Just as a matter of interest when did the make the heads unleaded on the Rover mini?

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New from the UK and wanting a NICE little British car!

As in What year?

Wouldn't all rover minis be unleaded???
I would have thought so.
They started rover minis in the 80s didn't they??
Unleaded fuel was in then wasn't it??
I was born in '82 so I was a bit to young to remember.

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Tim
Dusk Blue
1964 850

I'll bet they didnt do it till it was compulsory around 86/87, but not sure.

I was born 86 and I reckon I remember leaded fuel was still available when i was young.

And Rover being like every other company that produced mini, I dont think they would have changed it till they had to (ie when leaded petrol was no longer produced) I dont know but that my opinion.

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I think I heard somewhere it was around 1989-1990.
Easy to tell if the head is off, Rover genuine unleaded valve seats are non-magnetic. I have some 998 ones here if anybody needs 4.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Probably the week before it became compulsory in the UK or when they changed so they could supply the Jap market, which ever was the earliest. Japan was unleaded well before Aus which changed over in '86 but I don't know when the uk changed over. I know they didn't require cat converters until much later than aus.

M

just trying to figure if my 86 engine either needs additive for a bit or head work! lol

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New from the UK and wanting a NICE little British car!

model year 1989 on got leadfree seats. thats the one with the brake booster and the horizontal master cylinder in line. sometimes you can still see that the head number was painted green to tell it's leadfree

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Rover 214 atm ....

Ive read somewhere that even with an unleaded head its still adviseable to use an additive " flashlube " in your petrol as both engine and fuel have come a longway since leaded petrol.... or are you talking about oil additive ?

And on the forums here i have read its adviseable to use the highest octane fuel with flashlube.......and for the slight increase in running costs v's possible engine wear/damage im going the octane/lube route.

Cheers bill

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You don't `have to' use Flashlube with unleaded seats. However it is also a good upper cylinder lube, and lubes the inlet valve stems that get sfa oil if you use good (Viton) stem seals.
I have bronze guides in mine, and after 50,000+ miles with Flashlube they are all still good (even with 1.5:1 forged rockers on them).
The cast iron seats and the valves are not wearing either. They cleaned up shiny with a wire brushing.

It only adds 1.6c/L to your fuel cost. As they say in the NIB commercial "it's worth it" (IMO).

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I thought my '88 mayfair had the unleaded head.

It wasn't until I noticed I was having to adjust the tappets often that I twigged I was seeing valve seat recession.

Needless to say it didn't have hardened seats.

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you can't be unhappy in a poncho, or a mini