BENEFIT SUMMARY
Reduces valve seat recession
Cleans carburetor and injector deposits
Reduces intake valve and port deposits
Concentrated for economical use••••

WHICH ENGINES REQUIRE VALVE PROTECTION?
Current automotive engines use a valve seathardening process to reduce the microwelding andsubsequent metal removal which causes valve seatrecession. By 1971 most cars were tolerant of
unleaded gasoline and by 1975 all cars had hardened
valve seats. However, even recent production truck
engines, marine engines, and farm equipment may not
be so tolerant of unleaded gasoline. This is because
the induction hardening may not be sufficient toprotect equipment which will encounter sustained
high-speed or high-load operation. Many
manufacturers find it necessary to use special hard
inserts instead. Check the owners manual to see if
your engine requires valve seat protection. If theengine has been rebuilt, only the supplier of the headcan tell you whether you need valve seat protection,
since rebuilt heads can have either soft or hardened

But is 0.1 GPG lead enough?
The literature shows that there are numerous
variables which determine valve seat recession. The
major variable is valve seat temperature which can bestrongly influenced by speed, load, and fuel mixture.
Leaner mixtures can produce exhaust which isseveral hundred degrees hotter than rich mixtures.
The EPA has been strongly criticized by some engine
manufacturers for the limited data used to justify their
0.1 GPG maximum. One study used shows recession
with 0.04 GPG lead and no recession with 0.07 GPG.
This test was run in a 350 V-8 under mild conditions
for only 100 hours. Another study showed that 0.5
and 0.2 GPG lead provided equal valve seatrecession to 3.0 GPG in a V-8 operated under mild
conditions at less than 1/2 throttle. They chose todisregard a reference which these authors made to
car manufacturer's tests at 4400 rpm which showedthat 0.25 GPG caused recession and 0.5 GPG lead
was required for protection. GM recently stated that
0.2 GPG is a more reasonable risk. Chrysler foundthat 0.5 GPG was inadequate to prevent valve seatwear in two V-8 engines under high output conditions.
PROOF OF PERFORMANCERed Line Lead Substitute is a safe and effectivemeans to reduce valve seat recession. The following
data is proof of the effectiveness of Red Line Lead
Substitute in a wide variety of engines and operating
conditions. This product has successfully protectedengines in millions of miles of operation without
harmful side effects.

FORD FALCON 6 CYL 2.3L
48 Hour Test,
3800 RPM
Soft SeatsVALVE SEAT RECESSION,
THOUSANDTHSUNLEADED
20
15

GM 3.8L V-6 VALVE SEAT RECESSION

0.5 GPG
LEAD

10RED LINE
LS

590
VALVE SEAT RECESSION,
THOUSANDTHS

25

0UNLEADED

80

48 Hour Test
3800 RPM
Soft Seats

70
60
50
40

0.5 GPG
LEAD

30

RED LINE
LS

20
10
0

Figure 1: Red Line Lead Substitute provides valve
seat protection at least equivalent to 1983 lead levels
as shown in this test involving several repeats.

Figure 3: Red Line Lead Substitute provides protection
equal to 0.5 GPG lead in this 3.8 L V-6 without inductively hardened seats. Unleaded gasoline allows
severe recession in 48 hours at 3800 rpm.

FORD 134 CID 4 CYL
GM 3.8L V-6 NON-HARDENED SEATS
3800 RPM

2100 RPM, NON-HARDENED SEATS
4030

UNLEADED

VALVE SEAT RECESSION,
THOUSANDTHSRed Line Lead Substitute provides the same valve
seat protection as obtained with lead concentrations in
the range of 0.5 - 3.0 grams per gallon. This isachieved by using sodium-based chemistry whichforms sodium oxides upon combustion and provides
the same physical protection from welding andsubsequent metal removal as did lead oxides. When
compared to levels of lead present in the leaded
supreme of prior years, Red Line Lead Substituteprovides equivalent protection for valves and none ofthe detrimental side effects which can be found withother additives.

seats.
HOW MUCH LEAD IS REQUIRED?
Prior to 1983, the leaded gasolines of many gasoline
marketers contained lead contents in the range of 3.0
GPG (grams per gallon). Due to an awareness of the
toxic nature of lead in the environment, the EPA has
enforced a schedule for the elimination of lead.
MAXIMUM LEAD LEVELTIMING
Nov. 1982
1.1 GPG (grams per gallon)
July 1985
0.5 GPG
Jan. 1986
0.1 GPG
Jan. 1988
0
The EPA has come under severe criticism fromagricultural, marine, and automotive interests for theirapparent disregard of equipment which requires theprotection of lead.

VALVE SEAT RECESSION,
THOUSANDTHSRED LINE® LEAD SUBSTITUTE is a safe andeffective valve seat protection additive which isdesigned for use in engines which require theprotection of lead. Tetraethyl lead was originallydesigned as an octane enhancer, but it was soon
discovered that the metallic oxides which result fromcombustion form a protective coating on valves which
prevent microwelding of the valve seat to the valve
face under high temperature operation. This weldingof the two hot pieces of metal causes the removal of
the softer seat metal and subsequent recession of thevalve into the cylinder head. Wear debris thencontributes to valve stem and valve guide wear. Valverecession causes poor sealing of the compression
gases, which means loss of power and fuel economy,
poor idle and driveability, and the eventual need forcylinder head replacement.

