Where to buy TetraBoost lead replacement additive?

Christopher,

I d>> >>

I did, Chris, and I'm very surprised that it is allowed, but having also seen the claimed no of octane points you can gain, it must be very weak indeed.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Hi folks,

I want to buy a bottle of TetraBoost lead replacement additive. Apparently this stuff is real tetra-ethyl lead:

The problem is, they only sell it in boxes of 8 x 945 ml bottles. As I'm only going to be using it for my stationary engine and lawnmower, it would be a silly amount to buy.

Does anyone know of a source which sells single bottles? Or would anyone like to split a box four or eight ways? I would be willing to order the box and divide it up at no profit, but I suspect this stuff may be forbidden to post.

Any thoughts?

Many thanks,

Chris

Simply because the real stuff is likely to give good protection and performance. I don't know what's in the other stuff. It could be Ribena for all I know!

It is real tetra-ethyl lead. Check out the link I posted.

Chris

I thought there was a time when all petrol had lead added to it, though I don't know for sure. It would be before my time. My stationary engines are wartime designs and the mower engine was designed around 1920.

It isn't the octane rating I'm concerned about. It's the possibility of valve seat erosion. However, I found this document online which suggests that leaded petrol increases ring and bore wear:

Anyone know if it's true?

If so, are there any better additives which protect the valve seats without increasing bore wear?

Many thanks,

Chris

Apparently it enables you to make leaded petrol to BS 4040.

Chris

Found a study with much more detail. Will read it tomorrow. Need sleep now:

Chris

You can buy leaded petrol, 119 octane if you wish!

But as has previously been pointed out your lawnmower and stationary engine do not need it. Both are likely to be so understressed that valve seat recession will be of no concern.

Julian.

The advantages of TetraEthyle Lead in petrol were discovered in in US in1922 so your 1920's lawnmower was designed for lead free fuel. As a rough rule of thumb, car's built pre WWII were designed for unleaded fuel. The problem only arises with engines designed and built in the 50's to 70's. As for our stationary engines, even those from that era tend to be low compression, low power units that we only run for a few hours a year. At that, even valve seat regression will take decades to appear if it ever does.

John

Yes, long after the interesting small engines!

Look up Ethyl Corporation, S D Heron and Sir Harry Ricardo.

Sam Heron had a couple of good technical books, one which he wrote himself, the other he co-authored with a guy called Robert Schlaifer and is one of the most interesting books on aircraft piston engine development that I have read:

Development of Aircraft Engines & Fuels Schlaifer & Heron Harvard University 1950

The book is in two parts, engines followed by fuels.

Currently, copies are going at $US 485.00 to $US 595.00 on

History of the Aircraft Piston Engine S D Heron Ethyl Corporation

Similarly elevated prices I'm afraid.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Wont bother with them then :-))

You can borrow mine if you want to have a read.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Coming late to the conversation, I'd mildly observe that the intent was to raise the pre-ignition point in aviation fuels & that reduced seat erosion was only an observed by product. It was only ever important in highly tuned engines AND automotive units designed to take advantage of the lubricating properties of TEL.

I understand that the "petrol" we run engines on today only bears a passing chemical resemblance to the 80-90 octane stuff in use in pre-war years.

I recommend the book " I Kept no Diary" by F.R. Banks. He was a fuel chemist & worked on the "R" engined racing sea planes. I got mine a year or two ago from a Dutch specialist interest dealer for a tad over a tenner.

regards,

Kim Siddorn

The petrol we run on today only bears a passing resemblance to the stuff we used 10 years ago!

I find modern stuff horrid, If I don't drain the mowers etc dry before winter then you have a devil of a job to get 'em going again. I think it's the shelf life or something, about two months at best :-(

Julian.

I think it still makes sense to protect the valve seats as best as I can. The mower is going to see a lot more use than the stationary engine. I will probably be using it for a few hours a week.

Best wishes,

Chris

I only use my bikes occasionally now & it might be months between starts. I never have any trouble starting either the Honda XBR500 on the pedal commencer or the BMW K1100LT on the button regardless of the age of the go-juice in the tank. It is of course possible that these fairly sophisticated modern(ish) engines have higher compression ratios than the mower etc & a bang is more likely with a higher voltage of spark conjured up by electronic ignition.

Just a thought ..........

regards,

Kim Siddorn

Cheap! That book's damned rare.

Also worth reading is the copy of the 1960's Aeronautical Journal that's on my desk waiting to be scanned and added to the wikipedia article on the High Speed Flight (there's some good wiki content around on the R, the Schneieder et al). It's only a couple of pages but it's a good overview by Banks of how the 1931 Schneider trophy was so largely a last-minute re-run of the 1929 entry, unchanged except for fuel chemistry and the resultant ability to crank the boost up.

Not 'that' rare, I found eight copies starting at just over a fiver plus postage.....

Full title:

I Kept No Diary : 60 Years with Marine Diesels, Automobile and Aero Engines.(An Autobiography)

One of which I bought, mainly on Kimbo's recommendation, we share a lot of such interests :-))

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@prepair.co.uk