About Green lead free petrol?

[jayjay]

Hi - another q for anyone who knows... Just bought a Bedford Rascal pickup with demountable Romahome atop, F reg, so 20 years old.

Was thinking earlier - I used to have an old fiesta car (or should I say rustbucket) and I had to use Red-X now and again after we could no longer buy red (leaded) petrol.

I've filled the van with green cheap petrol and it seems ok, but should I add a bit of Red-x or something similar now and again?

Thanks, JayJay

[martinw]

Hi Jayjay,

Red-X wont hurt, but what you probably need is a lead replacement fluid if your engine has not been converted to lead free.
Conversion usually requires that the ignition timing is retarded, but some engines require other mods.

You need to aske someone who is conversant with the Bedford Rascal, I'm not, sorry. HTH

Martin

[jayjay]

Thanks for your reply, Martin. I have no idea whether it's converted, been converted or is ok like it is!! However the garage are coming to fetch it tomorrow to fit a new fuel pump, so I'll ask them! It seems ok running on green tho - no fitting or starting at any rate, and that's with the old and very worn-out old fuel pump!

[ant]

Hi Jayjay.
All commercial petrol engines were made to run on 2 star petrol from the mid 80's, so your rascal will need no real adjustments to run on unleaded and most of those Japanese engines ( it's a Suzuki engine) were far more advanced than the European ones with regard to hardened valve seats which are required for unleaded petrol. So as Martin has said a bit of fuel additive every now and again will do no harm but i doubt you need do anything.
Ant

[martinw]

Hi Ant,

Thanks for the info., its nice to know these thing for future ref.

Martin

[jayjay]

Hi and thanks for the advice! It does seem ok, and the garage have had it in to fit a new fuel pump today and said it was ok on green for exactly the same reasons you said, Ant! ;D ;D

By the way - it's a D REG, doh.... not an F like I said in the original post.

£110 for a new fuel pump, but they fixed the stabilizer legs as well, apparantly! I wasn't in when they dropped if off, so they're calling in tonight to tell me what they have done to it!!

Nuther quick q - the manual says the tyre pressures should be 25 at the front and 36 at the back, but these pressures are for 'vehicle in a fully laden condition'. But it doesn't say what pressures you should have in an unladen van - would there be much difference?

See, told you I didn't know nuffin'!!

...and now I have no excuses not to go out driving in it!

[ant]

Hi Jayjay.
Run the van as if it were fully laden at first, if you're like most of my Romahome customers you'll carry all sorts of stuff that might come in handy one day and there wont be much spare carrying capacity left! If you find the vehicle bounces and is very twitchy on the road let some air out of the tyres and try again.
Ant

[jayjay]

Thanks, Ant, I'll remember that advice. It seemed really roomy until I started packing! ;D