does anyone have an opinion pros/cons on using lead sub. or not using it,I have just had my 57 single barrel completely rebuilt, in fact it has not been stated yet thanks in advance
paul
paul
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Re: lead substitute
Paul, I use a Lead add. "OCTANE SUPREME 130." It is not a sub. It is Tetraethyl & touline 1 Qt. will raise 15 gal. 91 octane gas to 101 oct. Kemco Chem. 877-450-5877 it cost approx. $9 qt.Costly, but low milage + motor damage due to pre ing. worth it to me. I needed it on 11 to 1 comp. Don -
avgas or cam2
If all you need is a little lead, just add a gallon or two of avgas or cam2 every few tankfuls. On the other hand, unless you plan to drive 50,000 miles or more with your baby, you probably wouldn't ever wear it out anyway so it becomes a moot point.
Good luck,
MarkComment
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57 Octane
Reading in the "Corvette Tech. Speaking Manuel" C-1 in 57 specify 87-92 Research Octane. If your CR is 10/1 or less it will probably run on preimum or regular
w/o any additive.Comment
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Re: lead substitute
Paul------
You probably don't really need to use a lead substitute. Unless engines are run under high power loads for extended periods of time, there should be no real problems with valve seat recission. I once-upon-a-time discussed this matter with 2 of the fleet managers that used to work for the organization I once did. They managed a large fleet and had managed large fleets for years. They BOTH told me that they had NEVER seen a problem due to the use of unleaded gas in engines originally designed for use with leaded gas. This includes industrial engines that were run at high power loads for extended periods of time.
Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt anything to use a lead substitute. Based upon my research, the best ones are those that contain "Powershield" as manufactured by the Lubrizol Company of Ohio. Lubrizol does not sell the product direct or in their own packaging. It's used as the "active ingredient" in products manufactured by others. The most convenient of these are those which contain the highest concentration of the "active ingredient". That way you don't need to carry a case of the stuff with you on a trip.
Two of the products that meet both of the above are the Alemite/CD-2 product and Red Line. There may be others. I use 2 oz of the product per 10 gallons.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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What do they do for you?
What do the lead substitutes really accomplish? If not akin to alchemy, it's at the very least, a controversial subject as to whether these additives do anything worthwhile at all. Some will even say they do more harm than good. As far as real Tetra Ethyl lead being available for sale in a can, it's doubtful.Comment
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Re: What do they do for you?
Clare-----
I've seen independent tests of engines operated for test purposes at high power loads with and without the lead substitute (the Powershield product). There was a definite difference in the condition of the valve seats after an extended run. Whether they do anything worthwhile in a street engine is another good question. However, I really don't think that they do any harm. The Powershield product uses a sodium-based organic compound. Tetraethyl lead is a lead-based organic compound. Both products rely on the lubricity and "impact cushioning" of the metal element (i.e. sodium or lead) to provide valve seat protection. Other lead substitutes on the market are completely organic compounds. I doubt that they do much good, at all.
The sodium-based compound provides only valve seat protection. The organo-sodium compound provides no octane enhancement whatsoever. Of course, the organbo-lead compound (TEL) provides BOTH valve seat protection AND octane improvement. So, with the lead subsitutes, there is NO octane boost provided; they are strictly for valve seat issues.
As far as tetraethyl lead products on the market, there are products on the market which contain tetraethyl lead. The problem is that the concentration of the tetraethyl lead is so low that it takes a large quantity of the stuff to get any real octane improvement. You need a minimum of about 0.1g per gallon of GASOLINE to provide any valve seat protection and you barely get this amount at the recommended dosages. At the 0.1g per gallon dosage, you get NIL octane enhancement affect as a result of the TEL, although some octane improvement may be provided by the carrier solvent or "other ingredients" in the TEL-containing product.
I believe that under EPA regulations, the TEL concentration in these "lead additives" is limited to about 1 g per gallon (of the product being sold). So, it takes one gallon of this stuff per 10 gallons of gas to give you a concentration in the gasoline of 0.1g gallon.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: What do they do for you? for me===
OK here goes! you guys will say I'm crazy but my friend some years ago built Cobra's using 454 aluminum engines, 13 to 1 compression. I had a 69 427 six pack, and pinged. I asked him what I could do and he said to use one cup per-5 gallons of gas of Acetone to the gas.
I know what your thinking ,but I've been adding it for years , even in my 55 and it runs like a bat out of hell.I keep it in steel can when I get gas , CARFUL adding it. Been doing it for 15 years and the engine has over 100K on it. I just buy it at the hardware stores. NOW has any one heard or done this. Like to know.Comment
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back to the avgas or cam 2
Avgas or cam 2 have approx. 2 grams of lead per gallon, so if you get your avgas for $4 per gallon and subtract $2+ per gallon for the price of the Sunoco or Amoco etc that you usually buy, it drops the price of the lead to less than $2 per gallon. Using one gallon in a tankful will bring your lead level to 0.1 grams per gallon. Voila!
That's a whole lot cheaper than a lot of the additives on the market. (and it includes the appropriate lead scavengers too)
MarkComment
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Wasn't it Sinclair...
with the dinosaur theme that used to sing "Sinclair puts the nickle in" in their commercials to bally-ho the fact they weren't using tetra-ethyl lead as an octane boost additive?Comment
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