Fuel Additive for 1986 City x model

[mullins]

I have just bought a 1986 C reg Maestro City x. Can anybody tell me which unleaded petrol i can use, which additive to put in and how much, and where I can buy it from.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I know of only one garage in my area that is still selling LRP!
cheers
mullins

[SimonR]

Hi there,

Take a look at this thread:

http://www.maestro.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=761&highlight=valvemaster

I've just completed 8,000 miles on Optimax with either Valvemaster or the Shell-branded additive. Still running very well, too.

Although you don't have an R-Series engine the information still applies.

Simon R.

PS Er, Dan, perhaps this is another one to add to the FAQ?!

[e692wtt]

In my Monty 1.6L (1988 model year so needs Leaded petrol...), I use a 'Super Plus' petrol (generally Shell Optimax, but also Texaco Super Plus or BP Ultimate - depends what's available) with Millers' Superblend Zero Lead 2000 (costs a fiver to treat 150 litres of petrol, but doesn't contain an Octane Booster).

I've used this additive with both 'premium' and 'Super Plus' petrols since 2000 and covered about 40,000 miles in that time. I use this additive because it's dead easy for me, personally, to get hold of locally (and also the bottle has a built-in dispenser) - but any 'Lead Replacement Fuel Additive' with the FBHVC (Federation of British Historic vehicle Clubs) 'mark of approval' will be fine. The bottles with a built-in dispenser are more convenient to use ;) .

I did also use 'Red Line Lead Substitute' (also has the FHBVC 'mark of approval') but I had to order that by post and it was messy to use (you measure it out in capfuls... and the cap holds about 5ml :banghead: thankfully I didn't drop the cap into the tank...) - I used it for around 10,000 miles before I started on the Superblend.

The FBHVC did the tests to give these products approval because the Government didn't see fit to give Unleaded Additives, or indeed LRP (Lead Replacement Petrol) a British Standard to certify it as fit for its purpose... The FBHVC Tests were independently carried out (not by the FBHVC, they just arranged for the tests to be commissioned), by the way, and the Manufacturers had to pay to have their products tested. Lots of manufacturers didn't therefore get their products tested but cried "FOUL!!!" instead.

And I know that one major manufacturer who didn't get approval (I don't believe they put their product up for testing in the first place, anyway) have been successfully prosecuted by a Trading Standards section of a British Council for selling goods unfit for their purpose (ie their 'leaded additive' didn't protect against valve seat recession). I think I'd get shot if I named names at this point though ;) .

To be fair though, plenty of people on here have used LRP without problems. :)


I also use the same Combination of 'Super Plus' petrol and Millers' Superblend Zero Lead 2000 in my early Maestro Vanden Plas (with the early R-series 1600 engine) but have only done about 1200 miles on this combination so far - but he seems happy enough... :laugh:

PPS - definitely one for a stickie in FAQ?

[Tupadre]

You can use Tetraboost.

http://www.tetraboost.com

[mullins]

Thanks fellas.

[Tupadre]

You're welcome fella.

[MagnumForce]

So is there any difference in using Shell Optimax with Castrol Valvemaster, as opposed to ordinary octane Shell unleaded with Valvemaster+ (the one with the octane booster)?

[SimonR]

So is there any difference in using Shell Optimax with Castrol Valvemaster, as opposed to ordinary octane Shell unleaded with Valvemaster+ (the one with the octane booster)?


Yeah, I've wondered that myself. The only difference I can come up with is that Shell claim that Optimax has detergents which clean the engine. I don't know whether this is just a gimmick but I'd think normal unleaded+octane-boosting additive would be good enough!

[MaestroMatt]

I am not convinced that the octane booser would become well enough mixed in with the petrol for it to perform in the same way it does with a petrol that is 97 RON anyway like Optimax. I am not convinced about the cleansing nature of Optimax either but I do think that it is a better class of petrol and worth the premium I pay for it which is only a few pence per litre.

[MagnumForce]

Well I decided to try my Montego on ordinary Shell unleaded and Valvemaster+ for the Octane booster, and it's pinking like anything.

So I guess the practical experience is stick to Optimax!

[E_T_V]

To adjust the timing to run on "diet" unleaded you need to change the timing by 4 degrees usually. I can never remember if you advance or retard it but it should be fairly obvious when you are adjusting it.

[Beaker]

Isn't the City X a 1.3? Wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run, to put a unleaded head on the car if it is?