What types of fuel can be (safely) used on an original 302-2V?

What types of fuel can be (safely) used on an original 302-2V? Any modifications needed before using S98 (unleaded) or S95 (unleaded). I have no access to regular (leaded) fuel in my area.

Gert

 

Depends on what year the engine ... different years had different compression and therefore different octane requirements ...

 

i don't have any access to leaded fuel here either. i would think you can use whatever the lowest octane rated unleaded fuel you can get as long as you are running a fairly stock engine. if you have to have leaded i think you can buy an additive at any of the auto parts stores. you put in so much per tankful. i don't remember what year they changed from leaded to unleaded.

 

if i remember correctly.....leaded fuels are illegal to use for street cars.. you can use them at the race track.... but last i heard you could not use them on the road.....

when i get my race gas, purple, they told me that i could not put the fuel in my tank at the shop or they would get a 25,000 fine..

if i am wrong..please enlighten me..

 

yep! $25000 Federal fine for the use of leaded fuel in any street vehicle. ( or modifying or removing any emission control from any vehicle equipped with such from the OEM.)

It is unlikely that an individual would be discovered doing this but a shop has liability for these mods. Some states have "spot-checks" and others have inspections for appropriate emission devices - if you get caught removing them then you can get that fine too. (most will simply tell you that you have x# of days to get it fixed or you will be fined)
PaulS

 

I think most of us are running regular unleaded for the stockers. If you want you can add an additive of your choice. Me personally, in my old stuff I put marvel mystery oil in the gas, and oil.
Dan

 

Since Gert is in Belgium, I bet he is not subject to $25000 Federal fines for running leaded fuels if he had access to them...

Weren't hardened valve seats used to deal with the lack of lead in fuels? Question is, when did Ford start using them?

 

I run regular 87 in my '74 250. The previous owner told me he always ran medium grade unleaded.

No problems yet...

I've also removed all traces of emissions equipment. The car runs much better. Come fine me... :evilsmile

 

Gasoline...

 

This reply comes closest to what I'm worried about. My engine is a stock 302 built in 1974. I was told my one of my friends (we're all MSc engineers, I'm in electronics, he is in mechanics) that the valve seats do heat up more using modern unleaded fuels. In some older engines, the valve seats would wear down (crack due to thermal stress), resulting in bad closing valves and loss of compression in those cyclinders affected.

I had access to leaded fuel in Mexico (the PEMEX regular fuel was still leaded in 1996). We no longer can get unleaded fuel in Belgium. I think France and Spain are the last countries to still sell that, so federal fines do not apply to me (there is a world outside the US , but that was not the point.

Are there any mechanical considerations when using modern unleaded fuels when using a stock 30 year old 302V8?

Is it better to use the 95octane versus 98octane fuel?

Should I have the valve seats replaced ? Any changes needed on the valves themselves ?

Any changes needed on timing ?

If an additive is sufficient, what is the ratio fuel/additive ? What would the additive be made of ? We have additives for having engines run smoother etc, so I'm sure I can find something to replace the lead function, but brands known here would not mean much to most members, so if you advise an additive, please try to specify the generic product instead of "SuperAdditive TM" or such.

Why am I worried:

three things:

- the engine was used at high altitude for most of it's life (Mexico City), so it ran mostly lean.
- the octane levels in the fuels are higher here (Belgium) versus Mexico.
- a V8 rebuild is a very costly affair here (all parts would need to be imported).

 

i think your octane levels are higher than we have here also. i wonder if that's really true or if the octane is figured out using a different formula. i think our octane rating here is either 87 or 89. the lowest rating is fine for a stock 302. when i go in to town today i'll try to see what the brands there are for lead additive. might also look at http://chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/unld-gas/ .

 

We stopped having leaded fuel around here about 20 yrs. ago. I never have had any problems with a stock '74 head prior to parking mine around '92.
I don't know the formulations of gas in Belgium, but I am guessing that you would
be okay. I don't know if the ratings are the same, but I would opt for higher octane
due to the likelihood that you have around 8:1 compression ratio.

Seth

 

how octane levels are calculated in Belgium

For those interested: the amount of volume procent iso-octane C8H18 and n-heptane C17H16 determine the octane levels we use in the indication of fuels used at the gas-stations in Belgium.

 

Originally, lead was added to gasoline for the sole purpose of increasing octane levels (you need high octane only if your engine has a high compression ratio, ie: more than 9:1) . It was then discovered by accident that it (the lead) also had a bit of a "cushioning" effect on the exhaust valve seats, which reduced wear. 1975 was the first year that Ford started making their cylinder heads with hardened exhaust valve seats, as lead was no longer going to be used in '75 and later American vehicles. It's really nothing to worry about, as it was a side benefit in the first place. Yeah, your exhaust valves & seats will wear a little faster, but not that much, and your intake valves are going to wear at the same rate regardless of what year the heads are.

So back to my original answer: Gasoline...

 

i checked at pep boys auto stores tonight. they carry a product called "CD-2", lead substitute. 12 ounces goes in to a 30 gallon tank. cost was $3.49. made by cd-2 company of chicago, illinois.