Lack of 4 Star Petrol

[alanworland]

I have a filling station not too far away which sell proper 4 star, but for the last couple of months or so they haven't had any, and reading the article in Practical Classics this may be the end of it!
Do any of you sidevalvers use an additive? I have a bottle of Castrol Valvemaster ready, but have so far not had to use it.

[mike.perry]

I have an unleaded side valve in my MM so I run it on unleaded but my traveller still has a 1275 leaded engine in which I use Valvemaster. Just had the head off and there don't seem to be any problems although the mileage is not too high. I figure when the valves burn out then I'll change the head.
I dread to think of the price of 4 star. Maybe we will be having virtual rallies on the website.

[alanworland]

Unleaded sidevalve? I thought there was a problem of the insert running into nearby waterways? Is it a special (small) insert
There used to be companies which travelled to your home to carry out an in situ rebore, are they still about and do they bore out for insert fitting?

[alex_holden]

TetraBOOST is supposed to be the 'best' additive because it has actual tetra-ethyl lead in it.

[Onne]

My sidevalve is unleaded (stainless inserts, hardened valves)

Not that it has ever run (yet)

[alanworland]

Tetraboost may be the real thing, but I dont need £135 worth of it!

[mike.perry]

My sidevalve was no.1 of two unleaded engines built up by Alan Scott, formally of MGM, in conjunction with research carried out by Graham Holt.
It was built as a demonstrator to test the viability of the project. Unfortunately Alan Scott had a change of career and the project got no further. The engine was however a success.

[alanworland]

I take it nobody else has had inserts/new valves fitted?