leaded or unleaded????

....and a '78 260 ???.....Dave Jarman told me to put that expensive unleaded in....the bloke I bought it off told me to use cheapo unleaded WITH an additive....ooo dear here we go again.....

Simon.
 
Hi,
One word!.....OPTIMAX!.....costs more, but is better for your engine, higher octane and you get more mpg to help offset the extra cost!
You wouldn't use cheap oil in your baby, so why use cheap petrol?....
Cheerz,
JEZ
 
Hi,
Yes it's SHELL!:D ....I have been using Sainsbury's Super Unleaded occasionally, but I always prefer to use Optimax if I can, as I don't like supermarket fuel.
It's rated at 98 octane, so your engine will run ok without any adjustment and you won't get any pinking under load, which you can get with 95 unleaded.
My car will run ok on unleaded, but the performance seems reduced and the additives in Optimax are meant to clean your engine too.
Unless your car is a high mileage daily driver, then the higher cost of optimax, combined with the better mpg, shouldn't make much difference.
Cheerz,
JEZ
 
Optimax is great if your engine needs the extra octane, otherwise Super unleaded is fine (the BP Ultimate is good). All heads from '77 on should be unleaded compatible, but some will need the octane advantage of Super or Optimax.

NO LRP!!!!!!!! Soon be gone anyway - good riddance!
 
sorry!!!!! its an N42 head, not n47, please accept my apologies...


that'll still take unleaded ok yeah?
 
Safest way to check is to see what the intake valve seats are made off. If they're brass or bronze (can never remember but basically goldish in colour) then the head isn't strictly suitable for unleaded. If they're steel then you're sorted.

Having said that I run my E88 head on unleaded - either optimax or BP ultimate - and it's been fine.

The attached pic is an E88 with brass seats for reference.

Cheers,
Rob
 

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Yeah,cas n47 head look,s like the 'elephant man'....god I,ve got to go. just had a trunkated call............Dj'head 60.
 
All heads from '77 on should be unleaded compatible
Click to expand...

This will include the later N42 heads.


Millers VSP provides excellent lead replacement properties AND an octane boost for non-compatible heads. Almost all heads will have had some valve / seat work by now, so impossible to know exactly what you have in a 240Z or early 260Z without strip down.
 
so wait, I am a bit fuzzy.

I have N42 head on 1979 280ZX

so is it a late N42 head and thus unleaded as per Mr F?

or are all N42 heads leaded as per Mr Brook?

or everything after 1977 unleaded as per Mr Brook also?

very confused now :rolleyes:
 
Chiefbrody: Most N42 heads are leaded. N42 ran 1975/76. Yours being a 1979 should by rights be a N47 so I'd suggest it's been changed at some stage. Check out the valve seats to see if they are bronze or steel, chances are they've been changed to steel as the bronze seats tend to sink over the years.
 
You all seem to be making heavy weather out of wot is a very simple subject.
IN BRITAIN the 280ZX arrived in 1979 and continued till 83.
This car had 2 engine variations. Mk 1 cars and Mk 2. Mk1 cars had a N42 head and dished pistons. Mk2 cars had P90 head with flat top pistons. ALL 280ZX cars in Britain were unleaded compatible from new. Virtually 100% of 280 engines in wot ever Zed they are now in will have been sourced from these cars.
We never had the 1975 to 77 or the 77-78 280Z in this country so there will be virtually no engines lurking around the UK from them(bar the odd import or two). so they can be discounted.
The N47 is I believe a NapsZ emissions head that ran from 1980 on some cars for export markets and it too is unleaded compatible
 
Originally posted by pmac
You all seem to be making heavy weather out of wot is a very simple subject.
IN BRITAIN the 280ZX arrived in 1979 and continued till 83.
This car had 2 engine variations. Mk 1 cars and Mk 2. Mk1 cars had a N42 head and dished pistons. Mk2 cars had P90 head with flat top pistons. ALL 280ZX cars in Britain were unleaded compatible from new. Virtually 100% of 280 engines in wot ever Zed they are now in will have been sourced from these cars.
We never had the 1975 to 77 or the 77-78 280Z in this country so there will be virtually no engines lurking around the UK from them(bar the odd import or two). so they can be discounted.
The N47 is I believe a NapsZ emissions head that ran from 1980 on some cars for export markets and it too is unleaded compatibleQUOTE]

well sooooory

excuse me for not being an expert on the subject after just one week of ownership :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
It is O.K. to be confused - when unleaded fuel was introduced in the '80s, even Nissan didn't know what to advise! Their poster would have originally placed 1977 and 1978 260Zs as unleaded compatible, 280ZXs as compatible with an ignition retard (no super unleaded available originally) and Z31 Turbo as requiring leaded. The problem was clouded by the octane requirement of these different engines - in reality, for the U.K. market, all these cars are unleaded compatible, but some need an octane boost offered by Super unleaded or Shell Optimax.
 
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