best lead subsitute

Dear Alfa Lover, I am hoping that you might be able to help me with the following query. I am the proud owner of a 1974 Spider Veloce and am wondering can anyone recommend the best lead subsitute to use with 95 Octane petrol.
As I am based in Dublin Ireland, I have been finding it quite difficult to find a lead subsitude To Use. Up to now I have been using Shell Millenium purchased in bulk in the netherlands early last year on one of my many treks across Europe, but my stock is running extremely low. So if anyone would kindly let me know what they use & where to buy, online etc...I would greatly appreciate as its proving impossible to find in Dublin.

Hi

As far as I am aware, you do not need to use a lead substitute for your engine. The head is not lead dependant.

Some prefer to use additives to boost octane up to the same rating as old leaded fuel or you oculd just use super unleaded instead to achieve a higher octane that is similar(ish) to 4star.

There maybe some old threads on here about the subject.

Cheers
Paul.

I'll go with the previous post , I've run my '72 2000 Berlina mainly on Sainsburys ULSD for 12 months now with no sideaffects at all . I seem to remember reading somewhere (on here maybe) that these engines were designed to be used with lead-free fuel so that they could be sold in the US market without having to build two engine types. Can anyone support this (or otherwise)????

Hi Robbie,try speaking to this man - Alistar, ali@brettoils.com he deals in all kinds of lubricants,fluids and additives they help me with all that type of stuff for my race car (even tho' that's a Ford) and also my Alfa gtv6 - hope this helps, tell him I sent you......... cheers, Ian

My Spider 1750 have a late type head (marked at front of top by a circle with a triangel inside and a dot in middle) which might originally be from a Alfetta 1,8. This is the only version of the the Nord engine post Giulietta that is not OK for leadfree fuel.
Therefore I use Castrol Valvemaster Plus with unleadded 95 octane fuel. It's highly consentrated and is supposed to boost the octane number to 97, plus it's marketed in pratical 250ml bottles.
But rearly, I don't think your 2000 will need it, it's OK with 97/98 octane unleadded.
Erik

Thats interesting Erik, I thought the markings were just to differentiate the cylinder capacites, I didn't realise there were differances in the heads which meant some weren't suitable for Lead free juice.

I have also been told that no replacement treatment is necessary for the Spider 2000. I do however use Castrol Valvemaster Plus in my 70s Spider 2000, mainly as an octane booster - and have never had a problem. I also treat the engine to Four Star petrol once or twice a year, as I can still get proper four star at my local classic car garage.

I run my 1570cc Sprint GT on 97/98 octane BP ultimate with Castrol Valvemaster Plus too. It boosts the octane and makes the engine run cooler. No need for the lead replacement as the early Nords have hardened valve seats, but my local specialist swears by the Valvemaster for it's cooling properties.

The car seems to like it, it never seems 100% happy on 95 with booster in it but goes like a dream with the super & booster.

The lead debate rageth on. I find it difficult to identify what exactly these lead substitiutes are supposed to be good for. On the one hand there is the benefit of lead as an upper cylinder lubrication and on the other there is the avoidance of pre-ignition or detonation. The lead was there for both, but on reading the lables on these substitutes I don't see any real information about their benefits. Suspicious. I've recently heard some doubt expressed in vintage circles about the dangers to the valve seats from the removal of lead even in iron cylinder heads. Aluminium heads such as used on Alfas already have some sort of 'hard' valve inserts, you couldn't run the valves directly on the aluminium, therefore I personally don't think that valve seat wear will be an issue.
We are left therefore with the question of octane rating and 'pinking' or the need to retard ignition. If the ignition hasn't been 'tampered with' to run on uinleaded and you don't find the engine pinking then I reckon you can carry on just as you are. If you find it 'pinks' under load on whatever fuel you are using and you know there's nothing wrong with your ignition system or settings, try a higher grade. i.e. pinking on regular, try super. If Super no good try AnyOld octane booster.
I suspect that many cars, well at least in the UK, have been retarded relative to the original timing settings to stop the pinking lower octane unleaded when it was rolled out. It was expedient. I think it's wrong in general, the engine will lose power and run hotter. That we don't want, they run plenty hot enough already, some of 'em.

On lead substitutes: When leaded petrol was dropped/banned in UK, producers/trades of lead substitutes was invited to send samples to MIRA for test and approval of their products, some did, others didn't. Some wasn't approved, some were, among the approved was Castrol's Valvemaster and Valmaster plus and some Miller's products.
Test was done in a bench on a BMC/BL/Austin Rover (whatever) A+ series engine.
On Alfa Nord heads: I've read some time ago, don't exactly remember where, but probably Practical Classics, that the early Alfettas 1,8 Ltr. valve insets were made of cast iron, while all other post Giulietta 750/101 Nord engines had steel insets. But Montreal, 2000 (for type 102) and 2600 aren’t regarded to run unleaded petrol, either.
Now I don't know whether the triangle, circle with a dot means the head was an Alfetta head originally or it just means that there was 2 versions of 105/115 heads. My head sits on a 00548 block and PO told me that the engine was fitted to my Spider as an exchange engine, so it’s possible that it had new insets when the rebuild was done. I use the Valvemaster together with unleaded 95 for boost and not with unleaded 98 octane.
Erik

Everything I've read suggests it isn't needed in the Nord engine but putting a bottle in every few tanks full won't do any harm.

I used to use Millers on my old 2002 with no problems over 5 years and it seems to be readily available at motorists' shops as well as Classic events.