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Unleaded engines
Simon Mc - 19/5/02 at 11:53 AM

My 2.0L Seirra engine (a pinto) has 205 cast into the block a 6P cast into the head. It however uses the electronic weber carb as apposed to injection. Am i correct to assume that this engine is suitable for unleaded petrol, as opposed to the earlier engines that needed a tank full of leaded every few tanks. I know that the ingnition has not been adjusted for unleaded on the ESC II system, and this probaly accounts for the slightly flat acceleration that it had on the way home. Unfortunatly i forgot to ask the bloke i got it from (Doh!)


chrisg - 19/5/02 at 02:57 PM

Look on the head again near the exhaust, unleaded heads are usually have the cast mark "PP" or "RR", did you miss-read it?

Cheers

Chris


Simon Mc - 19/5/02 at 09:45 PM

it could have been a bad casting but it does look like a 6P, and it is on the head near the exhaust, next to the spark plug nearest the bulkhead( on the top surface of the head). Or the other way round as i have been to the pub. As I understand it though a 205 engine is 'unleaded friendly', can anyone correct me?


James - 20/5/02 at 02:25 PM

Someone give the man an answer dammit!



I've got a '205' (injection model) too!


James


bob - 20/5/02 at 03:04 PM

Yep.i had a 2 Litre granny ghia MK3 a few years back.It had a 205 block,ran 110,000 miles on 4 star then a further 30,000 on unleaded.
A plug from the engine managment box of tricks that went to the dizzy had two ends,you change this over for unleaded or LRP if i remember rightly.
Dont ask me which plug is which though,i had to get my engine man to work that out.
As far as i know the car is still running well nearly 3 years after i sold it as scrap after being wacked by a nova.

I,m sure someone else on the list with pinto experience can confirm this


locost7-online.com - 22/5/02 at 07:47 AM

The 2.0 injection models all had valve seat inserts fitted, these are fine for unleaded fuel.
John H
C C Engine Services
www.rollingroadtune.co.uk


david walker - 23/5/02 at 09:05 PM

All injection pintos are OK for unleaded.
All engines, irrespective of manufacture, that were made from late 88 are. Most Pintos, from late 87 are.


James - 24/5/02 at 02:50 PM

Thanks! Nice to know I won't have to be robbed 'quite' as badly by buying unleaded as opposed to LRP!

James


Simon Mc - 24/5/02 at 06:32 PM

Thanks you lot, that a bit of a weight of my mind..


m_rayfield - 24/5/02 at 07:18 PM

Don't mean to hi-jack this vaguely relevant post, but what has everyone done who uses a crossflow engine?

Do you all just fork out for LRP, or do you need to bung supplements in every now and again, or have you all converted them to run on chip fat?!

Suggestions welcome!

Mark


david walker - 26/5/02 at 07:57 PM

Crossflows of course do not have hardened valve seats.

I work in the engine business and we probably fit about 20 to 30 heads per month with hardened seats to allow them to run unleaded without later problems arising.

However my advice would be that unless you are actually rebuilding your engine then just put unleaded in the tank. Eventually the exhaust seats will recess into the head but no other permanent damage will be done - at that stage you recon the head and fit the hardened seats. If the engine is in good order you'll probably get 2 or 3 thousand miles out of the head before incurring that expenditure.

When you have it done you should note that bronze guides are not necessary and neither are "special" valves. Too many people are being ripped off.

For a valve seat job expect to pay about £70+vat. That's with you doing the removing/fitting yourself and doesn't include the gaskets etc. Most engine companies charge about the same. If they charge much more then beware!


mark_rayfield - 26/5/02 at 11:23 PM

Thanks for the advice - I've seen some frightening quotes to do the job!