I am sure someone ( everyone else ) will know, but how can I tell if my moggie takes unleaded. The previous owner is in Egypt for a coule of weeks ( lucky bleeder ) , and I think I might need fuel before then !!
It won't do any harm to use unleaded until you find out if the cylinder head has been converted (ie has hardened valve seats etc.). If it hasn't been converted you should start to use an additive such as Castrol Valvemaster.
The only way I know of telling for sure is to take the head off and see if there are hardened valve seat inserts in it. Like Vernon says, you'll be fine running it on unleaded till the guy who knows gets back
Don't worry! It will run for years on unleaded fuel - even if it hasn't been converted.
Unless you do high milages, prolonged high speed, are unlucky, have a nearly worn out head anyway.... etc, etc.
Of course, you might be one of the lucky ones who runs it on unleaded for 'years' without a problem. Because as we all know, the plural of anecdote is evidence.
However, for the amount of time you're talking about is fine and running on unleaded for a few weeks won't do you any (or the car ;) ) any harm
Pyoor Kate The Electric Minor Project
The Current Fleet:
1969 Morris 'thou, 4 Door. 2010 Mitsubishi iMiEV. 1920s BSA Pushbike. 1930s Raleigh pushbike.
The Ex-Fleet:
1974 & 1975 Daf 44s, 1975 Enfield 8000 EV, 1989 Yugo 45, 1981 Golf Mk1, 1971 Vauxhall Viva, 1989 MZ ETZ 125, 1989 Volvo Vario 340, 1990, 1996 & 1997 MZ/Kanuni ETZ 251s
Desires:
Trabant 601, Tatra T603, Series II Landy, Moskvitch-401, Vincent HRD Black Shadow, Huge garage, Job in Washington State.
But the worst that can happen anyway is that the head then gets cahnged for an unleaded one ! It's not the end of the World.
Unless, say, you use your car as your main car - and suddenly you're without it for several days.
Or unless someone's like me, and survives on a very narrow budget line, and suddenly requiring spending 150 odd quid on a new head (plus gaskets, plus coolant, plus - if they're not mechanically competant - labour and garage charges) is not something they can easily afford, wheras a few quid for a bottle of Castrol Valvoline every couple of months will prevent that from being a necessity.
It *can* be the end of the world, or the end of someone's employment if they suddenly lose their car.
Pyoor Kate The Electric Minor Project
The Current Fleet:
1969 Morris 'thou, 4 Door. 2010 Mitsubishi iMiEV. 1920s BSA Pushbike. 1930s Raleigh pushbike.
The Ex-Fleet:
1974 & 1975 Daf 44s, 1975 Enfield 8000 EV, 1989 Yugo 45, 1981 Golf Mk1, 1971 Vauxhall Viva, 1989 MZ ETZ 125, 1989 Volvo Vario 340, 1990, 1996 & 1997 MZ/Kanuni ETZ 251s
Desires:
Trabant 601, Tatra T603, Series II Landy, Moskvitch-401, Vincent HRD Black Shadow, Huge garage, Job in Washington State.
Onne van der S. MMOCno 60520 Moderator
2dr 1971 White DAF 55 (with hopefully a 1600cc engine soon)
2dr 1973 Bergina (DAF 44)
2dr Estate 1975 DAF 46 in red
2dr saloon 1972 DAF 44 in Mimosa
Well the valve gaps will close up first - which is the early warning sign of trouble ahead. And replacement heads are available very cheaply indeed on ebay - indeed I urge everyone to get a spare 'in stock' anyway. And it's only an hour or two at worst to change the head - I have done it at the side of the road! Believe me - my classic cars are run on a very restricted budget! Hence all my 'don't spend big money - do it the low cost way' tips which are often not well received on here !
Bmceccosse says
And it's only an hour or two at worst to change the head - I have done it at the side of the road!
Wow! I thought my tool box is big, but I can't fit in a spare head. Hey, just a thought - the duff one you took off wasn't the one you flogged me, was it? MikeN.
Morris Minor, the car of the future. One day they will all look like this!
Err NO Mike ! I have never used the head you got - have you fitted it yet ? Plenty time to get it done before lunch!! In fact I had to change a head gasket at the side of the road - and only using the hand tools I had in the car - and wearing a business suit too! I had no sockets/ratchets - just a very few ring/open spanners - and I had to walk a mile into town to buy a gasket and then back to the car again. I now carry a spare gasket and a spare head with me wherever I go - the head fits in up in front of the spare wheel. Theorey is - if I have the parts with me I won't need them - it's worked for 6 years now.
Cor,Bmceccosse you carry a spare head? Complete with valves and rockers, I hope! I'll fit the one you sold me in the next few months to see how long an unconverted one lasts with freshly ground valves. The current unconverted head's done 42k miles without additives and is still going strong. (I'm trying not to appear smug. That hurt, Mr Cam!) Its not that I doubt the excellent work done by FBHVC on valve recression but I've worked on enough trials, run enough models and interviewed enough people to know that its extremely difficult to duplicate the Real World. When you've done 5, 10 or 100 trials (if you're v lucky!) you apply your results to the Real World where the Big Trial begins. And where you'll see unexpected early failures and a few rare lucky ones that go on for ever. This applies to medicine, engineering, whatever. (And sometimes its all a horrible disaster, eg Thalidomide.) I'm surprised if I've been lucky with my valves - its possible, but I can find no reason why.
Kate says that the plural of anecdote is evidence hinting of course, that its the reverse. But if anecdote (which fills this site on every subject) is a short narrative of an incident of private life (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary) is this not precisely what the police gather from witnesses to build a case? Their evidence then tested in a trial,which is what I'll do in own limited way.
Finally, I know when we give advice we do so in good faith, but there is a financial priority in these things too. Obviously when you depend on your Morris for your job its got to be set up to be reasonably reliable - especially if your not gifted in roadside maintenance! But when I was a eager teenager I was v poor and also rather rash. Go far and go fast was the style, and the engine was top priority, the rest got any time and money that was left. (Pre MOT of course!) Older and wiser, the conversion of the head is now low priority behind steering, brakes, etc. The former you can live with, especially if you have a degree of sensitivity to the running of an engine. Indeed, like others I've been willing my cylinder head to die to get an excuse to improve it! Regards to all, hoping I've not niggled anyone, MikeN.
Morris Minor, the car of the future. One day they will all look like this!
Onne van der S. MMOCno 60520 Moderator
2dr 1971 White DAF 55 (with hopefully a 1600cc engine soon)
2dr 1973 Bergina (DAF 44)
2dr Estate 1975 DAF 46 in red
2dr saloon 1972 DAF 44 in Mimosa
I managed to change mine in half a day with the help of a manual. If I can do it, anyone can.
(I found regular deep breaths and saying Ommm every now and again helped
First things first, but not necessarily in that order.
I am sure someone ( everyone else ) will know, but how can I tell if my moggie takes unleaded. The previous owner is in Egypt for a coule of weeks ( lucky bleeder ) , and I think I might need fuel before then !!
Actually Mike it was not aimed at you, but if the cap fits... 
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