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Valve Additive for Unleaded Fuel

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:50 pm
by Rick F
Just want ask for some advice re fuel additives for a 750GT.

As I understand it, we are all adding an additive to our fuel for the older Ducks, to protect the valves (?)

I am following the instructions on the bottle 1ml/litre (1.5fl.oz/10 gallons)

My questions are:

1) can you add too much? (what would be an accepted tolerance?)

2) if NOT added, how long before damage is done?

Living in a regional area, it may not always be available & I want to know how diligent I need to be about carrying some with me.

There is a local bevel/desmo specialist, and he suggests just to "throw a bit in every 3 or 4 tankfuls"

Thanks
Rick

Re: Valve Additive for Unleaded Fuel

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:28 pm
by DesmoDog
Rick F wrote:Just want ask for some advice re fuel additives for a 750GT.

As I understand it, we are all adding an additive to our fuel for the older Ducks, to protect the valves (?)
I'm not. The heads have seats installed in them that can handle unleaded gas just fine from what I can tell. Not that I ride the GT enough for valve recession to be a problem...

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:25 am
by Peter Mille
When I had the heads of my '85 mille serviced by Bevel guru Steve Wynne in England some years ago, he strongly advised me, to avoid valve problems, to use LEADED fuel, if not available, to use a good additive!
So from that point on, I use the right amount Millers VSP (valve seat protection) additive at every tank filling with Shell V-Power 98 octane fuel. www.millersoils.co.uk
If an "expert" says your engine can run on unleaded, have him that written down, and have him responsible for fuel related problems..I bet he will not do that....!!

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:38 pm
by Nick
I've never added lead to my unleaded fuel, I ride the @#$ out my stable of British and Italian classic bikes and I've never had any valve-related problems, the valves seldom need adjusting and the bikes run fine. I think its all just a lot of worry about nothing. (My 45-year-old car also runs fine on unleaded!)

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 12:09 am
by Laurence
I ran 2 identical japanese motorcycles for 100 000 km each on the same maintainence program, one on leaded and one on unleaded fuel
The manual recomended leaded fuel only.
I did a valve job on the one that ran leaded at 60k and nothing to the one i ran on unleaded..
Since that experiment ive been of the opinion that the fuel additive gag is the same as the Y2K gag that was going to destroy all our computers and end the world as we know it..

fuel additives

Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:41 am
by linblad
get ya heads done so it takes unleaded contact justin at protwin in perth 0412924308 he used to work at veetwo and since they no longer do engine work as they goy bought out he went on his own, had mine done 4 years ago fantastic stick any unleaded fuel in her no dramas ! good luck linblad.

unleaded gas

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 6:09 pm
by 78SS
My SS runs like a 2 stroke on unleaded, fouls plugs alot, so I have to buy expensive race gas to run it. I have had it tuned by professional mechanics who I trust. Anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:08 pm
by Peter Mille
Maybe your plugs are to cold?

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:41 am
by 78SS
Hi Peter, I am running standard plugs and they run fine on leaded gas, I have found unleaded petrol does not fully combust in any engine leaving a oily coating in the tail pipe.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:46 am
by Gomi
Do you have stock pistons or High Compression ones?
HC pistons often require a greater octane fuel... maybe is this the reason.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:28 am
by Peter Mille
I did run the standard plugs as well, the instruction manual of my '85 Mille stated to use Bosch W3B.
Later, Bosch advise to use in a Mille Engine Bosch W5B. (= hotter).
So don't trust the original instruction manual, things change with the time!!
( I had the same experience with my Chevy V-8, plugs fouling every few hundred miles..turned out to be the exact same thing...AC Delco changed their advice, I had to use hotter plugs than standard!)

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:50 pm
by 78SS
As far as I know its standard compression, it did run fine on leaded gas with the same octane rating. Might need hotter plugs to burn off residue from combustion, as I have mentioned I do not think unleaded combusts properly like leaded gas as there is a oily residue left in tail pipe.

question unanswered

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:31 pm
by Rick F
So gents,
it got a little like a political forum, skirting the question but never really answering it!

It sounds to me like there are a lot of opinions out there about this.

I am a little uninformed, (a builder, not a mechanic or engineer), but if someone in the profession that I trust says to throw a bit in the tank every now and then, I do....I buy the bottle and follow the instructions, and hope that it cant hurt! Pirsig would cringe!

Yes I am running high octane unleaded anyway, people I have known that do know what they are talking about say that the standard Unleaded here in OZ is dog doodie, so premium is the go....but for every thing except the cars. I use premium in the ride-on mower, the outboard motor, the brushcutter.
and it does seem to improve the reliability.....no major failures or carb rebuilds etc.

So when I 1st got the bike back in 1986, (my 3rd GT) it had a rebuilt unstarted motor, with Sport pistons and valves. Apparently. It was a long time ago.

What way are the valves different? would they cope with unleaded better than standard valves? (premium unleaded)

Rick

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:12 am
by MartinMille BANNED
Hi Rick
I use Valvemaster and have for years ,you sure notice the difference when you run out of the stuff , the Mille starts to ping its heads off and has lack of power add valvemaster and within 5 min's she purr's again
get some and try it

Valvemaster

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:53 pm
by Rick F
Hi Martin,
I have been using the valvemaster since I put the bike back on the road.

I am not too far from Arthur at Byron Bay and it was he that prompted my questions....ie just thro a bit in every few tankfuls.

As I say, I am religous with it and it seems to make the ride-on go a bit better as well!

Whereabouts are you?

Rick