Petrol additive or not?

[jacktherev]

Hi all
I bought a 1986 Renault 4GTL and would like to know if I need to add anything to the petrol or is it safe to drive on unleaded. If I need to add something, what is it and how much? You can tell I'm not very technical minded but I just love the Renault 4. My very first car was a renault 4L away back in 1965.
Thanks for your help.

Jack the Rev

 

[Cornish4]

Hello Jack, check out Technical Help and Tips, section there on fuel additives. Regards Brian.

 

[jacktherev]

Cornish4 had a look in Technical Help and Tips but couldn't find anything. As I'm new to here maybe I could not find it.

Jack the Rev

 

[jjad]

Hello Jack,

the Search facility on this forum is really useful and often the best place to get started. I searched for 'additive' and a number of threads came up. Try doing that and see how you get on. I found that this thread and the threads leading off it were helpful.

Hope that helps!

 

[mike4gtl]

no need its an ally head thus meaning it already has valve seat inserts fitted.

 

[pepper]

I'm of the opposite camp, I know it has an alloy head but the seats they put in them weren't up to the unleaded standard, so I use an additive to help prevent any problems, I do tend to drive my cars hard so I like the comfort of the additive being there.

Funnily enough my daughter was shocked how quick my 4 when trying to follow me in her 140Bhp Ford S-Max diesel!

 

[Azazello]

I do not find castrol valvemaster in Italy...
Castrol local shop advised me an Arexon lead replacement, without octane booster...
I think I will try an english vendor on ebay first... 20 euros delivered... quite a lot...
In the meanwhile, I am tempted from a gpl conversion... There is some government contribute, so I will pay it 750 euros...
Petrol is running up... 1,5 euros per liter, today...

 

[Cornish4]

All I can say is, when I bought our 83 GTL from Derek at Renospeed, he advised me to use a lead replacement/octane boost product like Castrol Valvemaster, for prolonged hard driving such as motorways and also to UP the fuel octane as the 4 engine runs better at a higher octane. Hope this helps you Jack.:smile:

 

[mike4gtl]

Perhaps as Cornish says maybe but i recondition cylinder heads and blocks every day and we have never had trouble with Renault 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 etc

 

[Cornish4]

Fair comment Mike.

 

[jacktherev]

Folks,
Thanks so much for all your contributions and I've decided I'll use additive when I will be doing motorway driving.

Jack the Rev