to the fuel...lead ad'v or Mr. Marvel?, or?

[Guest maudsley]

We all have opinions. I use Mystery oil for the lubricant in the fuel for my 33 Chevy Truck. For the 28 President, I guess I will do the same, unless convinced otherwise. I do this cause the guy I bought the truck from said to, simple as that. I know some of you are more scientific about these things, and I would like to hear opinions if you have a preference on what a old stude likes to run on.

[Guest olcrow]

just my two cents worth: lead was not added to gasoline for cars until after ww2 (?), the cheapest gasoline that you buy today, is head and shoulders better than what was sold back then. the mmo may help in lubing the valve guides, that's my take on "snake oil" stuff. other opinions may vary

[studeq]

just my two cents worth: lead was not added to gasoline for cars until after ww2 (?), the cheapest gasoline that you buy today, is head and shoulders better than what was sold back then. the mmo may help in lubing the valve guides, that's my take on "snake oil" stuff. other opinions may vary

While this topic is open to debate I can tell you that leaded gas was available as far back as the early to mid 1920s. The term Ethyl was short for the additive tetra-ethyl lead. This additive allowed the engineers to significantly increase the compression ratio of engines which in the '20s was maybe 4 or 5 to 1 to ratios of 7 to 1 and higher by the time of WWII.

[Guest stude8]

Read this forum thread

http://forums.aaca.org/f120/zinc-dialkyl-dithio-phosphate-257307.html

also click on "Search" above and do a search on "ZDDP" you will get a lot of info about the additive that has been removed from modern oils because all new cars are no longer flat tappet and cam engines.

If your engine is pre 1950's it is likely a flat tappet and cam design that needs ZDDP that has been eliminated from modern oil because it contaminates catalytic converters.

Better add ZDDP to your oil just to be safe.

Stude8

Edited May 21, 2011 by stude8
typo (see edit history)

[Guest maudsley]

Read this forum thread

http://forums.aaca.org/f120/zinc-dialkyl-dithio-phosphate-257307.html

also click on "Search" above and do a search on "ZDDP" you will get a lot of info about the additive that has been removed from modern oils because all new cars are no longer flat tappet and cam engines.

If your engine is pre 1950's it is likely a flat tappet and cam design that needs ZDDP that has been eliminated from modern oil because it contaminates catalytic converters.

Better add ZDDP to your oil just to be safe.

Stude8

Thankyou Stude8, I was warned, and heard from all sides of that fence before. However this thread is inquiring to add lead or oil to the fuel.

David

[Guest Corvanti]

i'd be more worried about the ethanol in the fuel (gas lines, water in fuel, etc.), than lack of lead...

and let the zddp take care of the valves, etc. on the "oil side" of the engine.

[Stude Light]

I experimented with MMO in the fuel in my 1939 Allis Chalmers tractor - jury is still out. It seems to keep the carb a bit cleaner and can only help with upper cylinder lubrication.

As far as lead goes, it was added to fuel in higher compression engines (around 8 and higher) to prevent spark knock. It also protected the valve seats from erosion due to micro welding that occurs at the higher temperatures and valve seating impacts with higher compression/horsepower engines. Other additives replaced the lead to prevent the spark knock and hardened valve seats were added, but for older higher horsepower/compression engines, you should add the lead substitutes to prevent that erosion. That all said, your 1928 engine will be fine without the lead/lead substitute due to its lower compression ratio and power output.

I'm with Corvanti; the biggest threat is the ethanol content. I’ll stray a bit…..several car makers made a significant investment in making their cars and trucks E-85 capable. The agreement between the car makers and government was: you (car makers) work on E-85 capability and we (government) will get the infrastructure in place to make this work. Well, most of GMs vehicles and a significant number of other manufacturer's vehicles are E-85 compatible. Where’s the big investment in infrastructure? As usual, your government dropped the ball and E-85 never really made it because it simply isn’t cost effective. This is mostly due to a lack of infrastructure, distribution and poor marketing. I always ask: Why does the E-85 price always track oil prices, isn’t it mostly ethanol? It seems like the oil companies tend to control E-85 prices.

Why do I bring all this up about E-85? The people making ethanol also laid out a large investment and are upset about the E-85 issue. To appease them, I understand that the normal ethanol content in fuel will be raised from the current 10% to 15%. Not good for us people with older gasoline machinery.

Scott

[GE Dictator 1928]

Is there an additive that can make current "gasolines" non-ethynol?

Keith

[Stude Light]

Nothing to take the ethanol out. All you can do is use ethanol compatible parts and sealants or find fuels w/o ethanol. Local aiport comes to mind but then someone doesn't get their road tax....

Steel tanks more prone to rusting so you may want to get them coated. Cork floats need resealed. May tend to corrode brass and copper parts over a long time but no proof of that so far. Rubber parts and seals are prone to attack but most cars from the 20's don't have any rubber and just used cork gaskets which should be fine.

Scott