I need some schooling on the pros and cons of "leaded gasoline" I used to fill my car with it when I was a teenager but don't remember sh!t about it. was it more benificial for v8s or just high polutin'?
I think the only thing it did was lube the valve seats to keep them from breaking down as they weren't hardened as they are now. If you find someone selling it I'd bet the EPA would like to know about it. Everytime I turn on the news I hear some shit about lead poisoning. I'm willing to bet that had something to do with it's demise.
airports. all small engine aircraft still use leadded fuel, and it is high octane, and it is expensive. it is nice for the old engines that have not have had their valves , and guides changed over for use in no lead fuel. the lead "lubrecated" the valve stems.
Tetraethyl lead was also an anti-knock agent. Most modern gasoline uses ethanol (about 10%, adjusted seasonally) for the same purpose. I have never heard a first hand story of valves beating out their seats or seizing because of someone running unleaded in an early car - one old timer only told me it was a danger if you were towing or perhaps racing. I have also heard that some early postwar Ford V8's used hardened valve seats from the factory - I don't know why. Maybe a holdover from military spec? -Dave
It IS expensive when compared to regular unleaded at the pump, but it's a bargain when compared to race gas or even Cam 2. There's a small airport right near me that has a self-serve pump for Av-gas. It's 100 octane low lead, and I buy it there and use it for my race car. Small block Chevy with about 12.5:1 compression. It runs fine on that gas and I'm getting away cheaper than what they sell at the track. A little overkill for a streetcar though, unless you have really high compression. -Scott -Scott
My brother's 58 chevy wagon sunk several exhaust valves in the early 90s....I got to fix it....so now you have that first hand story.
Amoco never made leaded gas. That was one of their big sales promotions from day one. All unleaded fuel for automobiles and trucks had additives for valve seat lubrication and other magic stuff. The higher cost of unleaded gas was always a profit-driven idea sparked by the greenfreaks rather than a manufacturing one. Mr. Fields was correct when he said, "Never give a sucker an even break, (then the part no one remembers but is most important) or smarten up a chump."
Amocos premium was never leaded the regular was. From what I was told by my old boss who owned many "American" and "Standard " gas stations from the 30's through the 90's. It was the only gas that was able to used in Gasoline lanterns. I don't know if they still have the secret valve protector in the formula. It's still the only premium I use and I have never had a valve problem in my leaded fuel cars. Also have never had an injector problem in any of the newer stuff. Usually go about 200,000 miles on my cars before I replace the car. They still run like new, no injector service yet 4th injected car I have owned.
Yup, fuel is one of the biggest costs now in flying! I remember when Avgas was $1.50 a gallon... It's $6.71 a gallon today @ LAS There is a low octane Avgas as well 80/87 Avgas has 0.5 gr lead/gal 100LL (Low Lead) Avgas has 2.0 gr lead/gal The cons of lead besides the cost and environmental issues, are deposits in the combustion chamber/spark plugs, especially in low compression engines... It also leaves grey gooey gunk in the crankcase, crankshaft, constant speed propellors, and governors... Lead sucks from a maintenance stand point, but it works... Good rule of thumb is to use the minimum octane required for your engine/operations... Here's the octane numbers from 1940 premium, 77; regular, 70; and less-than-regular, 50 Food for thought!!! In my '39, I use Marvel Mystery Oil to lower the octane of 87UL and lubricate the valve stems/guides... 100LL in the '39 with 6to1 compression ran like crap... I had drained my Cessna's tanks to replace a fuel line and shut off valve... It was paid for and I couldn't let it go to waste
Sorry, Kinda OT, but has anyone ever used one of those Old Oilers - Like the marvel mystery ones or the Judson ones - plumbed into the intake manifold and run off of vacume. I've read that it helps lubricate the topend/valves, etc. - eliminating sunken valves and lengthening the time betwen valve adjustments. Just curious, because I was thinking about one for a project I'm working on - I also like the way they look. Is this a good vintage solution to a modern problem?
I heard that there was no lead in gas until wwII. All pre-war valves sat on hardened seats. There was alot of talk about this in WoodenBoat magazine.
I am just a young pup, but my experience with Leaded gas is it also lasts longer. Meaning sitting in a can and not breaking down or varnishing. I have used leaded race gas that was sitting for over a year and a half and it still ran fine in my motorcycle and smelled the same. I know with pump gas you can't have it sit more than six months and it starts to smell bad and doesn't work as well. My 2 cents.
If you use Av gas or Ag gas on the street and get caught, The fine is pretty heafty for avoiding both state and fed gas tax. Gas is dyed for its intended use.
I have avgas (100LL) at the small field where I keep the plane, but it's more expensive per gallon than the stations here in town (Rebel) that have a 100oct "racing gas". Three of my cars will not run well without at least 100oct, and back when (on the west coast here) we still had "Chevron Supreme" ..the WHITE pump (leaded - about 108 RON)...the Cobra ran like gangbusters...I sucked into filling it up once with Shell while Enzo was doing their commercials....had to drain it....pinged....ran horribly...refilled with Chevron Supreme...right back to wonderfulville. "If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike" dj
I had a 70 F100 w/302 with recessed valves, it does happen. Walmart sells lead for use in offroad vehicles. Comes in a container like the "stabil" gas preservative stuff.
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