Hello Philip-
Actually, leaded fuel continued to be available in the U.S. until the =
early 1980's - don't remember the year of actual phase out. Beginning =
in 1975, all cars sold in the U.S. were to be made unleaded fuel only, =
but leaded fuel was still available. =20
Many here in the States went to extremes to avoid using unleaded, =
primarily due to it's higher cost when first introduced. To prevent one =
from adding leaded fuel to a car requiring leaded fuel, the filler neck =
for the fuel tank had a reduced diameter opening - too small for leaded =
fuel pump handles. Many either crudely cut larger openings into the =
filler neck, or used any variety of funnel type devices to adapt the =
larger leaded fuel spout to fit into the unleaded filler neck. This was =
a very common "modification" as well as the fitting of a catalytic =
converter "test pipe". This was a section of straight pipe, shaped to =
mimmick the inlet/outlet arrangement of standard catalytic converters. =
These were sold under the premise that they would be "temporarily" =
mounted in place of the cat, to verify whether the cat was causing too =
much back pressure due to clogging.
Interestingly enough, the higher cost of unleaded fuel was simply =
marketing. Since lead is actually a fuel additive, the actual cost to =
produce unleaded is less. As more and more of the petrol suppliers =
stopped carrying leaded fuel, the few remaining companies that continued =
to offer it could command a premium price for it.
Regards,
Chris Delling
-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Raby [SMTP:mgworld@chp.ltd.uk]
Sent: Monday, March 23, 1998 6:26 AM
To: MG digest submit
Subject: Re: Cyl Head
On 23/3/98 9:04 am mgs-owner@autox.team.net said
>I had hardened seats put on my 71. Why didn't MG put these on as OE?
>Surely they knew the US was switching to no lead in 1971.
I thought lead was phased out in the US from about 75 when the=20
Californians started to use Cats?
Philip Raby
Editor, MG World
PO Box 163, Bicester OX6 3YS, UK
Tel: 01869 340061 Fax: 01869 340063 Mobile 0467 767361
www.chp.ltd.uk
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