poor engines, it's not too risky being a snake oil salesman. And even decent magazines have taken advertisements from them in the past.
What with that, the lead memory effect and the fact that if one keeps the revolutions down, not much recession occurs even on poor engines, it's not too risky being a snake oil salesman. And even decent magazines have taken advertisements from them in the past.
Slidingpillar said:
My understand is the hardness of valve seats pre-unleaded is bit of a lottery. You'd think an alloy head would already have hard valve seats but some are not hard enough. Early Ford CVH engines are a no no, but I think later ones were hard enough. I'm told, any XK Jaguar engine should be fine. The Austin A series though is supposed to be one of the worst.
What with that, the lead memory effect and the fact that if one keeps the revolutions down, not much recession occurs even on poor engines, it's not too risky being a snake oil salesman. And even decent magazines have taken advertisements from them in the past.
Exactly. Its all a bit millennium bug(remember that?)sod the snake oil additives and carry on regardless! What with that, the lead memory effect and the fact that if one keeps the revolutions down, not much recession occurs even on poor engines, it's not too risky being a snake oil salesman. And even decent magazines have taken advertisements from them in the past.
Cliftonite said:
Hamish Finn said:
Modern petrol is pretty good. Why would you need a fuel additive?
Without hardened valve seats, classics tend to need a bit of lead in their petrol! The right additives can supply a successful alternative.Nice Fulvia coupe. I've had a s3 coupe and now have a s2 Sport Zagato. I've not used an additive for a while now but did use Castrol Valvemaster plus. The topic has been discussed on the Lancia Motor Club forum, mixed views on the benefits I think. Also the S1 Fulvia and early S2 I believe had hardened valve seats.
I have never used anything but super unleaded in old cars .Most need the higher octane as 95 is too low .
Most needed 98 ron like the old 4 star .
Aviod long periods of high revs like on long motorway journeys .
Make sure the car runs properly as poor servicing and the wrong lubricants will do more harm than unleaded.
Get out and enjoy driving it as often as possible, lack of use also ruins many cars.
Most needed 98 ron like the old 4 star .
Aviod long periods of high revs like on long motorway journeys .
Make sure the car runs properly as poor servicing and the wrong lubricants will do more harm than unleaded.
Get out and enjoy driving it as often as possible, lack of use also ruins many cars.
I'm sort of with you - I used LRP while it was still available, then just went to unleaded. I've tried super unleaded but didn't notice any difference in how it ran. I don't do a lot of motorway speeds or long journeys. It's a seventies Vauxhall with the slant-four engine.
My view, rightly or wrongly, is that the wear that may result in me running the car on unleaded is to the valve seats, so if or when that wear does occur, I'll have them replaced with hardened seats. There doesn't seem much point having them done just in case the lack of lead causes wear at some point.
My view, rightly or wrongly, is that the wear that may result in me running the car on unleaded is to the valve seats, so if or when that wear does occur, I'll have them replaced with hardened seats. There doesn't seem much point having them done just in case the lack of lead causes wear at some point.
I used that Millers VSP (sounds like a beer doesn't it, only more expensive) for a few years in my old R5 Turbo 2 (iron block, alloy head, mechanical fuel injection). It always ran 100% OK, but it really furred up the spark plug electrodes with a sandy brown residue, which I had to keep cleaning off. Maybe I used to put too much additive in.
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