Crazy question about older cars and lead additives...since I have a Mini and a MINI 8)

From what I have read here and in the Haynes book (and understand), if you have a car that requires leaded fuel, you need to put a lead additive into your gas tank. Failure to do so will cause premature problems/wear with values and a lot of other things that are over my head. Simple enough. Not using it one or two tanks isn't going to destroy the motor, but you really should be using it. That being said...what happens if you use a lead additive in a vehicle that does not need it? There is a remote possibility that my classic does not need the lead additive, but I would rather error on the side of caution and use it if it won't cause damage.

I know some of the "tech minds" are headed or already at MOTD, but I figured I would ask anyway before I fill up one more time this weekend!

 

I don't have a classic, but here's some general information:

If your car has a catalytic converter, using leaded gas (or lead additives) will "poison" the catalytic converter in short order. Of course, any car that originally came with a catalytic converter should already have hardened valve seats that don't require leaded gas or lead additives.

If you don't have a catalytic converter, then you won't hurt anything by using lead in the gas.

If your cylinder heads have been rebuilt any time in the last 20-25 years, you probably already have hardened valve seats.

 

Thank you, I'm not "mechanically dumb" but I am 80% "car dumb" , so thankfully I have a friend who is not. Upon close inspection of the engine, there is a small chance the engine was rebuilt -but I don't have the documentation for it. Yippiee.

The catalytic converter answer was just what I was looking for. Thank you!

 

There isn't 100% agreement on the subject. I usually add a lead substitute every few tanks.

http://www.rmahc.com/valveseat.html

http://www.minimania.com/web/SCatago...6/ArticleV.cfm

http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/...showtopic=8383

 

Thank you!

Wow...I just read these, googled/wiki'd some history and learned way too much for my brain on a nice Friday afternoon when I didn't drive the classic. Bummer.

Further thought on this would be: since I do drive at higher RPMs and if I want to believe the original mileage on the Mini, I should use a lead additive -if the valves have not already been harded and I don't have a cataletic converter.