Guyot Leon F wrote to us on the subject of leaded fuel
disappearing from the British market in the next century,
and then asked if anyone had any experience with different
methods of inserting harder valve seats into cast iron heads...
> Does anyone have any further thoughts on all this grief ?
> Leon
I can comment on the subject and say that in Sweden we've
had no leaded fuel for something like 10-15 years now, to
no ill effect it seems.
One can choose from either the unleaded 95, or 98, RON fuel
for cars with catalytic converters or the 96, or 98, RON
fuel for cars without a perverter. The later one is a fuel
with an additive based on either potassium or sodium (it
differs between different petrol companies). For cars that
have the inserts in their heads, but no cat con, the fuel
without the additive is OK, and it is usually cheaper also.
The fuels with additives have shown themselves to have about
the same protecting properties as the old leaded fuel had,
but without the environmental impact of the organic lead
additives. Over here we drive all our Triumphs on the petrols
with additive, and it's been quite all right as far as we've
heard about it from our members. We usually recommend to our
members that when doing a full restoration the head be fitted
with inserts (and also with valve stem seals so the external
oil feed kit can be fitted without problems). So far we have
had no incidents of inserts falling away, like Leon's did, in
Sweden. Neither on in Sweden rebuilt heads, or imported rebuilt
heads. Not one such incidence has been reported to the Club,
and I'm pretty sure such a thing would be discussed in the Club
Magazine at least... So probably the technique in fitting valve
seats into our cast iron heads have developed during the 5-10
years gone by since Leon's Herald head was done? (And Leon's
Herald was also at the time fitted with a Shorrock supercharger
that could have meant some extra thermal load on the engine...)
JMHO
Bye for now
/Odd
--
Odd Hedberg
Pomonagatan 4
S-74236 Östhammar International liaison secretary,
Sweden Triumph Club of Sweden
'70 Spitfire Mk3 FD82497LO Signal Red
E-mail: odd@triumphclub.se / odd.hedberg@bigfoot.com
Club URL: http://www2.passagen.se/triumph/
Home Telephone: Int+ 46-1731 7131
Geographical Position: N 60deg15min E 18deg23min
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