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Uleaded Gas

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Tintinmilou

Tintinmilou

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Since this seems to be a subject that comes up ad infinitum in British Car Forums, I thought I'd post this a bit of a FAQ.
I ran my MGB-GT on unleaded gas, with no modifications, for 15 years and over 50,000 miles with no ill effects. I have the engine apart right now at 133,000 miles because a slow head leak destroyed a piston. The valves and seats were perfect. I did replace them all because the stems were worn, and I'm anal-retentive. But no discernable damage from unleaded gas.
So don't worry. Be Happy. Enjoy your Britcar.
Safety Fast!
(And yes, I apologize for the size of my pictures in my signature. I have to find a way to shrink them, and get them back into my signature. Meanwhile, you'll just have to suffer along.
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Thanks for your report about unleaded gas. Old wives tales die hard. I see you have a nice looking MGA. Are you a member of the North American MGA Register, NAMGAR? If not, I highly recommend it and can give you the e-mail address of a good friend in Trabuco who will be restoring a 1600 roadster just as soon as he gets done with his E-Jag. I'll give you his name and address now since I will be away for the next week or so. It's Steve Chaffee, s.l.chaffee@worldnet.att.net. If you contact him, mention my name. NAMGAR is holding its annual national get-together in July in Portland, OR this year.
 
I wonder if we are victims of overenthusiastic PR and marketing types. I clearly recall around the middle 1950's when AMOCO trumpeted their "white" gas. It was colorless and unleaded, and their pitch was that leaded gas would leave your engine full of harmful lead deposits. They charged about 20 per cent more than the companies which sold leaded gasoline.

Is that a turnabout??
 
I never saw much of a problem from running unleaded gas. Probably the design of the head and the heat they generate compared to a 350. Actually, I see more burnt valves on modern unleaded designed cars than when I did nothting but LBC's. And unleaded or not, the deposits are still there.
 
Alfred -

You beat me to it! I was thinking the same thing. I always thought we should be using Amoco, but couldn't afford the price difference. Ah, the power of Madison Ave!

It's a lot like the world of medicine and the weather. If you don't like what you hear, stick around; it'll change.

Mickey
 
I too use unleaded Fuel in my Healey with a standard "leaded" head, valves etc, with no noticable problems.

I understand, from reading reports of the UK Testing of the effects of unleaded fuels on engines, that the only engine ever affected was the A-Series, (Mini, Sprite..etc).

Some people I know add an octane booster and lead additive every third or forth tankful, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

I think the whole thing was overstated, certainly for "Sixties" type engines.

Cheers

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[ 06-22-2003: Message edited by: BEEJAY7 ]</p>
 
On much of the stuff that I have read about valve seat recession with no lead gas, the tests that showed a problem were run at high rpm - high load for many hours continuously. Not really applicable to most of our cars.

Remember that a lot of additive sellers & car shops stand to make good money by selling something that you don't need.
D
 
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