My Harley service manual says to use leaded gas or if you can't find it to use a lead additive every 3-4 tankfulls. I know I can't get leaded gas (except maybe at the airport) and I don't seem to find lead additive anymore, how important is it? Oh yeah 77 sporty. Thanks
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It's not. Remember that most of these sporty's, except for the mid 80's, were made and documentation written before they found that lead caused severe problems with humans and was forced off the market by the government. Unleaded gas was designed as a safe replacement for the previous leaded gas. Meaning that for the cars that were still on the market and used leaded before it would be perfectly safe or better to use the unleaded fuels. Very close to how some oil producers are putting a small percentage of ethanol in fuels now.
There is no combustion rate change between leaded and unleaded fuel.
Leaded gas cushions the valves against the seats. Depending on who you ask, Ironheads do or don't need lead substitute or a no-lead valve seat conversion. My experience is that lead substitute doesn't hurt, but I think the parts in question are hard enough that unleaded gas really doesn't do much damage. If your valves and/or seats are wearing, you'll notice that your pushrods get tighter between adjustments, and I've not seen that happen on mine.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Old Ironhead with original valve seats "anything" needs leaded gas as ( as stated) it cushions the valve seats. An "UNLEAD GAS CONVERSION" is only harder valve seats.
Run the unleaded ( good stuff....BP 93 or better)......if the valve seats are original and wear......do a valve job and the new ones will be hardened. PROBLEM THEN SOLVED.
BTW--> Aluminum heads ( like triumph & old big twins) have no worry concerning this issue ( long story I ain't gonna type). ONLY ORIGINAL VALVE SEAT-IRONHEAD bikes & cars. Unlead conversion offered for Aluminum head machines is a waste and scam!
Like I say, run good unleaded gas, worry about it if & when you need to. ( likely a long time or never)
I had a top end job done on my Ironhead at 11k miles dueme being ignorant and not knowing what an intake leak was, which caused a hole to be burned in a piston. The guy that did my top end job is the Ironhead guru for our part of the state. He did not put in any valve seals and claimed it was to make up let a little oil slide by to make up for the lack of lead. I do not know if there is any truth to this logic. I do know that I have ridden 41k miles on on the valve trains since then and have not done a valve job. The motor is still plenty stout.
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2000 Road King Classic. Andrews 26G cams, SE Stage I, DFO, V&H True Duals with Samson Fishtail Mufflers.
I had a top end job done on my Ironhead at 11k miles dueme being ignorant and not knowing what an intake leak was, which caused a hole to be burned in a piston. The guy that did my top end job is the Ironhead guru for our part of the state. He did not put in any valve seals and claimed it was to make up let a little oil slide by to make up for the lack of lead. I do not know if there is any truth to this logic. I do know that I have ridden 41k miles on on the valve trains since then and have not done a valve job. The motor is still plenty stout.
All new valve seats are hardened and fix any no lead issue. The no valve seal thing to make smokey exhaust sounds just dumb to me.
I had a top end job done on my Ironhead at 11k miles dueme being ignorant and not knowing what an intake leak was, which caused a hole to be burned in a piston. The guy that did my top end job is the Ironhead guru for our part of the state. He did not put in any valve seals and claimed it was to make up let a little oil slide by to make up for the lack of lead. I do not know if there is any truth to this logic. I do know that I have ridden 41k miles on on the valve trains since then and have not done a valve job. The motor is still plenty stout.
All new valve seats are hardened and fix any no lead issue. The no valve seal thing to make smokey exhaust sounds just dumb to me.
He also claims it is o prevent galling of the valve guides.......Don't shoot the messenger. Just telling you what they guy says.
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2000 Road King Classic. Andrews 26G cams, SE Stage I, DFO, V&H True Duals with Samson Fishtail Mufflers.
I had a top end job done on my Ironhead at 11k miles dueme being ignorant and not knowing what an intake leak was, which caused a hole to be burned in a piston. The guy that did my top end job is the Ironhead guru for our part of the state. He did not put in any valve seals and claimed it was to make up let a little oil slide by to make up for the lack of lead. I do not know if there is any truth to this logic. I do know that I have ridden 41k miles on on the valve trains since then and have not done a valve job. The motor is still plenty stout.
All new valve seats are hardened and fix any no lead issue. The no valve seal thing to make smokey exhaust sounds just dumb to me.
He also claims it is o prevent galling of the valve guides.......Don't shoot the messenger. Just telling you what they guy says.
Naw ain't even taking aim at the messenger.
And I can kinda see the warped logic in what this guy "theory". But it is not really a good idea if you think about it for many reasons.
And ifthis ":theory" wasreally true.........the "logical" way to do it would be to throw a little 2 stroke oil into the gas. They make smokeless 2 stroke oil these days and it would accomplish the "theory" better & cleaner.
Used & dirty engine oil seeping down from the top end does not even sound good in your fuel mixture.
Yeah, I've thought about it myself and tried to out think the guy's logic.The two stroke oil wouldn't do anything regarding his oil lubing the guides to prevent galling theory. One thing that I can certainly say is that it hasn't harmed anything in my case.
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2000 Road King Classic. Andrews 26G cams, SE Stage I, DFO, V&H True Duals with Samson Fishtail Mufflers.
leaded gas
