lead additive to prolong the life of my car?

[Alec]

Hello Mike,

i think the reference to tanks is that ethanol attacks the zinc that tanks are often plated with, which will accelerate rusting? Fibreglass is bad also as many modified 60s motor bikes had fibreglass tanks, I believe it dissolves them, but also may attack some of the tank sealing compounds sold to cure leaking metal tanks?

Alec

[johnnydog]

I have read about problems with renovated tanks that have been resealed. Back in June this year when I was recommisioning my Mk1 2000 for the National after 25 years of inactivity, the fuel system was horrendous. This was nothing to do with unleaded or additives or even ethanol as the vehicle had last been used in 1988 with leaded fuel in it which basically had turned to a treacle like substance. The tank was also quite rusty inside. As I didn't have a replacement tank at the time, I looked into renovating the tank. There are products that basically involve a process where the tank is treated on the inside, and finally coated to seal it. However, there was a issue where the sealing treatment could not be 100% guaranteed as effective as a long term solution, as ethanol had been found to strip the sealant, and basically bung up the fuel system with bits of the sealant and crud, resulting in further problems. I ended up getting a replacement tank. Ethanol is nasty stuff, and if the Governments / the EU get their way about greener / bio fuels, the ethanol content will no doubt rise from the 5% mentioned. I understood the Government have backed down from a proposed increase to 10% sometime in the middle of this decade, but even so, even the big fuel companies add varing amount of ethanol. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that by buying the big names such as Esso , Shell or BP that you are getting fuel with a modest amount of ethanol - its something that the fuel companies give very little information about. Even if the information was readily available, it literally varies in a short period of time, and also depends on where in the country it is purchased.
How many times have you heard people say, 'I filled up with ABC petrol, and my car started pinking and running like a bag of ----, so I filled up with XYZ instead, and it started running great' ? Well, that it how much variation there is in different fuels. It is more noticeable on older cars, because the ignition timing and mixture never varies, whereas modern cars are continually monitered and the fuel delivery and iginition varied by the engine management to suit different conditions and fuel.
So basically, it is down to using whatever your car runs best on. If it is running well, stick with it, if its running characteristics alter, try another brand.

[Alec]

Hello Johnny,

I was under the impression that the amount of ethanol mixed in the fuel was supposed to be stated or at least some indication of the blend marked on the pump?

Arguably ethanol is anything but green given the energy to produce it and loss of arable land given to food production, more a case of reducing the amount of oil consumed?

Alec

[johnnydog]

There is an interesting article by a chap called Chris Thompson (who have i have met incidentally as he lives in Lancashire!) regarding ethanol. The article was published in the magazines of the Stag Owners Club and the TR Register a couple of years ago. There may have been updates, I'm not sure, but it gives a more detailed insight of the points I was referring to, especially as it's from someone who is far more qualified than I am. It outlines how much the fuel does vary. If you Google 'Chris Thompson Ethanol', I am sure you will find it!

[Dave B]

Scary reading, moral of the story at the moment, use super unleaded !

http://www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/wes ... pdate.html

[Mike Stevens]

that ethanol attacks the zinc that tanks are often plated with

Hi Alec,

Yes, I hadn't considered that. But I think it highlights the problem, as do the other posts. We don't really know the effect of ethanol in the existing and higher concentrations. I guess we won't really know until we have E10 available and things begin to go wrong - by which time it could well be too late!

Being a member of the SOC I have read that article that was mentioned. I think I need to go and read it again!

Cheers,
Mike.

[KellyTurner1990]

I understand that you can get your car converted so that it'll run happily on leaded fuel straight out the pump. This was recommended to me if mine is to ever start pinking etc. What are everyones thoughts on this and how big of a job is it

[KellyTurner1990]

I understand that you can get your car converted so that it'll run happily on leaded fuel straight out the pump. This was recommended to me if mine is to ever start pinking etc. What are everyones thoughts on this and how big of a job is it

[Alan Chatterton]

It's about 450-500 to have the head done, maybe more. But there is no point doing it until you have recession.

[TedTaylor]

I agree with Alan. Unless your driving style is particularly hard (heavy footed/towing/hill work and making your engine labour) valve seat recession is something that will take a very long time to happen ........ and may even never be a problem.

To be honest when I run a car with standard head I leave it original and may add a lead substitute additive under the hard driving conditions. Even if you use the additive all the time, when you work out the cost of the conversion it is unlikely you would get past the cost of the conversion - a lot of the cost coming in the work of paying someone to remove, strip, reassemble and refit the head unless you can do it yourself.

Personally I would run your car and enjoy it, and when the time comes that valve seat recession starts to happen (the tell tale sign is that you need to readjust tight tappets frequently) and you would have to get the head refurbished then spend the extra on the exhaust valve seats and guides - valves unlikely to be a problem and at worst would probably need just seats refaced.

A lot of 'scare' stories are bandied around about the need for unleaded conversions, and while in some engines it can be a real problem the six cylinder Triumph is not one of them.

MUT