use of unleaded petrol in old Nissan van

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pete - 20 Apr 2004 19:35 GMT

Hi, I have a 1976 Nissan E20 van (very similar to the Urvan) and for
years I have been putting in lead replacement petrol but now that it
is increasingly difficult to find LRP in the UK, and some people have
said that the old Nissans were designed to take unleaded from a very
early stage, I have just been filling up with unleaded petrol. Is it
wishful thinking to expect this to do no harm?

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Daniel J. Stern - 20 Apr 2004 23:34 GMT

> Hi, I have a 1976 Nissan E20 van (very similar to the Urvan) and for
> years I have been putting in lead replacement petrol but now that it is
> increasingly difficult to find LRP in the UK, and some people have said
> that the old Nissans were designed to take unleaded from a very early
> stage, I have just been filling up with unleaded petrol. Is it wishful
> thinking to expect this to do no harm?

Suddenly, it's 1980.

The UK was very, very, very slow to join the rest of the modern world in
deciding that nonleaded petrol was a good idea. The rest of the world
began making that decision in the early-mid '70s. In the US, all engines
were required to be unleaded-tolerant for the 1972 model year, and there
were similar requirements in Japan.

Your engine will be fine. Use nonleaded petrol of sufficient octane to
prevent pinking and drive it til it needs a valve job, if it ever does.

DS

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