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Lead was eliminated from gasoline for two reasons: 1) It quickly "poisons" catalytic convertors rendering them useless; 2) it is an atmospheric toxin, and obviously lead in gasoline ends up in the atmosphere.
It is good for your Saab if hardened valve seats have not been installed. That's the only Pro. Any good machine shop can install them when the heads are off.
Con, while it's not a problem for the V4 catalyst because there is none, it is still an atmospheric toxin that's bad for you, your kids, and everything that's alive. Some quick information here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clair_Cameron_Patterson#Campaign_against_lead_poisoning. And it costs money which may add up if you use it consistently. And for all I know different products may vary widely in their effectiveness and cost, and you will be hard pressed to know if it is actually doing any good. Additive utility will vary widely with driving pattern and specific engine design and metallurgy. And hey, do you know that your engine doesn't already have hardened seats?
There was widespread panic when lead was removed from gas that every engine without hardened seats would be instantly ruined. Didn't happen. Most people have never had a problem. In 30+ years of mechanicing I have seen exactly one engine that suffered this syndrome.
My suggestion is to let it ride, keep your valves adjusted, and get the heads properly modified when you have to. You may well need to pull the engine for other causes before the valve seats go south.
posted by 75.147.23...
, Sat, 14 Jul 2012 14:39:30
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