THE NEED FOR TOP END LUBRICATION

For those who don't remember, lead is not found in gasoline in its normal state. It was added to the fuel so that as the fuel was burned in the cylinder, the molten lead would coat the valves, rings and cylinder walls with a flash coating. This was done to reduce wear on these various engine components and it worked. But in the late 60's lead was found to be very hazardous to the environment. For this reason the refineries stopped adding lead to the gasoline. The result was that the lubrication to the upper cylinder was greatly reduced. Auto manufacturers started producing valves and rings out of harder alloys to reduce wear and to make them last longer.

This is where the argument starts. What about all of the vintage cars that were made prior to the time that the valves, etc. were made of harder alloys. Lets say 1970 and older. Without the lubricating qualities of lead, these engines will experience premature valve wear due to increased heat and friction in the upper cylinder.

Additionally in the high compression engines produced in the late 50's and thru the 60's spark knock was a big problem. This is caused by preignition of the fuel. It sounds like a hammer hitting a piece of metal. Basically the fuel ignites before the cylinder reaches the top of its stroke. The explosion of the fuel prematurely trys to make the cylinder reverse its motion causing the "pinging" sound. If this happens for too long, serious engine damage occurs. The solution was to use higher octane leaded fuel. This fuel did not ignite as fast and consequently preignition was avoided. Getting high octane was no problem in the 1960's. It is now.

Finally, the fuel suppliers started adding alcohol ( methanol ) to the fuel to reduce the dependency on foreign oil and the use of gasoline in general. Unfortunately for the older vehicles, alcohol attacks the older seals and rubber components used in the fuel pumps and carburetors of these autos. I have received many calls regarding leaking fuel pump diaphragms. This is why an additive can save a lot money in the long run. In producing our GSL-4 gasoline additive, we add a polymer lubricant to the blend. Because this lubricant has a high flash point it coats the valves and cylinder with a light coating, thus maintaining lubricaton to the top end of the engine. This reduces friction between the moving metal parts.

Benefits associated with are:

• Better seal of rings and valves improves vacuum, which increases the engines ability to draw in fuel and exhaust burnt fuel
• Lower operating temperatures due to reduced friction
• Less wear of metal parts due to reduced friction
• Lubrication of rubber parts to avoid damage from alcohol

When you think of the thousand's of dollars most of us spend rebuilding our engines and the hard driving done by those with the high performance engines, a few cents per gallon spent on an additive is a drop in the bucket compared to a valve job or engine rebuild. In the case of our Gsl-4 additive, we add three other components that:

• Clean the fuel system
• Improve combustion for better performance
• Remove moisture from the fuel

The fact is that while the removal of lead, the addition of methanol, or the oxygenation of gasoline may have environmental benefits, the ability of it to run an internal combustion engine has been reduced to the point that additives are needed to optimize its performance. For more detailed information on Gsl-4 please go to the Gsl-4 additive page or feel free to send me your comments by e-mail.