Lead Additive

Velociraptor82 · 12-01-2013, 09:21 AM

Hey all, I drive a 82 Meteor which is still running on leaded petrol. However I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find lead additive in my area. Since I'm not the only one out there who owns a pre 86 car, I was just wondering what products people use and where they purchase them from?

Jim Goose · 12-01-2013, 09:29 AM

technically speaking there is no such thing as "lead" additive... upper cyclinder lube or similar is/should be available at any servo or car parts place.

The other option is to keep driving until the engine needs a rebuild and then redo the head with hardened valve seats...

BigAL_250 · 12-01-2013, 10:16 AM

And if for some reason you actually can't find it wherever you are (which would be good to know), then most if not all auto parts stores should carry large bottles of it, you'd just have to measure it each fill.

Neale · 12-01-2013, 10:19 AM

I use te Valvemaster in the corty, made by Castrol & its cheap & treats 300 litres per bottle. I did use the Caltex one that I found at the Caltex servo but it only treats 100 litres per bottle.

I buy the Valvemaster at Repco but I've never had a drama being able to get lead replacement at any parts shop or servo.

The lead replacement stuff is the cheap option as re doing the head may cost more than the car is worth.

Yellow_Festiva · 12-01-2013, 10:20 AM

I used a white bottle of stuff from supercheap, was pretty big, perhaps 1 litre. Morleys or something that starts with l ? Upper cylinder lube was its name.

There are kits I've seen that plumb it into the fuel line, don't know how good they are in terms of safety or correct dosage.

rushing on acid · 12-01-2013, 10:27 AM

those moreys kits from memory are called flash lube and were fitted to earlier lpg converted cars.

Yellow_Festiva · 12-01-2013, 10:39 AM

Moreys that's it ;). Ran that through a worked Sprite for years with no ill effects.

Gavin Thomas · 12-01-2013, 11:11 AM

Your wasting your money if you pay to put anything other than "standard" unleaded in a POS Meteor....

As it has an alloy cylinder head, it will already have hardened valve seats from factory - proberly stelite valve seats or such. In any case there will be an insert of some type of hardened material - & in any alloy head, with most being of a suitable type for unleaded fuel use.

Enquire with a couple of engine machine shops / cylinder head shops for confirmation with your vehicle.

Even if not, then as others here have mentioned, do what the majortiy are doing & just run the fuel without additives, & then worry about options if or when the seat wear may cause valve recession.....

Don't cause any further polution from your "Ford" than the minimum needed whilst burning up the precious oil resorces of our planet.

Cheers.

XR Martin · 12-01-2013, 11:38 AM

Partially agree with above, seeing as its an alloy head you can run fuel without the upper cylinder lubricant.
But id probably run 95 octane as leaded fuel had higher octane than regular unleaded which it may ping on.

Velociraptor82 · 13-01-2013, 10:05 AM

Flash lube value saver Lead replacement is what I had been using, however in Pakenham (vic) I have been having troubles trying to find it in large quantities. All I could find were these single dose squirt bottles. Now it seems to be labelled as LPG/CNG Protection which I'm not entirely sure is the same stuff.

I don't often walk into Caltex as I'm always using BP, but I'll have a look. The valvemaster stuff I have also seen, but again I've only seen it in small bottles.

Thanks for the help guys.

FGII-XR6 · 13-01-2013, 05:59 PM

go to a LPG installer they sell it in 5L bottles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Velociraptor82

Flash lube value saver Lead replacement is what I had been using, however in Pakenham (vic) I have been having troubles trying to find it in large quantities. All I could find were these single dose squirt bottles. Now it seems to be labelled as LPG/CNG Protection which I'm not entirely sure is the same stuff.

I don't often walk into Caltex as I'm always using BP, but I'll have a look. The valvemaster stuff I have also seen, but again I've only seen it in small bottles.

Thanks for the help guys.

b2tf · 13-01-2013, 08:23 PM

Any autobarn can order the Flashlube stuff in 5L quantities. Ive got about 5 bottles of it in that size on the shelf.

Phil B · 13-01-2013, 05:51 PM

I get the Moreys stuff from my local Autopro, they always have a range of similar products. Had no problems in my Clevo. It's a good excuse to get an engine rebuild past the Mrs though: "If we get the engine rebuilt we wont need to keep buying this stuff!"

FGII-XR6 · 13-01-2013, 05:58 PM

your car should be ok without it jap cars were ready for unleaded long before Australian cars ( meteors were brought into Australia in CKD form and assembled here) check with an engine rebuilder and you'll find out if the valve seats are ok for unleaded ( hardened seats). if not install a flashlube kit, LPG installers swear by it . you just use ordinary petrol and top up the flashlube bottle (a bottle full lasts a few tanks )