At 09:03 AM 2/23/2000 -0800, rsexson@excite.com wrote:
>....
>When did the MG's start using hadened seats? I think the american built
cars started using unleaded gasoline in about 74 or 75.
Well, I can't directly answer the question for MGs, but, .... In the USA it
became a federal mandate that all cars would be required to be capable of
running on LOW-lead fuel beginning in 1971 (I think that was the exact
year). At that time I believe that most of the engines were getting some
sort of induction hardening of the valve seats in the iron cylinder heads.
For a few years thereafter there were significant problems with premature
valve and seat wear. When most of the cars had catalytic converters
installed beginning with the 1975 model year, and as a result had to run on
NO-lead fuel, I think that most also got hardened steel valve seat inserts,
which seemed to aleviate the problem considerably, but still didn't
eliminate the problem completely.
So much for an OF's memory. Continue on now in spite of me.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://www.ntsource.com/~barneymg
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