neilw
Silver Member
Check out this explanation of the States of Lubrication
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/states%20of%20lubrication.html
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/states%20of%20lubrication.html
True or false ?
- Thread starter Sprocket1
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Hambone
Platinum Member
What about piston rings??
Junkman
Super Member
Can't compare drive axles with engines..... Engines use a babbitt bearing material and the drive axles have steel gears in them. The big thing with drive axles is that when the bearings start to throw off the hard chrome plating on the balls, that it isn't very long before some major damage is done. Magnets have their place, but it is limited. One of the best ways is to analyze the fluids that you remove. Sometimes just looking at them is all that you need to do. If it has shinny flecks in the axle lube, you have deteriorating bearings and races inside.... Magnets will show this quite well and fast to....
Junkman
Super Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What about piston rings?? )</font>
I doubt that you would ever notice the rings wearing in the normal event of engine running. If you broke a ring, it might get picked up by the magnet, but by then there would be other collateral damage also.....
I doubt that you would ever notice the rings wearing in the normal event of engine running. If you broke a ring, it might get picked up by the magnet, but by then there would be other collateral damage also.....
Junkman
Super Member
What is commonly called lead is a compound known as Tetra Ethel Lead. It was added to gasoline to improve the lubrication properties of the gasoline as it went past the valve stems on the way into the engine in an atomized form. It also protected the valve seat like a cushion when the valves opened and closed. You have to remember that the lead was added to the gasoline and that it never was a component of gasoline in its raw form. After WWII Amoco started to market a gasoline that didn't have lead added to it and it was called "White Gas". I may be off on the date, but the facts are the same. Many people believed that this white gas would not deteriorate mufflers, and was better for the engine. The opposite was true. There was a lot of valve problems with engines that just ran the white gas. Another use for the white gas was for plumbers blow torches.... It burned very hot! Hotter than leaded gasoline. Today, the lead is no longer used and the reason given is that lead causes learning disabilities in children. Maybe that is why all of us folks that were around when we had lead paint and leaded gasoline are so dumb now.... it finally caught up with us... LOL... but then I never chewed on the woodwork as a kid. Getting back to the subject..... Most cars by the 1960's had better valves and valve seats and the lead wasn't that much of a necessity. They came out with octane boosters that replaced the lead and then in the late 70's or early 80's, they tricked us again and changed the formula for determining octane. Todays high test gasoline is equivalent to the regular of the 1960's. In the 1960's we had a product that was extremely cheap called Gulftane by Gulf oil..... it was just one step up from kerosene and was the crudest of gasolines. The old folks in the old cars loved it! Back then you could keep gasoline for a few months before it went bad..... now it is a few weeks. Today, a lot of things have improved, but gasoline isn't one of them in my opinion....
bgott
Veteran Member
I believe they originally added lead to raise the octane of the gas. Higher octane= more compression= more power= better economy. Longer valve and seat life was a suprize benefit. On the subject of cheap gas, anybody remember military Mogas? I swiped a tankful for a 440 Charger I had when I was in the army and that was the worst stuff I ever tried to run! I couldn't even cut it with premium and get it to quit knocking and dieseling, I had to dump the whole tank! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
upgw
Gold Member
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Strictly to raise the octane. You can then run higher compression and more advanced timing, and get more power from the same fuel, which means higher effieciency, so you can stretch your fuel supplies. Unfortunately, all the lead in the fuel ended up in the air and into out blood streams, where it's incredibly poisonous, especially to your brain.
Prior to lead, engines only ran 6 or 7:1 compression. With lots of lead, this can become 10:1 or higher. Compression ratio is related to thermal efficiency (look at diesels with 22:1), but I don't understand how or why.
Lead might be good for the valves, but it really gums up the engine otherwise, even the oil. I think this was a big factor in why we used to change engine oil every 3000 miles and now you can easily run 7500 to 10000.
- Patrick
Prior to lead, engines only ran 6 or 7:1 compression. With lots of lead, this can become 10:1 or higher. Compression ratio is related to thermal efficiency (look at diesels with 22:1), but I don't understand how or why.
Lead might be good for the valves, but it really gums up the engine otherwise, even the oil. I think this was a big factor in why we used to change engine oil every 3000 miles and now you can easily run 7500 to 10000.
- Patrick
I have to agree with you junkman, I've been around a lot of years, and I have never heard of it being put in to raise the octane. Although I guess it did to some extent. Just in there for the valves, was what we were told in the old days. We use to run that white gas in our camp stoves, a lot cheaper than coleman fuel. A lot better than drip gas, if any of you know what that is. It didn't run to good, but it would get you there, if you mixed it with some regular gas.