Just wondering what you guys think about lead additive? My Dad used this regularly in the lawn mowers and his car after they stopped selling leaded fuels back in the 80's. But what about useing it in new 4 strokers to lube the valves?

 

The primary reason for lead was to remove heat from the valves on engines that were designed to run on leaded fuel. A side benifit was the lubrication effect, and it was minimal. Motors today are designed with tighter clearances and expell the heat much better than older motors. Adding lead will eventually create deposits that could cause a valve to hang or other problems. On a modern engine, I can't see the need or a real benifit to adding lead.

 

Not to mention if adding lead to ATV/Recreation use fuels, it would give the enviro-wackos something else to try and burn us all at the stake with.

 

Actually the main reason lead was ever used as an additive in fuel was as an easy way to get higher octane levels and for the lubrication properties. These days with unleaded fuels they have to rely on chemicals and refining techniques to achieve the octane rating.

 

Lead is also used as a "cushion" between the valves and seats. Newer materials were required to use unleaded fuels in four stroke engines, and while they are designed to run on unleaded, leaded fuel will not hurt anything in the engine other than a catalytic converter. Unleaded comes in octanes up to 100. With high compression, over about 11 to 1, lead is needed as an additive to avoid engine problems such as detonation and preignition.