Additive in unleaded

[Manu Mach1]

Hello,

I wondering to know you guys in US about the gasoline you use for your Mustang or other.

Here in Europe, we can find 95 and 98 octan unleaded, some people who's driving old cars use additive and some not.

I read on some posts that valves and heads have been changed, not only to rebuild engines, but also I guess to avoid to put additive in the tank?

(not because additive is expensive, and not sure additive is a joke).

Thanks for your comments.

 

[Jim and Jutta]

Hello,

I wondering to know you guys in US about the gasoline you use for your Mustang or other.

Here in Europe, we can find 95 and 98 octan unleaded, some people who's driving old cars use additive and some not.

I read on some posts that valves and heads have been changed, not only to rebuild engines, but also I guess to avoid to put additive in the tank?

(not because additive is expensive, and not sure additive is a joke).

Thanks for your comments.

Not sure if you have ethanol free fuel in France or not but it's worth a try. In my mind it's more important than additives. I run 92 octane without additives with no issues in my 71 but I recently found a local station offering ethanol free 92 Octane and my car loves it. Noticed the difference on my first tank full. I've heard ethanol free fuel's best benefit is when the car sits long periods of time but I noticed a difference about half way through the first tank of it.

Jim

 

[jb73Mach]

I run 94 octane with no additives in the Mustang. Because of the ethanol, I use Marine Stabil if it is going to sit for a while and then use the storage concentration. That should keep the gas fresh and dry for at least 6 months. I do put valve lubricant additive in my 1950 flathead. I also use the marine stabil in that all the time because if sits much more than the Mustang. The additive idea is not a joke. The lead in gasoline acted as a lubricant for the valves and valve seats. When it was removed from gas, things wear faster. A valve job with hardened seats takes care of the valve lubricant but not the ethanol problem. There is talk about moving to 15% ethanol here, that will only make the problems worse for rubber seals not to mention water absorption in the fuel.

However, many of the additives are a joke - useless at best. Unfortunately, good lead additives are illegal for road use in the US as are octane boosters with valve additive.

 

[marks73]

Bronze guides and hardened seat valves cured the lead issue. Hence the rebuild you speak of. Not sure yet what we're going to do about the Ethanol issue. Maybe run strictly race fuel.