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Leaded fuel

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skybluepaul Learner Dubber

1 post · joined Nov 2004 ·

#267323
Can anyone help. As a newly paid up member to the Beetle fraternity, I was very excited about purchasing my 71 1600 convertable. I then tried to buy some fuel and found that all of the gas stations in my area have decided to discontinue lead replacement fuel. I know this is probably the most basic question ever but I'm sorry!! Can you fill up on premium unleaded and does it end up burning your valves etc. Any advice would be much appreciated

Gibbo Custom Title Time!

1,685 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#267439
Has any used the Lucas lead replacement before?

Or is the valve master stuff the best to use on a vw engine?

splittychick SplittyDelicious

1,240 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#267467
I use premium unleaded with some valve master each time i fill up.:thumb
Oh....Snap.....!

rozrob Slammed & Awesome Dubber

85 posts · joined Jan 2003 ·

#267475
i judt use two stroke oil.😎

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#267518
i use flashlube and have for 2 years works great
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

silver Dangerous when poked

2,169 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·

#267571
you do not need any additives with premium unleaded or regular unleaded in VW's
Unless you have shares in the additive company or too much money
I have run PU for 5 years without any additives and without any trouble.
Keeping it real !

VWFREAK VWFREAK

2,577 posts · joined May 2004 ·

#268983
Welcome, there's all good advice up there, so decide for your self. Go the dak daks.

WABaja Call ME when you need a TOW

824 posts · joined Nov 2004 ·

#270993
I use Premium unleaded and add "Red X Lead Replacement" AND "Shell Advanced Racing M" 2 stroke oil..
My motor is still very fresh and doesn't miss a beat..

vern74 Fahrvergnugen

901 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#271000
I use an additive when I remeber........

BLUE_62 Wolfsburg Wizard

513 posts · joined Nov 2004 ·

#273517
hey, welcome to the club. I have been filling with optimax or ultimate which is the shell and bp range of premium unleaded and adding flashlube. I have not had a problem to date and to be honest my beetle is getting 8.5litre per 100km's. Best it ever has so things are only getting better. Thats 8.5 litres per 100km's driving my style 😉

:thumb
1958 Beetle, 1966 VW Beetle, 1996 Holden Statesman!
Its an obsesion for engines and fuel.... 😏

ColumBUS Hail To The Bus Driver!

3,601 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#275765
mate u can buy a 90 dollar fuel converter from repco, lets u use unleaded or premium all the time. thats the way out for people who cant afford $1.30 a litre for fuel!

welcome to the dubclub

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#276529
Volkswagen Engines have always had hardened valve seats
can You imagine a valve seating in Aluminium-Magnesium alloy?? It wouldn't last too long...
Same with valve guides....

What is the 90 dollar Repco fuel converter???

Lee --
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Oasis Going alone...

1,806 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#276533
Well it may be $1.20 or $1.30 a litre but my car gets 20% better fuel economy and it doesn't ping, so it ends up costing exactly the same and is better for the car. Some cars don't need the higher octane though, but I do. Best to try a fuel economy experiment on your own car and see if it makes a difference. I only use Ultimate or Optimax too, and no valve anything. It's been fine for 2 years, and the engine is apart at the moment. It's all fine.
"Tell him 'We've already got one'"

silver Dangerous when poked

2,169 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·

#276540
68AutoBug wrote:What is the 90 dollar Repco fuel converter???

Lee --
Clever Marketing
Keeping it real !

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#276546
Does it really change regular unleaded into Premium High Octane Unleaded????

All for $90... WOW...

thanks Oasis for the info on Your engine...
looks like the way to go... for sure...

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

VDUBXTC Tea Bag

3,587 posts · joined Feb 2003 ·

#277126
I have retracted the info i gave because i have been enlightened by someone.

I will never use optimax again, But use it if you like it and you aren't having any dramas with it.



[Edited on 21-12-2004 by manx_xtc]
Jasmine the 75 L Bug
56 oval, 2000 New Beetle

Lokita Officially Full-On Dubber

260 posts · joined Mar 2004 ·

#285030
Our dub mechanic recommended using premium when we asked him about the converter.

He said he wouldn't put the conversion kit in our beetle as it is a waste of money and he runs all his dubs on premium.

Only just started using premium but she seems to be running pretty damn good.
🙂
Like the back of a volkswagen?

www.fortyseconds.com

carisma Officially Full-On Dubber

263 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#285097
i got a converter and still run ultimate from bp get about 600km to a tank

manxed69 Officially Full-On Dubber

211 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#285684
My little buggy runs OK on unleaded fuel. Since he doesn't come out too often I fugure what the hell and use premium unleaded. It does run OK on regular unleaded though as well.

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#285691
im interested to know what this problem was with BP ultimate as its the only thing i fill up with.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#285697
Using Flashlube or similar products will lubricate the valve stems & guides but it will NOT stop the dreaded dropped valve...
This is when the head of the valve breaks off....

You need to adjust the tappets every 6,000 miles or every 2nd oil change...
This is Not a hard job, get someone to show You how to do it
and Your Volkswagen will love You for it....

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Robo Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,491 posts · joined Feb 2003 ·

#285718
Everyone's talking about valve seats, what about Valve guide's. If this unleaded fuel run's hotter, whats it's flowon effect in this area. When I got my BMW boxer heads (aluminium) converted they also changed the guide's to a different material, it was explained to me by the head machinist that it was nessasary and my usual mechanic agree'd.
Rob...😎
Boxer Power
Member of DMLRK.....Die Mittler Lebuns Resto Komeradschaft

last celtic warrior Wolfsburg Wizard

402 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#286310
Well maybe with the Beemer it was a good idea, but with the old VWs, the engines and hence the valve train were originally designed for running on standard fuel (now retagged as unleaded) in foreign countries, and in Germany it was planned to be able to run them on carbon monoxide/methane (producer gas) which had no lubricating properties whatsoever...

Never heard of producer gas or standard petrol? You're not old enough then... Umm, damn, I guess that means I am. Bugger...

[Edited on 31-12-2004 by last celtic warrior]

vern74 Fahrvergnugen

901 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#286312
Damm it I have heard of Standard petrol
My forst job was at a BP petrol station and one of the pumps was a mixer........you could have 25% standard and 75% super ans so on !
Now that is showing my age badly

Jeff-VW-supa Learner Dubber

5 posts · joined Dec 2004 ·

#286365
If you have a look at the article at http://www.vw-resource.com/leaded.html then I think much of this discussion will be re-solved. Paying too much for petrol seems like wasting alot of money to me. My 1600cc runs equally well on unleaded as on any premium petrol, so think about it!!!
cheers
Jeff

Oasis Going alone...

1,806 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#286376
I have higher compression so need premium. It pings otherwise. Not everyone does though.
"Tell him 'We've already got one'"