I am driving a f100 with a 312 Yblock. Getting mixed opinions on whether or not one should add a lead additive with each fill up. Question also applies to a 235 straight 6 I have in my 57 chevy 3100. New to restoration world and want to do what's right. What do you experts recommend?

 

Keep your money in your pocket. Lead additives don't contain lead and are not needed. In the same vein, regular unleaded is just fine provided your fuel system has been upgraded to tolerate current formulations.

Separately, there is whole lifetime of discussion about various oil choices and various additives. In short, do what you wish on oil since hard evidence, in any direction, doesn't seem to be available.

Have we seen pics of your rides?

 

There are no lead additives, just lead substitutes. Earlier Fords used good steel and never needed it to begin with. It's only a problem in certain models and then only when hauling heavy loads or extended high speed use. I like to run a few ounces of Marvels in a tank of gas to keep things from sticking in older engines that aren't driven much. It seems to help with the deleterous effect corn squeezins has on carbs too.

 

Hardened valve seats are needed if you are going to drive frequently at highway speeds. Around town, probably not. I doubt either of your engines have them.

 

Thank you all for the clarification. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

This topic comes up every so often and I offer the following fact: Amoco was selling unleaded gas a long long time ago before the '70s. If that gas had done any damage to any cars, they would have gone out of business. So the loss of lead in gas is still up to interpretation.

Later!
Mr. Ed

 

Dad used to go to this Amoco station to buy what he called 'lawnmower' gas or 'white gas' which was unleaded, if memory serves correct, even though we had an above ground tank on the farm for the tractors and Trucks.

 

I've been using Rotella 30wt oil for Diesel engines in my 52. I was told by a few people that it contains lead and is better in our old engines. Anybody have info on this?

 

Diesel oils used to have zinc (ZDDP) levels much like the old gas engine oils, but that changed several years ago, for the same kinds of reasons (emission controls). The reality is, ANY oil nowadays is head and shoulders better than what was used "back in the day". Which engine do you have, the 6 or V8? The flatheads will do fine on almost anything, the OHV engines of the era may benefit from an oil that is high in detergents (if they haven't been disassembled and vatted since the 60's) to prevent sludging.

 

Ross,
I have a 62/63 vintage 223 in my 52.

 

Dennis, that's well into the detergent oil era, as long as it looks pretty clean under the valve cover you shouldn't have to worry about sludge. But I really doubt you have hardened seats.