Ben et al,
Sorry Ben,I didn't know you were already a TSSC member,you gave no indication
of it at the footer of your message,and I do not have direct access to TSSC
HQ computer,the info' thereon being protected by the UK data protection act.
(for our US friends,that's like the opposite of their freedom of information
act.)
I wrongly assumed from your questions that you were new to Heralds and not in
the TSSC yet. I also didn't know you are an air quality analyst! (try the
Warwick Road,Earls Court,London at 9am any weekday-coff). But,rest assured,I
was NOT,trying to tell you how to use your car! and I sincerely hope it
didn't seem like that! Today I attended the annual FBHVC conference at the
BMIHT museum at Gaydon in Warwickshire.(TSSC,Club
Triumph,T.2000-2500-2.5PI,TR Register etc)were all in attendance and a very
interesting and refreshingly honest presentation was given by the chief
anayltical industrial chemist from Esso(Exxon),she admitted that there are as
yet NO viable alternative additives for unleaded fuel which are capable of
protecting the valve seats in our soft cast-iron cylinder heads at speeds in
excess of 55-60 mph! Whatever else you may have heard from other fuel
companies such as Shell etc, And that all that 'snake-oil' being touted by
'quack' aftermarket suppliers are equally a waste of time/money! After 1st
January 2000,(the first day of the last year of this millenium),it will be
illegal to sell leaded petrol in any E.C. member state. So that's it! We're
doomed,all doomed! ;-(
Her only advice was that you must fit hardened valve seats to your cylinder
heads,and the sooner,the better! otherwise,you'll spend the rest of your life
driving around at 55mph to conserve your soft heads! Oh,thanx a bunch,very
helpful,not...
Once upon a time,I took my cylinder head up to 'Oselli' aka 'Osilly'
engineering in Oxford-a long-time established and once respected engineering
company with a smart new palatial factory,all very swish & impressive. I had
them fit unleaded valve seats to my cylinder head,at not inconsiderable
cost.3000 miles later in Denmark,approaching the car-ferry to Puttgarden in
Germany,one of the valve seats fell out and the valves finally managed to
push the remains through the top of the piston,on the autobahn somewhere
inbetween Puttgarden and Lubeck!
Three weeks later,when my car was brought home by the RAC,I removed the head
and returned it to Osilly who cleaned it up,replaced the missing seat and
gave it back to me,relieving me of another large pile of beer vouchers! (but
they let me off the cost of the valve seat!).6 months later,another valve
seat fell out,and before you ask,I was driving very slowly,this time,around a
roundabout/rotary but luckily,this time it broke up and was blown out of #3
exhaust port never to be seen again.
I still have that very expensive cylinder head,on a shelf in the cellar!
I remain singularly unimpressed by so-called unleaded conversions to
cast-iron cylinder heads! Someone told me the seats must be
screwed-in,whereas it seems mine were only screwed-up!!!
OK,now tell me what I'm supposed to do with the beautifully gas-flowed GT6-3
Cylinder head with the big stainless-steel valves,as fitted to my Vitesse
Convertible,which is yet to hit the road! when the unleaded is gone in three
years time!!! hmmm?
Leon,(sobbing quietly into his watery english beer)
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