October 27^th, 1999                                    

No lead? No problem…

LEADED petrol disappears from Western Australia from January 1, 2000, in a move that will affect about one in four motorists. Queensland will be next in 2001 and, according to BP Amoco, all of Australia will be unleaded by 2004.

The substitute fuel for pre-1986 vehicles will be Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP), a pre-mix of unleaded fuel and chemical substitutes for lead.

"Petrol companies and governments say the change will be almost unnoticeable, but LRP has left a trail of trauma wherever it’s been sold," said Fuelstar Australia managing director Stephen Cornelius.

"Its additives are supposed to protect valves, but in Sweden in 1992, cylinder head failure went up 40 per cent and the new fuel, dosed with sodium, also caused turbochargers to disintegrate.

"In New Zealand, vehicles initially developed leaks or fires after the new unleaded brew caused gaskets to swell and fuel lines to burst. The phosphorous-based additive in New Zealand has also been shown to leave engine deposits and soot-up spark plugs.

"And in England, which also goes unleaded in January 2000, the government has admitted LRP can’t protect engines at motorway speeds.

"Sainsbury Supermarkets has also announced it won’t sell the stuff because its (Rover) test engine failed after just 30 hours, equivalent to 3500km at freeway speeds."

Mr Cornelius said the cheapest and most logical solution was to fit a Fuelstar catalyst.

"It’s a simple and proven ‘fit-and-forget’ in-line unit that introduces tin as a superior lubricant to lead," he said.

"It allows leaded engines to readily run on unleaded petrol and it also produces a catalytic reaction which gives cleaner combustion, resulting in measurable gains in power, economy and emission control—and it eliminates pinging.

"Fuelstars have been proven in six years of service in more than 30,000 vehicles in Australia and New Zealand.

They are recommended by leading engineers (including Sir Jack Brabham) and apart from everyday vehicles are used by emergency services, defence forces, competition and classic vehicles and the maritime industry.

"The units are economical, fully guaranteed, need no maintenance and last a minimum million km," Mr Cornelius said.

"The alternative is to either have expensive cylinder head modifications or take a chance with LRP."