personal opinion on lead additive for classic cars.

[jnormanh]

1. The stuff which is sold as "lead replacement" is snake oil, of no value whatsoever.Save your money.

2. You cannot purchase tetraethyl lead, which is what was used in leaded gasoline. And it's a good thing you can't.

3. Leaded fuel pollutes the air to the extent that there are plenty of documented cases of lead caused brain damage in children living in high traffic areas, and there are literally thousands of cases of groundwater contaminated with lead from fuel spills and underground tank leaks.

4. Leaded fuel will cause much, much faster wear of spark plugs, piston rings and bearings. That's why most any car engine today will run 200K+ with reasonable maintenance. Those engines of the 1950's weren't worn out at 100K because they were badly built of poor materials. It was lead that wore them out.

5. Mufflers and exhaust pipes last far longer on lead free fuel.

6. The only downside to unleaded fuel is possibly accelerated valve seat recession in old engines, but those engines needed valve jobs at 50K anyway when they were running leaded fuel. If your car needs a valve job, pay for it with the money you haven't wasted on snake oil.

[Commander Eddie]

If you feel the need for some top lubrication, squirt a little marvel in your gas tank after a fill up. A bottle of that goes longer, costs less, and does the same thing as those single use lead substitutes. Nothing can replace true leaded gas, but I'd argue it's not a concern. If the folk legends about my car are true, it's never had valve work (aside from lash adjustment) done in 50 years, and for half of that, it's only had unleaded fuel.

I have been using Marvel Oil for 45 years and it seems to work as advertised. It is even great for freeing up stuck engines. An ounce or two per fill up should do the trick. A little in the crankcase is helpful as well.

[Hawklover]

I can speak from personal experience! Pump gas just will not cut it in my R-1.......everything set to oem spec's.......and the F-er pings like a B-stard! Lead additive??...........there is only one place to obtain REAL TEL in a can........and it ain't at Pep Boys! Bill Davis outside of Boston now sells what was once called Lead Supreme 130 TEL........now called Octane Supreme.......same product new label.......Bill bought out the rights to market TEL from KEMCO Products in Utah......a chemical company in Arizona does the actual product shipping......and again in my experience this works....keeps the ping away and cushions the valve seats.........and if anyone thinks valve seats do not need TEL.......ask Jon Myer what happened to his daughters Daytona after years of lead free fuel! Now as to AMOCO lead free, yes pure white AMOCO did not utilize TEL to boost octane cushion valves, etc.....they utilized Phosphorus. Also back in the day there was a product called CD Alimite(s) this contained a chemical called Lubrizol, made by the Lubrizol Corp.......now marketed by Turtle Wax Corp. This product coated the valve seats to prevent valve seat wear.

Waste of money. If it were truly needed there would be true episodes of cars with burnt valves, not just dire predictions. Those predictions just haven't proven out in forty years of hearing them.

i think most, if not all, cars that had problems since the changeover to unleaded gas in the 1970's were due to high mileage or poor maintenance by owners who simply used unleaded as an excuse. Amoco was selling unleaded fuels since the early '60s if not even earlier.

[jnormanh]

I can speak from personal experience! Pump gas just will not cut it in my R-1.......everything set to oem spec's.......and the F-er pings like a B-stard!

Lead additive??...........there is only one place to obtain REAL TEL in a can.......and again in my experience this works....

daughters Daytona after years of lead free fuel!

1. A bone stock R-1 will not run properly on pump gas? I don't believe you.

2. If you are running leaded fuel on public roads, you are violating the law.

3. Many cars had valve seat recession on leaded fuel. Is it worse on lead free? Maybe, especially if operated at high speed for long distances. So what? Do a valve job and install good valve seats.

[Flashback]

I have read over and over again on adding "High Octane Aviation Leaded Fuel" to Studes( or any other make for that matter). My question is......HOW?
It is highly illegal since no 'road taxes' are factored in. Who sells it to you? If you were talking about racing fuel from a speed shop, that's one thing, but how in the heck is everyone purchasing AvGas?????

I go to the local small airport, swipe my card and for about 5.35 a gal. fill my can an leave.

[53commander]

I go to the local small airport, swipe my card and for about 5.35 a gal. fill my can an leave.

Same here, I run AV100LL in most of my small engines too. It eliminates the ethanol "contamination" as someone referred to it as. A gallon every few tank fulls in the car will do the trick if your worried about valve lubrication.

[unclemiltie]

I have been using a product from Schaeffer Oil called NEUTRA for over 10 years and am extremely satisfied. The main reason I use it is that it is a very good fuel stabilizer. One of its side benefits is that it also contains small amounts of lead.

If I did not want to use a fuel stablizer I would not be using this product, ie, I would not use it as I am not convinced lead additives are needed.

[Studedude]

Hardened valves and hard seats in stock studebakers heads is another urban legend.
If your running your stude hard In a truck for instance or expect considerable mileage out of a valve job I'd recommend hard seats. If its a hobby car I don't feel it's necessary.

I would like to see this discussed further. Not taking sides, I don't know, either way.... 'not saying you're right, not saying you're wrong.

But... for as long as I've been visiting the old news group, and this forum, I have observed several folks that profess to be all-knowing Stude experts declare that installing hardened valve/seats in Studebaker heads is a waste of money, because, they say, Stude components were already "hardened" from the factory, as opposed to, "soft block" cars.

[jnormanh]

I have been using a product from Schaeffer Oil called NEUTRA for over 10 years and am extremely satisfied. The main reason I use it is that it is a very good fuel stabilizer. One of its side benefits is that it also contains small amounts of lead.

If I did not want to use a fuel stablizer I would not be using this product, ie, I would not use it as I am not convinced lead additives are needed.

Go to Google. Type in Schaeffer Oil Neutra msds.

Read the PDF file from Schaeffer. Their product contains zero, none, nada lead.

[Hawklover]

Sir, frankly I don't give a sheet what you believe, I have had my car since 1966 so please give me a break. I assume you are a deputized Marshal of the green police......as such my eyes will be more apt to look in the rear view mirror............see if you can catch me.............my bumper has a small sticker on it........."this automobile has powder gray tailpipes, ask me why"

[Studedude]

Sir, frankly I don't give a sheet what you believe, I have had my car since 1966 so please give me a break. I assume you are a deputized Marshal of the green police......as such my eyes will be more apt to look in the rear view mirror............see if you can catch me.............my bumper has a small sticker on it........."this automobile has powder gray tailpipes, ask me why"

Who you talking to, potty mouth?

Your vague attempts at hiding your vulgarity are conspicuous, and violate the intent of forum decorum.

[GThawkwind]

Who you talking to, potty mouth?

Your vague attempts at hiding your vulgarity are conspicuous, and violate the intent of forum decorum.

1. A bone stock R-1 will not run properly on pump gas? I don't believe you.

2. If you are running leaded fuel on public roads, you are violating the law.

3. Many cars had valve seat recession on leaded fuel. Is it worse on lead free? Maybe, especially if operated at high speed for long distances. So what? Do a valve job and install good valve seats.

I believe that's who he was talking to.

[Chris_Dresbach]

AND I think we're done here...