valve seats and modern fuel

[randys46]

Just a quick question on any problems with running our new unleaded with an original flathead. lead substitute?

[blucar]

Generally speaking, if the valves in your engine are in good shape there is no need to use a lead substitute in the fuel.
Ford used hardened seats in the flat head engines starting in the mid '30's, continuing until the 49-53 8BA/8CM engines, because of the poor quality of the general fuel supply, especially in rural areas..
Some people have a different spin on this subject, however, the facts of the matter are that even on an engine that does not have hardened seats, it would take over 40k for serious damage to occur.

[rotorwrench]

In 1952, FoMoCo started phasing out the Stellite seats in the intake pockets. I think by the end of production, they had ended up with no hardened seats in either pocket. Fuel was of better quality by that time and they were determined to be unnecessary for replacement engines on low production basis.

[rick r]

have put about 75000 miles on my 8ba. about 25000of that on the original valves and the rest on stainless chev valves. no valve problems

[51 MERC-CT]

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Originally Posted by randys46

Just a quick question on any problems with running our new unleaded with an original flathead. lead substitute?

There's nothing new about unleaded fuel, we used to run Amoco unleaded in our flatheads back in the 50's and never had a valve problem. Still running unleaded ( but not by choice ) and after thousands of miles there still isn't any problem.