Unleaded Conversion 2.25 Petrol

2.25 Petrol in S3 109 now running on unleaded after last of local
garages stopped selling LRP. I know from previous posts that advice is
to run on unleaded until the valve seats wear and then convert. So a
couple of questions:

How do I tell when the valve seats start to wear?

What's the most cost-effective way of converting to unleaded? Can I just
whack in new seats myself or is this a specialist job? Or would I better
off getting the Turner Stage 1 head replacement?

Dan Burdge wrote:
> 2.25 Petrol in S3 109 now running on unleaded after last of local
> garages stopped selling LRP. I know from previous posts that advice is
> to run on unleaded until the valve seats wear and then convert. So a
> couple of questions:
>
> How do I tell when the valve seats start to wear?

The tappets close up and it loses compression. You can reset the
tappets and get a bit more running out of it after that.


> What's the most cost-effective way of converting to unleaded? Can I just
> whack in new seats myself or is this a specialist job? Or would I better
> off getting the Turner Stage 1 head replacement?

Fitting new seats is a job for a professional with the right tools. A
Turner head would be nice and probably worth it from a performance and
economy point of view. However I'd just run what you've got until it
fails then revisit the problem.


--
EMB

On or around Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:55:29 +0000 (UTC), Dan Burdge
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>2.25 Petrol in S3 109 now running on unleaded after last of local
>garages stopped selling LRP. I know from previous posts that advice is
>to run on unleaded until the valve seats wear and then convert. So a
>couple of questions:
>
>How do I tell when the valve seats start to wear?

valve clearances disappear, followed by poor running as the valves don;t
seat properly.

It might not happen.

>What's the most cost-effective way of converting to unleaded? Can I just
>whack in new seats myself or is this a specialist job? Or would I better
>off getting the Turner Stage 1 head replacement?

specialist job, if you have a local engine-machining type, they should be
able to do it for you or you can exchange the head as you say.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Robert Frost (1874-1963) from Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Austin Shackles wrote:
> On or around Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:55:29 +0000 (UTC), Dan Burdge
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
>
>>2.25 Petrol in S3 109 now running on unleaded after last of local
>>garages stopped selling LRP. I know from previous posts that advice is
>>to run on unleaded until the valve seats wear and then convert. So a
>>couple of questions:
>>
>>How do I tell when the valve seats start to wear?
>
>
> valve clearances disappear, followed by poor running as the valves don;t
> seat properly.
>
> It might not happen.
Thanks for the replies. Any idea what kind of mileage I am looking at
before this happens? I presume that valve seat wear happens reasonably
slowly and I'll just get a small performance decrease as compression
drops. No chance of catastrophic failure?

>
>
>>What's the most cost-effective way of converting to unleaded? Can I just
>>whack in new seats myself or is this a specialist job? Or would I better
>>off getting the Turner Stage 1 head replacement?
>
>
> specialist job, if you have a local engine-machining type, they should be
> able to do it for you or you can exchange the head as you say.

Dan Burdge wrote:

> Thanks for the replies. Any idea what kind of mileage I am looking at
> before this happens? I presume that valve seat wear happens reasonably
> slowly and I'll just get a small performance decrease as compression
> drops. No chance of catastrophic failure?

Extended high speed running will make it happen quicker. No two
vehicles are the same either. Just make a point of checking the valve
clearances occasionally - when you have had to adjust it much it'll be
time to act before your vehicle fails to proceed.

--
EMB

When we had to overhaul the engine, the head was taken to our local
specialist, who did the seats for A$100, and the distributor to local 'leccy
specialist, who for the same fee changed the advance/retard rates as
recommended.

As the engine was in bits anyway, that A$200 was the total cost of
conversion to ULP. Now all it needs is a new fuel tank as the top of this
tank leaks when near full, and no-one round here is insane enough to want to
re-solder it for me.

Karen


"Dan Burdge" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
2.25 Petrol in S3 109 now running on unleaded after last of local
garages stopped selling LRP. I know from previous posts that advice is
to run on unleaded until the valve seats wear and then convert. So a
couple of questions:

How do I tell when the valve seats start to wear?

What's the most cost-effective way of converting to unleaded? Can I just
whack in new seats myself or is this a specialist job? Or would I better
off getting the Turner Stage 1 head replacement?

I don't think it will, there is a lot else that is going to fail before
then. I just keep on putting in the unleaded.


--
Larry
Series 3 rust and holes


"Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On or around Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:55:29 +0000 (UTC), Dan Burdge
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>

>
> It might not happen.
>

On Thursday, in article
<[email protected]>
[email protected] "Dan Burdge" wrote:

> Austin Shackles wrote:
> > On or around Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:55:29 +0000 (UTC), Dan Burdge
> > <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
> >
> >
> >>2.25 Petrol in S3 109 now running on unleaded after last of local
> >>garages stopped selling LRP. I know from previous posts that advice is
> >>to run on unleaded until the valve seats wear and then convert. So a
> >>couple of questions:
> >>
> >>How do I tell when the valve seats start to wear?
> >
> >
> > valve clearances disappear, followed by poor running as the valves don;t
> > seat properly.
> >
> > It might not happen.
> Thanks for the replies. Any idea what kind of mileage I am looking at
> before this happens? I presume that valve seat wear happens reasonably
> slowly and I'll just get a small performance decrease as compression
> drops. No chance of catastrophic failure?

It depends on your style of driving. Pootling around country lanes is
less wearing than blasting down the motorway.

Can you still get petrol additive?

There's also some time-lag before wear starts. because there's lead, or
the replacement, still in the metal's surface layer.


--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

"I am Number Two," said Penfold. "You are Number Six."