I was trying to find the post on unleaded fuel from some time ago but can't find it so sorry for this post but is there a difference with early model dubs running unleaded... I know a few of you changed to unleaded with no problem but does this account for all motors... I have had vw mechanics tell me you can't do it to any vw but obviously that isn't the case.. 58 model with 1600tp motor.. could you run unleaded???
Cheers,

Steve.

yes:thumb

I've been meaning to ask the same thing re my 64 splitty with the original motor - leaded is getting harder and harder to find. what do we have to do to take unleaded ?

I used to add upper cylinder lubricant into Herbies tank when he had the old 1200 motor, I got told that because VWs use alloy heads that they have hardened valve seat inserts, I have be led to believe that they can happily survive on unleaded for this reason, I figured that it wouldnt be all that expensive to just let the odd engine die anyway, {But I was Running a 1200} people give them away, they are old and slow, Not hitech and fast like other engines vw made:P
I have since solved this problem by putting a rotary motor into Herbie, 4 times the power of the 1200 and they run on unleaded standard.
Not that I sugest this option for anyone else, its just not natural, But Herbie needs to move real quick, and this is just the start of that.

But I would be more worried about the danger involved in running unleaded without a catalytic converter, than whether my car can swallow it.

In fact, I might just post another thread about the danger of just that.

Cheers Anthony.

I can't get leaded in my home town, so I use a valve lubricant as well. Valvemaster is a good one.

What are the best brands of valve lubricant? Do you buy them over the counter at the petrol station or what?

I was told u can run on unleaded, but to use the optimax type. U know, the premiums unleaded.

We have a 1970 1300 standard and it has been filled with common unleaded since we got it. Runs fine.

When I did my trip to Coober Pedy in Herbie with his little 1200, I was loging my milage etc and found that I got better value from the premium unleaded than the plain unleaded, got enough more miles out of a tank to outweigh the cost, I.E. more miles per dollar from premium.

Its a bit of a phsycological hurdle to put the more expensive fuel in at the bowser but once I realised I was getting better value for money, I was happy about that.

I would run the unleaded without too much fear of engine damage, after all, its not like were running high performance engines riding the edge of danger, every other car seems to pull much more power from the same capacity engines,
Look at a 1964 beetle runnung a 1300 and a mini running a 1300, its an amazing power difference. reguardless of how disgustingly woeful a design the mini is from a mechanics angle. They Are horrible to work on.

If you shell servo's around you have the lead free handles, Use this.
Its Pulp (Premium unleaded Petrol) 96 octaine with Valve Master already added to it.
Shell will be keeping this around for some time.

i use unleaded with 1ml of flash lube per 1ltr goes well
have been told to use premium as well, say every 4th tank
of fuel to help in the long run

hmm...lots of ideas..

partner was the same..he once put stand unleaded into his tank...got 510kms, then put premium back into next got 640km.

might be wrong..no, think the figures were right.

anyway, shows massive difference it could make to milage alone. but not sure how it affects the cars....i know they recommend it when u get ur new car (which he has) but they may just kick backs..hehe...only kidding.

I've been running my '63 Bug on Premium Unleaded for a number of years now, without an additive, and its been running fine. It is a 1200 however so we are not talking super performance or high compression (as Herbie mentioned above!) I have read in a number of places that VW designed the air cooled engine to run on unleaded from very early due to California only having unleaded available to motorists....

Those running higher compression would be wise to change the ignition timing slightly when converting from LRP (Leaded) to unleaded as unleaded is not as good at suppressing early (pre) combustion (which causes pinging, which in turn causes engine damage).

Also, do yourself a favour and run Premium unleaded rather than normal unleaded - it will cost you a little more to fill the tank (we are only talking around $2 a full tank extra), but the difference in quality between these two fuels is obvious...just have a look at how many people discover that their car runs on after the ignition is switched off when they switch from premium unleaded to standard unleaded - and switching back fixes the problem. Look at it this way - even at an extra $2 a tank, it will take a long time to add up to what it will cost to rebuild an engine after it is damaged by pinging and the extra heat from the poor quality fuels....

Ok, thats my $0.02

R

tehy did, in my little book, it says something about petrol with 91 or 95 somethings...which when i was looking meant unleaded or premium unleaded.

can go get book to show the knockers if u want..

i'll go get book and recheck..

so if car is meant to run on unleaded, would they have takn all the 'yucky' things coming out of car exhaust into account.

do i still have to go get a cat?? cause u know, kes didn't love me much yesterday....

okay..my book says fuel rating should be 91 octane.

and thats for the 1302