The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop fuel for original 216

Hey, i'm still running my original 216 on todays gas. Looing for what people are doing to keep things happy inside. I'm wondering who is using a lead additive or how they are handling today's blended gas.

these engines have such low compression it won't matter much, but when they go bad just get new valve seats. that is the cost of living in modern society.

If you're not working the engine hard you'll never have a problem using unleaded fuel. And by hard I mean hard, not just driving at highway speed. Lead wasn't added to fuel until the '20s. I've read/heard of far more issues arising from installing hardened seats improperly than from engines failing from using unleaded fuel. IMHO running unleaded is a non issue.

It might be a good idea to use gas with no ethonol. Go to Pure-gas.org and click on your state. It will give u a list of all the gas stations in your area that sell the "pure" gas. The biggest problems with the ethonol gas happens when the fuel sits for a while. Most of these old trucks do sit and therefore the problems.

Its not a issue for me, mine sets for weeks and this past winter set for four months with out being run. It fired right up, runs great and I know the fuel is from last October when I filled.
I have only one short section of rubber line which I check when under the hood. Valves are no worry either, a hard working engine is one pulling a load of rock, with the throttle wide open for the entire trip, thats not mine....

I read some where that the old engines have enough lead pounded into the seats to last a life time.

Joe

I add some Marvel Mystery Oil once in the while. Its been around for years and I have never heard of it causing any problems. Don

I use lead substitute and fuel stabilizer in my old cars. I don't know that the lead substitute really helps, but I figure it doesn't hurt. The fuel stabilizer is a must if you let it sit for weeks or months.