Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi has anyone converted a cylinder head them selves for lead free petrol by fitting their own harden valves and valve guides and if so how difficult a job was it.
Jimmy

well, I presume you have to machine out the head and press fit some hardened seats, cut new seats, lap in the valves, press the guides out and press new ones in (if you want to go with bronze quides).

Sounds like you need
a) a small machine shop
b) time
c) patience

Why not just buy one, or buy that castrol lead replacement stuff?
Andrew

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Hi Andrew 2 out fo 3 is not bad like I said I was only asking, I thought it was going to too big a job for the average diy home mechanic but if it could have been done then this was the place to ask.
Thanks for your answer.
Jimmy

Unless you are planning huge mileages - don't bother ! The car will do many thousands of miles on unleaded fuel without any probs - put in the additive - or use Sainsbury 4 star - if it really bothers you.

Hi bmc I was just curious thats all and my nearist sainsburys is over 70 odd miles away anyway and in any case this year I've only manage just over a hundred miles since June 05 so I don't think I will lose any sleep just yet. not got round to doing anything yet with the 1098 transplant cylinder head onto the 948.

I used my last head (12g295) for 6 years - about 3000 hard miles each year - on unleaded petrol with no additives. I only took it off to fit an even bigger valve head - and the one that came off is fine !

bmcecosse wrote:-snip- or use Sainsbury 4 star - if it really bothers you.

Funny you should mention that, but Sainsburys 4-start keeps my Traveller happy! He seems to run better and smoother on the Sainsburys stuff. Good job I get my food from there too!

Maybe Sainsburys also do a £2 gallon of 20w50, and it actually has a SF rating?;)

jtd.75 wrote:Hi has anyone converted a cylinder head them selves for lead free petrol by fitting their own harden valves and valve guides and if so how difficult a job was it.
Jimmy

It's the seats that have to have inserts put in them as well which is really a machine shop job unless you have a good pillar drill and the right tool, which MAY just get the job done. But by the time you have paid for the parts, it is cheaper to just buy an exchange head.

As wisely stated above, a proper additive is just as good, Millers works very well.

I ran a 1098 head on LRP and that killed it in less than 2000 miles, (I reconned the head first so I know it was OK), so I wouldn't use unleaded to be honest and expect relaible results. Lead memory only lasts for 5-10K miles according to the AA, so fine for 2-3k a year gentle motoring, not so good for a daily driver or motorway use, which is very hard on the heads - that's what killed my 1098 head.

Thanks all topic now closed I was only asking, because all the jobs that the forum members undertake never cease to amaze me.

-snip-
I ran a 1098 head on LRP and that killed it in less than 2000 miles, (I reconned the head first so I know it was OK), so I wouldn't use unleaded to be honest and expect relaible results. Lead memory only lasts for 5-10K miles according to the AA, so fine for 2-3k a year gentle motoring, not so good for a daily driver or motorway use, which is very hard on the heads - that's what killed my 1098 head.[/quote]

REALLY???? I'm surprised. I've done nearly 30,000 miles in my Traveller as a daily driver on LRP (and occasionally unleaded with an additive, or not) and all I've had to do to the head was replace a (very slightly) burnt exhaust valve this year. The seats did not even need that much grinding in to get a good seal. (all chambers held parrafin overnight).

That head on your car must have been knackered anyway to begin with- my car is used in traffic and has been on the motorway at 60-70mph quite a lot as well. I do look after it, though and don't thrash it.

eastona wrote:=Why not just buy one, or buy that castrol lead replacement stuff?
Andrew

I use an additif, its cheap and I dont even use one per tank.. if thats any good for the car I dont know

yes, I have to say, when I run out I sometimes forget to buy more for a while and go a couple of tanks without putting any in.

Andrew