sorry newbie question
at the moment i am adding a lead replacement to fuel and using higher (more expensive) 97 or 99 ron fuel
is this correct or am i wasting money
as i was considering about buying these long term lead additive items that cost around £30 and go direct into the tank or inline on the fuel line but last for years
what does everyone else do
have been told to simply drop a peice of lead into the tank but not sure about that
not sure where i would get a "bit" of lead from nowadays as none left
on the local church

I've used standard unleaded (95RON) since I've owned my current 2CV (over 10 years), without any additives and without any problems, and I've covered well over 150,000miles.

I give my [1988] 2CV a dose of [Redex brand ] lead replacement additive every 3 or 4 tankfulls.
THIS ......

.......Also,every now & again [usually before a long "motorway run"] I fill up with "Super" [97/99 ron]. petrol..... but tbh,most of the time I use standard [95ron] petrol.
I cant see how dropping a chunk of lead [or any other metal, ftm] into your tank can help .....metal does'nt disolve in petrol ...... [although I must admit that I fell for the story some 20+ years ago when these so called "miracle pellets" first hit the market .....so {ttbomk} my 2CV still has one of these miracle cures in its tank].

best regards
Terry

The latter, on two counts.

2cv cylinder heads are aluminium, which means they need hardened valve seats to last more than five minutes. The reason for the lead replacement is to prevent valve seat recession in cast iron heads with the seats cut straight into the head itself.

The higher octane is needed to combat pinking or pre-ignition. If it's a 2cv engine with 8.5:1 compression, then it would originally have only needed 2* petrol, lower octane than today's 95RON undeaded. If it's a Dyane engine with 9.0:1 compression, then it would have originally been specified for 4* petrol, about the same as today's super undeaded. But all you need to do is to adjust the ignition to prevent it pinking - an audible "metallic rice krispies" sound that's most likely to occur with foot flat, heavy load and low gear - climbing a steep hill. Find a hill like that, take your tools with you, and adjust the timing so that it just doesn't pink on it...

you dont need LRP you need to go to someone who knows how to set up an engine

( you need to up the jet size for the primary barrel you need B7HS plugs and you need the timing to not advance past 32* (and it will if its been pegged and fitted with a cheap DG electronic unit)

Apologies,
but it's 'cut and paste' time, as the VAT return has to be sorted this evening...

"Lumps of lead are insoluble, but many lead compounds dissolve in water and act as neurotoxins in the body. Lead acetate used to be called 'sugar of lead' because of its sweet taste; it was added to wines as a sweetener! Insoluble lead compounds have been used in paints, including lead chromate for "yellow lines". And, of course, it has been used in petrol."

"Lead tetraethyl is a lead atom bonded to a tetrahedral arrangment of ethyl groups. Thus, the molecule can be thought of as a metal atom surrounded by a hydrocarbon cage. The C-Pb bond is quite weak, and in the hot environment of an internal combustion engine it fragments producing lead and C2H5 radicals which can help terminate the combustion process by radical reactions."

As Sean has already advised, what's needed is a proper service, including setting the engine up correctly to run on unleaded fuel.
One of the first steps in that process should be adjusting the valve clearances ( 0.25mm exhaust and 0.20 inlet), followed by a compression test to determine the compression ratio of the engine in question.
Many engines have had pistons and barrels replaced by now, so it's no longer correct to assume that an engine in a 2CV or Acadiane will have a CR of 8.5:1 nor that a Dyane or Ami engine will have a CR of 9.0:1.

Since a 'full' service really should include removing the rocker covers to drain the old oil which they hold, there's not much extra work in setting the valves and checking the compression ratio, plus it also gives you an idea of the general mechanical condition of an engine

If it hasn't already been done, rejetting the carburettor to cope with the 'leaning' effect of the various additives in unleaded fuel is essential, remembering that those engines with 'blown induction' require one step more enrichment of the primary petrol jet than those with normal induction.

ken

who would you suggest i go to for a "proper" tune up come service as the folk up at leeds don't seem to be in vogue?
we live in Oldham (sometimes called "up yonder") in the fine county of Lancashire (but on paper we should be in Yorkshire... but that's a long story
any other forum folk round here?

You could have a trip to the Potteries and book it in with Richard Dalton in Newcatle......

or Alan Makin in Denton, Manchester.
ken

Ken is far too modest to mention himself in Selby. (Or too busy?)