D3O-Unca»tw Fanning Saturday, March 11,1989
EPHRATA (Lancaster)
Leaded gasolines are becoming
increasingly rare and may soon be
regulated out of existence by the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). Using unleaded gasoline
in an engine designed for leaded
fuel may cause mechanical prob
lems over the long run unless pre
ventive measures are taken.
Lead, in the form of tetraethyl
lead, serves two main purposes in
gasoline. First, by increasing the
octaine rating, it reduces knock (or
“pinging”) which limits the power
a gasoline engine can produce
without damage. Second, lead
oxides and lead halides (often vis
ible as white deposits) form a
lubricating film on valves and
valve seats, reducing wear on
these parts. Without lead’s lubri
cation, valves in older engines will
eventually burrow down into their
seats, an effect called valve reces
sion. Valve recession can use up
all of the possible valve lash
adjustment of an engine and lead
to an unsealed valve and loss of
compression. Such a valve will
soon bum and possibly fail, caus
ing more serious engine damage.
While there are non-lead alterna
tives to increase the octane rating
of unleaded fuels, currently there
are no replacements for tetraethyl
lead that provide totally effective
valve wear protection.
Lead is emitted into the air
when it is burned in a fuel and
would be a major health hazzard if
old, higher concentrations were
still in use. Lead also disables
catalytic converters, which are
installed to reduce other danger
ous exhaust emissions. This is
why catalyst-equipped vehicles
are required to use unleaded gaso
line. The EPA has been acting to
gradually phase out all lead in
gasolines and currently limits
gasoline lead content to just about
the minimum concentration
necessary to effectively control
valve recession.
Now entering our seventh season,
here are some remarks we have
most commonly heard over the years
1) Hydroseeding is a time saving procedure
2) Forry’s method of hydroseeding is far ahead
of the field
3) Their 3-10-30 fluid fertilizer gives me my total
plant food need for the first year
4) I have quicker starts hydroseeding than my old
conventional way
5) I like the one-call operation
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Prepare Leaded-Gas Engines For Unleaded Gas
Practically all engines manu
factured since 1974 have included
specially hardened valves and
seats designed to reduce wear and
valve recession with unleaded
gasoline. However, there are some
exceptions, especially in the
heavy-duty gasoline market. Most
pre-1974 engines and those newer
ones with specific recommenda
tions for leaded gasoline are likely
to have softer valve and seat
materials that are prone to valve
recession with unleaded gasoline.
The only way to guarantee an
older engine’s performance of
unleaded fuel is to install specially
hardened valve seats. Modi cylin
der heads can be machined to add
reliefs around the valve areas for
hardened valve seat inserts. The
fit, alignment, and sealing of the
seats are critical, so this job is best
done by a qualified machine shop.
The cost of this modification is
approximately thirty dollars per
cylinder, plus a twenty-five dollar
labor charge per cylinder head.
So, hardened valve seats for a four
cylinder engine would cost about
$165 plus the cost of removing
and installing the cylinder head, if
necessary.
There are some temporary mea
sures to postpone the valve job
just described. Engine failures due
to valve recession do not occur
overnight, and how long an over
haul can be avoided depends on
the type of service, the amount of
use, and the quality of mainte
nance an engine receives. Valve
recession is aggravated by high
combustion temperatures, which
are increased by such factors as
high engine speed, improper igni
tion timing or fuel mixture, and
inadequate engine cooling. Here
arc a few preventive actions a far
mer or mechanic can take to stay
ahead of the problem:
• Keep the valves adjusted. If
an engine has mechanical lash
adjustment, check the valve tappet
clearances more often than nor-
a Serry'a
mmm
▼ 2020 Hortathoa Rd
Lancastar, PA 17601
Phona 717-307-0035
cT
mal. If the valves should begin to
recede, the progress can be moni
tored and the clearances may be
adjusted to compensate. When the
clearances cannot be adjusted to
the recommended values, it is time
for a valve job.
• Run engines at lower speed
and resultant loads. Studies indi
cate that high-speed service with
unleaded gasoline can quickly
lead to failure in engines designed
for leaded fuel.
