Analysis of cylinder head deposition.

[JDaniel64]

Several people have probably torn down a few older engines to discover whitish-brown deposits on the valves, cylinder head, pistons, and inside exhaust manifolds . Some of the engines I have torn down... a '49 ford V8, '49 dodge I6, '67 ford 352 V8, and yesterday a '68 ford 289 V8 have all shown this cement-like stuff. Today I decided to take a sample from my freshly dis-assembled 289 and test it (for those interested, the testing machine was a Bruker XRF):

 

Sample locations include exhaust valves, general combustion chamber, and piston tops (not shown):

 

 

 

Here is a picture of the results and sample used:

 

70.8% of the sample was lead, so (70.8/77.2)*100 = 91.7% of the powder was lead based compounds...probably most in the oxide/carbonate form. Interesting to see Bromine and Chlorine as the next most prevalent components in the analysis, since they were used as lead scavenging agents (1,2-Dibromomethane & 1,2- Dichloromethane) in leaded fuel.

Might be a good thing to wear a dust mask while cleaning vintage engine parts that were in use during TEL's heyday. Just if anyone had been wondering about the stuff, I was sure curious about it.

Edited August 27, 2014 by JDaniel64

[Niel Hoback]

Wow! Thanks, I think we all needed to see that.

[TodFitch]

Yep. Leaded gasoline was nasty stuff. And to keep the lead deposits to a minimum they used some nasty stuff to scavenge it.

 

I know the first engine I maintained after non-leaded fuel became the standard impressed me on how long the plugs lasted, how much less gray deposit I found in the valve galleries, etc. Converted me to wanting to use unleaded gas for everything.

 

Which is one reason I have such a negative reaction now, decades later, when someone is adamant about finding lead additive for gasoline.

[BigDaddyO]

Thank you Mr Thomas Midgley Jr.

[Don Coatney]

For a very interesting article follow the link below. Seems Thomas Midgley JR. was hell bent on destructive inventions that eventually cost him his life by strangulation.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley,_Jr.

[BigDaddyO]

Hell of a legacy;

Midgley "had more (negative) impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history."

[BigDaddyO]

There was a TV show that did a history lesson on Mr Midgley a while back.

I can't find it but it was on some dark sounding TV series and it was very informative.

Even if I could find it, I can't post a link like Don and all you cool guy's can.

Edited August 29, 2014 by BigDaddyO

[BigDaddyO]

I also cant delete some stuff either, like that last attached file...sorry about the title of that last post/link.

 

 

Thanks Tod

Edited August 29, 2014 by BigDaddyO