Gas lead substitute: Is it needed?

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Do these old cars need a lead substitute to keep the valves from sinking? My friend who runs Model A's says that with low compression engines today's gas is OK without additives.

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Marker345 wrote:
    Do these old cars need a lead substitute to keep the valves from sinking? My friend who runs Model A's says that with low compression engines today's gas is OK without additives.





    A similar thread a while back:



    http://www.classiccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2839&highlight=lead+substitute
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    In my opinion anything that doesnt have modern hardened valve seats should use a lead additive. Lucky most of the Hudsons allready have hardened valve seats from the factory.:D
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    Yep the whole block on any step-down is hardened nickle-chromium alloy so no need for hardened seats or additives. That's engineering! That's why Step-downs were better cars than most all of their contemporaries, but I'm preachin to the choir here so I'll end this post.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    :D:D:D:D Very good info though!Aaron D. IL wrote:
    Yep the whole block on any step-down is hardened nickle-chromium alloy so no need for hardened seats or additives. That's engineering! That's why Step-downs were better cars than most all of their contemporaries, but I'm preachin to the choir here so I'll end this post.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hudson was useing the hardened alloy block long before the stepdown.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Marker345 wrote:
    Do these old cars need a lead substitute to keep the valves from sinking? My friend who runs Model A's says that with low compression engines today's gas is OK without additives.
    If any of you want to drive your Hudson like I do, you better have harden valve seats and stainless valves, intake and exhaust. On my cross country trips I drive over 500 miles a day for a total of 3,300 miles in 6 days. This is on route 80 across this country and at speeds up to 90 across some states. I add 4 ounces of instead of lead, 4 ounces of Marvel Mystery oil every third tank of gas, which is about 14 gallons at a time. With a new speedometer, zero miles when it left my garage in Feb 1998 and now reads 119,350 miles and has never had valve problems. I adjust them every 20,000 miles at 14 intake and 17 exhaust cold. Walt.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    There can be no argument against useing the best availeable valves and seats if you can afford them, however I recently browsed the net on this subject and lead was NOT introduced to gas to prevent any valve failures. It was done to prevent knocking and to be able to build more powerfull engines, and the general consense of articles expressed the opinion that lead additives were best left where you found them, on the shelf . This subject will no doubt be debated pro and con to no end. I put it in the same context of when they told us we had to replace everything in our AC sytems when they went to R134, {profit for additive makers } and we soon learned that was not so, yes the new type hose was better, but not a must , nor any of the other parts they said we had to replace, and all we had to do was get all the R12 out and put in the 134.
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Hardened valve seats for what purpose? The block is harder than the seat you will install.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Remember when AMOCO had unleaded gas on the market. Nobody worried about it then, So why now. That was years and years ago. Walt is right, Do it once, do it right.
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