Just wondering what year that VW started using hardened valve seats on standard T1 engines.
Any ideas?

Cheers
Tnate

since day 1. there all hardened

I "thought" pre 1967 they were softer??

Didnt think it was day 1 :duh

since day 1

so a 1951 split window beetle with orig motor has hardened seats????

The steel valves wouldn't last very long pounding into aluminium heads would they?

Thanks for that

I'm confused. How come when we talk about unleaded fuels, we talk about harden valves seats coming in around '69-'70, and that you can only run unleaded without additives, in engines with hardened valve seats.

Anyone care to enlighten?

I think it might be a myth?? The seats were always hard steel. Valve seat recession is something that happens on cast iron head engines. VW heads might drop seats now and then but that probably isn't related to unleaded fuel. Plus how many VW's would actually have their original valve seats from pre-69 anyway. There is a mob in the UK that sells "unleaded" conversion heads which I think is rubbish.

VW's were dropping valve seats and guides and burning valves long before unleaded was around.

Some of the Leaded additives for unleaded fuel are good for the valve guides which can wear heavier with unleaded but seats are ok.