Can my engine run on unleaded??

[WA Euro]

Hello again peeps!

I was just wondering whether or not my engine can run on unleaded

It's a '79 cabriolet 1600 carby - original engine i think

Not sure of the engine suffix code as it's not visible on the block but the number is 028 572 (prob won't help)

I'm using lead substitute at the mo' because previous owner did but would rather use straight unleaded if the valve seats will take it!

Anyone know when VW started fitting hardened valve seats or if my particular engine has em?

Cheers guys!

Steve-o

[syncro]

All Golfs can run on unleaded. But not standard 91 RON. (Use 9

[brackie]

Hardened valve seats

All alloy heads that I know of have cast iron (or steel) inserts as valve seats and the Golf is no exception. Remember why lead was put in petrol... to provide anti-knock ability which meant you could run the ignition timing a little more advanced and therefore obtain more power...and as an upper cylinder lubricant. It's lubricating properties helped reduce valve stem wear and prevent valve seat recession which have ruined many an LPG fueled motor because of the lack of lead.

It would be inter sting to hear stories from users who are using unleaded without additives and have pulled their motor down to inspect wear.

Yes, Phill...higher octane fuel is recommended.

[86gti]

This is something that interests me. Same as Jap cars. They have been able to run on ULP since dinosours walked the earth. Yet all the time in the herald sun in the motoring section i see people ask the motoring "expert" what they should do with their 79 corrolla...."run an additive" he says...all the time.
bet if u e-mailed him bout a golf he would tell you the same.
Always! it annoys me! if u read most of the stuff about the cars from Germany and Japan from the old(er) days it states run 98 RON Unleaded. they have had that stuff for donkeys years!

[syncro]

The guys that write this are journalists and know nothing about cars.
I've met some of them and worked for them.

[intensem1]

This has me interested also, my 1.6 carby has always been run on leaded or with lead additive. Can i simply just put premium in it? Do i need to clean anything to make it reliable?

Thanks Guys!

[Golf Loon]

This has me interested also, my 1.6 carby has always been run on leaded or with lead additive. Can i simply just put premium in it? Do i need to clean anything to make it reliable?

Thanks Guys!

Put premium in, no additives required.

[WA Euro]

The thing that's bothering me about the unleaded debate is that when leaded petrol was phased out in the UK, i took my 1981 1.1L polo down to the local VW dealership and ased them i they could check it for me. On of the techies came out with a rag and cleaned my engine number up so that he could read it and then compared it with a small booklet he had in his hand. (The booklet was about the size of a credit card and unfolded about 3 times - if anyone knows about it) The booklet had all the VW engine prefixes in there and he told me that mine was fine to run on unleaded as it is, without any modification.
But because this guy told me that mine was fine on unleaded....that means that there are others that AREN'T fine to fun on unleaded!? Or else why woud he have the booklet??

[syncro]

But because this guy told me that mine was fine on unleaded....that means that there are others that AREN'T fine to fun on unleaded!? Or else why woud he have the booklet??

They are all fine to run on unleaded. But define unleaded.

When people talk of unleaded in Australia they really mean 91.
All VWs and Audis since 1972 will run on fuel without lead.
But some require 95 or 98.

[h100vw]

I had a booklet years ago with all the VW/AUDI engine codes in, it cam efrom VW. Every VW/Audi built since about 1974 can run on unleaded.

Gavin

[WA Euro]

Thanks for all the input guys, I think that this is well and truely wrapped up!

Another mystery solved by the VWW team.

[Edison]

Hello again peeps!
I was just wondering whether or not my engine can run on unleaded
It's a '79 cabriolet 1600 carby - original engine i think
I'm using lead substitute at the mo' because previous owner did but would rather use straight unleaded if the valve seats will take it!
Anyone know when VW started fitting hardened valve seats or if my particular engine has em?
Steve-o

You'd do well to find out first. I got poor advice about it and didn't use the lead substitute and the valves eventually froze up, it would start on 3 and later 2 cylinders until it was warm. after the lead substitute was put back in, all was fine, except any permanent wear that resulted.

Also as all fuel injected cars handbooks will tell you premium fuel offers no power or economy advantage in any car that uses a carbie. and thats car company talk, which means it's biased towards the petrol company point of view, so if there was any smidgeon of an advantage they'd sing it to high heaven.
Your cars previous owner probably found out exactly what their car needed because they had to a) pay for the substitute and b) go to the trouble of putting it in, so I'd stick to it until you know for damn certain.

[86gti]

You'd do well to find out first. I got poor advice about it and didn't use the lead substitute and the valves eventually froze up, it would start on 3 and later 2 cylinders until it was warm. after the lead substitute was put back in, all was fine, except any permanent wear that resulted.

Also as all fuel injected cars handbooks will tell you premium fuel offers no power or economy advantage in any car that uses a carbie. and thats car company talk, which means it's biased towards the petrol company point of view, so if there was any smidgeon of an advantage they'd sing it to high heaven.
Your cars previous owner probably found out exactly what their car needed because they had to a) pay for the substitute and b) go to the trouble of putting it in, so I'd stick to it until you know for damn certain.

Im guessing you might have used Normal unleaded tho????
and maybe you wont gain performance in a carby fed car..but saves running an additive. cars in Germany been running unleaded since early around the 70s

[Golf Loon]

I know you refuse to pay for premium unleaded fuel Edison, but if you did you would not need to run any additive and the car would run well on it.

All VW Watercooled engines in Australia can run on unleaded, but use 95
octane as the other stuff is designed for commondores and is not fit for a lawnmower in my opinion.

[syncro]

All VW Watercooled engines in Australia can run on unleaded, but use 95
octane as the other stuff is designed for commondores and is not fit for a lawnmower in my opinion.

Actually most of the 1,6 Golfs have probably had the head machined a few times by now and require 98. All Golfs were designed for fuel without lead, so additives were not required.