should I be using lead substitute in ford tractor???

Irishservant

New User
I have a 1954 ford NAA same as ford jubilee.
Should I be using a lead substitute to prevent valves from buring in this tractor??
 
All that lead stuff is a snake oil made to waste your $$ does not even have any lead in it
 
I say NO!

A few years ago I used a fuel that had the lead additive. In a few weeks the head valves seized up.

Head had to be rebuilt, if the head has ever been rebuilt, mine had, then they used valve guides that do not require the higher levels of lead.

Again, based on my costly experience, I say no!
 
Our low compression engines do not require lead in the fuel for starters, and like OLD says below, you can't buy LEAD as it is classified as a toxin now and is illegal to sell, and lastly, any product claiming to be a LEAD additive is lying. Do your homework and read labels and go on-line to find out what the MSDS data sheets say and you can also find out what the products ingredients really are. There are so many 'SNAKE-OIL' products out there you'd be surprised that most all of them contain as the main ingredient plain mineral spirits as much as 95%. I have listed on the n-series tractor 'other site' many products in the SAFETY forum there. Your $$$ so manage it well.

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your tractor left the factory with hardened valve seats.

I know it's a shocker, but tetra ethyl lead was originally added as an octane modifier.

surprisingly, ethanol is also an octane modifier.

cheap gas today has more octane than expensive gas from 60 years ago.
 

In the beginning leaded gasoline was not yet invented and engines used hardened valve seats. Later, it was discovered lead was very effective as an additive to increase the octane of gasoline. As lead became common in all gasoline, engine manufactures found the hardened seats were no longer needed and substituted lower cost seats.

Later yet, when the use of lead in gasoline was phased out it was discovered that engines needed hardened seats to prevent premature wear. The wear mode was a micro-welding mechanism where by the valve pulled metal from the seat surface. The lead did not prevent valve seat burning but rather prevented the micro-welding with the valve and resulting loss of seat material.

In short as others have posted; no you don't need leaded fuel for your tractor - it has the proper seats for use with non-leaded fuels.
 
Thanks for this info as I was curious about this topic as well for my 1955 960 that was given to me. I has actually purchased the synthetic Lead additive substitute. After reading this post I will return it.

BJ
 

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