Unleaded Petrol - Sperm of the Devil

Leaded Petrol is no longer readily available in the UK and LRP (Lead Replacement Petrol) may well be the worst of both worlds. So this battle is lost ... the article may still be worth a read.

I said: "But I do get six months motorcycling on one tank of 4*".

And he done asked: "Why do you use 4*?  All Jap bikes since the early 70's should be run on unleaded."

Which caused me to rise up and scribble the following:

Why Unleaded petrol is not merely a Bad Thing(^TM)but actually Evil.

• The UK got unleaded because Johnson Matthey make catalytic converters.
• And because Margaret Hilda Thatcher needed the Green vote to get her 2nd term in office.
• You cannot "mix" lean burn technology (in which the UK once led the world) with catalytic converters (which are an american invention/bandwaggon).
• You need unleaded petrol with a cat., because ANY lead will poison the catalyst. There is no need for unleaded apart from the introduction (mandatory) of Cats. - by the above mentioned bitch.
• All cars with cats. run on the rich side of stoichimetric (sp?) 'cos a lean mix would damage the cat. Catalytic converted cars use more petrol than they would if they did not carry cats.
• The data on which lead in petrol was presumend to be a health risk is spurious. In particular, lead levels in children living near Spaghetti Junction have not fallen since lunleaded came in. there is no definite link between lead levels in the air and in the blood nor between lead and low IQs.
• Engines run on leaded petrol last up to 20% longer - even if "designed" for unleaded.
• Unleaded petrol is VERY toxic. It may not (dubious) make kids stupid, but it DOES increase everyone's risk of cancer. Benzene levels HAVE been linked to cancer rates. Benzene is far ligher than lead; far more active in the environment and lighter, so it spreads further.
• It is unlawful to sell certain foodstuffs in petrol stations in Germany, as the benzene from the petrol contaminates them (e.g.: sandwiches in clingfilm) to beyond the safe level.
• Since the mandate for unleade petrol in the UK, the highways people have used a LOT (ISTR half as much) less weedkiller on motorway verges etc. Unleaded even kills plants!
• The only "value" of unleaded petrol is that it lets you use a catalytic converter. But catalytic converts are not good things.
• Even in California, where the studies were done, Cats take about 10 minutes to reach operating temperature. Before this, even Johnson Matthey admit the catalytic car is releasing more pollution than a normal car. [A lean burn car would release less than either, but there are no lean burn cars, 'cos JM squashed the technology].
• In the UK's climate, it probably takes about 15m for a Cat to begin to "work". BUT - the average journey length in the UK is shorter than in the USA - about 17minutes or so. So, for 90% or so of the time, the catalytic fitted car is spewing out more polution than it would if it didn't have a cat. AND much of that pollution is benzene or contains partially burnt benzene.
• It is illegal to operate a waste incinerator in the UK which releases the chemicals found in the exhaust of a car running (on choke) on unleaded petrol with a cat. Not at ANY measureable concentration - they are banned chemicals.
• Vehicles without catalytic converters [such as motorcycles!] can run a lot less rich, particularly on choke, than those with cats - as there's no risk of burning out the cat. Even so, running unleaded, they do spew out high levels of benzene - particularly until fully warm. The exhaust fumes would be illegal in any industrial environment - merely from the benzene content - ignoring the soot and other nasties. [Types the man who runs 'bikes in the shed with the doors shut - but at least I use leaded!]
• Johnson Matthey are venal and evil in the true sense of the words. They have no corporate conscience. Their plants (often in third world) to make / mine the heavy metals for the catalytic converters are the among the worst polluters (because 3rd world countries have laxer pollution laws). Mining/extracting palladium etc. is a VERY energy using and highly polluting business.
• JM have persuaded the Indian government to mandate catalysts on new cars. yet there is no readily available source of unleaded petrol in India. Remember - folks: even a small amount of leaded petrol (well under a gallon) run through a cat will poison it for EVER. The cat will not recover - it is scrap. It is WORSE than scrap: because the engine is set up to run with a cat and will run rich, even though the cat is just dead weight.
• India does NOT have the fuel delivery infrastructure to keep unleaded petrol free from lead contamination. They barely keep the petrol and diesel separate.
• All catalytic converters, and every gallon of unleaded petrol (or anything) comes to you, the consumer, with a "pollution debt." The equations are very difficult, so error is likely. however, it is estimated that only about 1/5th of catalytic converters in the UK do any good. That is - 80% of cats are "worse" than running a properly set up car of the same capacity, running "ordinary" leaded petrol [I think they mean modern low lead stuff - not the old heavy leaded mix].
• The best thing you can say for cats is that they may export some of the pollution to the country where the cat. was mined/made. But don't forget that, when the cat. is finished (about three years, when cars last for 10 to 15) it has to be disposed of or recycled - more pollution (the pollution that the cat should have stopped) and more energy usage.
• The situation is better in the USA - where most (over half) cats are beneficial. probably 'cos their cars were gas guzzlers before cats. came in.
• In India - etc. - cats are just a drain on the economy - and a source of income for the evil bastards at JM.
• Finally: Unleaded fuel is NOT VERY good. [Ask a racer]
• You will be aware of the ~5% loss in power that the 500GP bikes suffered when forced to switch to unleaded? And those boys have all the technology in te world at their disposal to make the best of a bad job.
• You may also be aware how the health & safety rules for the new unleaded racing fuel make the old stuff look like mother's milk. Unleaded fuel, if it tries to achieve a reasonable octane level, is very toxic indeed.
• Unleaded petrol as sold in the UK will cause a noticeable 'pinking" in even quite mildly tuned 'bikes. It will definitely run leaner/ hotter than the same 'bike run on leaded.
• Both my main 'bikes were tuned at Rhino Dyno [remember - a well tuned engine should be optimised and should be less polluting]. Nick Turner's main recommendation on both was to "Run it on leaded; not that unleaded shit and never on Shell or Jet".
• The downside is that leaded costs more, because govenment is either trying to hide these facts or is ignorant of them. I am not and have made the decision to do a little for the environment and a little to hurt Johnson Matthey when ever I can, and whenever I fill my tank.