• Keep the ignition timing
properly adjusted. This preven
tive maintenance procedure will
keep engine temperatures in line.
• keep the carburetor prop
erly adjusted. A lean fuel mixture
will greatly increase combustion
chamber temperatures, which
aggravate valve recession and can
also encourage engine knock.
• Maintain the coolant sys
tem. This practice helps reduce
the chances of engine overheat
Change the antifreeze at least once
every two years or once a year
for best results.
The lead-free fuel additives
now being marketed promise to
boost a fuel’s octane rating and
provide necessary valve lubrica
tion. However, as the saying goes,
let the buyer beware. An engine
study sponsored by the EPA and
USDA showed that, on typical
agricultural machinery engines
designed for leaded fuel, the lead
Pj, r%
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RICHLAND
717/866-2105
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MAIN & LINDEN STREETS • P.O. BOX 278 • RICHLAND, PA 17087-0278
LANCASTER
717/397-8244
ATTENTION FARMERSI
I 'Spring Mohr OK Specials"
Series 3 • Texaco Super Plus 15w40 55 Gal. Drum ...$176.98
Series 3 - Texaco Super Plus Single Grades 55 Gal. Drum ...$168.28
Series 1 - Texaco Ursa Extra Duty Single Grades 55 Gal. Drum ...$159;08
Havollne Oil Single Grades 55 Gal. Drum ...$189.77
Texaco TDH Tractor Hyd. Oil 55 Gal. Drum... $186.19
Battery Special - 405 CCA - Groups 24, 24F, 74
50 Month Warranty - $29.95
Specials Good March 13 Through April 15,1989
Other Texaco Oils and Greases On Special A 150... Call Your Local
replacement additives reduced,
but did not eliminate, valve reces
sion. In quantities the eliminated
valve recession, the additives
caused increased intake valve
deposits, which can also lead to
compression loss.
Furthermore, most additives are
marketed at a price which may
cost as much as $l.OO for every
ten gallons of unleaded fuel
treated so a lead replacement
additive can add as much as 10
Public
Expansion Legislation
HARRISBURG Senator
Edward Helfrick (R-27) is reintro
ducing legislation this session to
expand public hunting lands by
offering reduced-feed hunting
licenses to fanners who open their
lands for hunting.
Helfrick said that farmers who
open 80 acres of land would be
eligible for a $3 dollar reduced-fee
license, plus a 75 cent issuing fee.
Farmers may keep no more than
20 percent of their total land in
safety zones.
In addition to the safety zone
limitation, participating farmers
must comply with a conservation
plan established under the Clean
Streams Law of 1937 concerning
erosion-control regulations.
According to the Senator, these
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717/354-4136
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MACUNGIE
215/965-9877
MULTI PURPOSE GREASE
TUBES
Case - 60 Tubes $45.48
10 Pack - $7.91
Carlos R. Leffler Office For Details!
Non-Returnable... No-Deposit Drums
percent to an engine’s total fuel
cost, at typical 1988 prices. It is
also possible to actually purchase
tetraethyl lead, blended into a fuel
additive that is even more expen
sive than the lead replacement
additives. Over the long run,
money spent on additives at each
refueling might be belter used to
install hardened valve seat inserts,
which provide a permanent solu
tion to valve recession.
Hunting
requirements would ensure that
wildlife habitat is preserved for
the benefit of both hunters and
game.
Senator Helfiick’s proposal has
received the support of die Penn
sylvania Game Commission.
Helfrick introduced identical
legislation last session. However,
the House Committee on Game
and Fisheries gutted the bill.
Changing it to a land acquisition
vehicle.
“I was very disappointed by the
Committee’s decision to eliminate
reduced-fee licenses when they
amended the bill,” said Helfrick.
“But this has not discouraged me
from working for the passage of
this important legislation this
year.”
SINKING SPRING
215/678-7011
READING
215/376-7364
Land
MT. JOY
717/653-8026
LEBANON
717/272-2541