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Farmall H ...Lead additive???

M

muppet

New User
Hi,

I have a 1942 Farmall H, simple question...
Should I be adding lead additive to the unleaded gasoline that I have been running in the tractor? I haven't been adding anything, and it seems to do just fine, I was just wondering if could cause problems.

Thanks!
 
Maybe in 30 years, but check the archives, nobody really thinks it's that important, but if you think you should, then by all means go ahead.
 
I dont forsee it will cause any obeservable problem in the next few years in that relatively low hour use, low RPM, low compression engine with relativley low strength valve springs lol

Nowwwwwwww if it were a high performance engine running under high compression at extreme high RPM with heavy duty valve springs and a radical cam grind and it DID NOT have hardened valves n seats, wellllllllll perhaps then Id use it.

Its your tractor and your money so its your call, however.

John T
 

Farmall Hs have been running on un-leaded fuel with NO additives for at least 40 years now with no damage to the engine. Save your money. Spend it on toys for your tractor.
 
The general consensus, at least to my eyes, is that any so-called "lead additive" is nothing more than snake oil.

You'll get all sorts of recommendations of different cocktails to add to your gas tank to "replace" the lead... Diesel fuel. Automatic transmission fluid. Marvel mystery oil. Regular old engine oil.

People will even tell you that using high-octane fuel somehow "replaces" the lead.

None of it is true. None of these concoctions replace tetraethyl lead in the fuel. All they do is make fueling up more costly and complicated.

Now, I do have a friend whose 1976 Ford 351 Windsor V8 engine had exhaust valve seat erosion due to the lack of tetraethyl lead. It's a high-performance engine with the original cast-iron heads... Lasted 34 years. Now he's putting brand new Edelbrock heads on it.
 
I've added lead to my gas tank once and saw no gains or losses in the way my H ran. Others have said not to bother, so I've done exactly that ever since.
 
There is a rather detailed post about tetraethyl lead usage about 6 months back. You do NOT need to use lead additive. Period. Remember, a good number of the F series and Letter series tractors were dual-fuel capable. Kerosene and distillate did NOT have lead, and when using these fuels, the engines ran alot hotter.

All tetraethyl lead did was to increase the octane rating of the fuel. This was done to allow higher compression and prevent pre-ignition of the fuel/air mixture. Lead build-up on valves was a problem when lead was used in gasoline. All letter series tractors are relatively low compression, low RPM, high tourque engines. The do NOT require high octane or lead additive.

I usually will add IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) to this type of post, but in this instance, I won't. There is no "opinion" involved in this one! :wink:

Enjoy your tractor, and save your money.
 
"Lead additive" has ZERO lead in it.

It can't. Tetraethyl lead was banned from public use by the EPA. The only place it can be found in fuel is at airports, and to the best of my knowledge, it's illegal to sell this fuel for non-airplane use. You gotta know a guy to get any.

Think about that. How much good can a "lead additive" be if it doesn't have any lead in it?
 
Thanks!!
SNAKE OIL!
a15975.jpg
 
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