0.1 GPG LEAD

30

20
UNLEADED +RED LINE LS

10

Maximum
Recession

20

Average
Recession

10

Minimum
Recession

0
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

TEST HOURS
UNLEADED+ RED LINE LS

3.0 GPG LEAD

0
0

10

20

30

UNLEADED+ RED LINE LS

40

TEST HOURS

Figure 2: Current "leaded" gasoline caused severe
valve seat wear while Red Line provides excellent protection - equal to pre-1982 levels of lead.

60 Hour Test @ 3800 rpm - GM 3.8 L V-6

Unleaded Fuel

UNLEADED ONLY

Treated with Red Line
Lead Substitute

Figure 5: This chart demonstrates the effect of switching from treated fuel to untreated fuel and back again.
Red Line Lead Substitute requires time to deposit a
protective film, and likewise, it requires time for thefilm to be removed when switching to unleaded only.
For best results, 1 oz per 10 gallons should be usedwith every tankful. It is interesting to note that valve
seat wear is not the same in all cylinders because ofvariable fuel mixture and variations in seat hardening
and preparation. One seat usually shows several
times the wear of the other seats.

HEAVY-DUTY EQUIPMENT
GM's owners manuals for their medium and heavyduty trucks tell an interesting story. The manuals specified unleaded or low-lead gasoline for their 1971-1974
models and unleaded for their 1975-1978 models.
Apparently, because of durability problems, GMchanged their owners manuals to recommend only
leaded gasoline for the 1979 and later models. International Harvester's manual for their 1984 trucks
states that continuous use of unleaded gasoline cancause excessive valve seat wear. Thus, even engines
equipped with hardened seats can require an additive
to prevent wear. The following chart shows that a current production 350 V-8 with hardened valve seats cansuffer from valve seat recession when operated on unleaded fuel.

different manufacturers - all with hardened seats has shown 60 - 80 thousandths recession in 150 250 hours. Red Line Lead Substitute has virtuallyeliminated recession in the same test involving morethan 60 marine engines.

AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT
Agricultural equipment is quite often operated at fullload conditions which makes this equipment very
susceptible to valve seat recession. Much of the older
equipment has been rebuilt, which makes it difficult todetermine whether hardened seats were used atrebuild. Many engines used in agricultural equipment
require the protection equivalent to 0.5 GPG lead.

SAFE FROM HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS
Industry standard tests to determine engine cleanliness and engine wear have shown that Red LineVALVE SEAT RECESSION,
THOUSANDTHS

40

Unleaded Fuel
48 Hour Test
3200 RPM
Hardened Seats

30

20

70
60

No Additive - 20 Hour Deposit Formation
Red Line Lead Substitute Treated 20 Hour Cleanup

50
40
30
20
10
0
UNLEADED

10

0
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

CYLINDER

Figure 6: Current production truck engines with hardened valve seats can suffer from valve seatrecession when operated on unleaded.
MARINE ENGINES
Marine engines are often operated at or near the rated
speed and load conditions, which is more severe
service than even most heavy-duty trucks. For thisreason, valve seat protection is required in mostmarine equipment. Although some owners manuals
allow the use of unleaded fuel, full-throttle service may
cause valve seat recession even with hardened seats.
Testing with unleaded fuel in several engines from

DIRECTIONS FOR USE
Red Line Lead Substitute is recommended to be
used at 1 oz per 10 gallons in any grade of gasoline.
Very severe service such as sustained full-load
operation and overly lean combustion may require
1.5 to 2 oz per 10 gallons. Although there is a
carry-over effect, intermittent use of the additive may
not provide the proper protection when you need it
most. Red Line Lead Substitute has been tested at
levels up to 4 oz per 10 gallons and has shown thatoccasional overdosing will not cause problems. Red
Line Lead Substitute is packaged in 12 ounce bottles
which treat 120 gallons, and 5 gallons to treat 6,400
gallons. Both provide the most concentrated form ofeffective protection available. Red Line Lead
Substitute is not sold for street use. Its use ispermited for racing, marine, and off-road use only.

CRC CARBURETOR CLEANUP TEST

Carburetor Deposit Weight, mg

350 V-8 TRUCK ENGINE - HARDENED SEATS

CLEANS CARBURETORS AND INJECTORSRed Line Lead Substitute contains detergents which
can clean carburetors, injectors, and valves and keepthem clean. This helps provide optimal fuel mixtures
to restore fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions.
SAFE FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
Red Line Lead Substitute has been tested for 10,000
miles in five recent model cars equipped with threeway catalyst systems. Emissions tested according to
the EPA procedure showed no significant changes.

race gas in a can designed to provide 0.1 GPG lead which can be ineffective for many uses. Still others
attempt to phosphide or nitride the surfaces. Ask for
proof - before your engine becomes an experiment!

0.1 GPG LEADGASOHOL(10% ETHANOL)

Lead Substitute has no detrimental effect on engine
wear or cleanliness. Although the additive works bydepositing sodium oxides to prevent welding, these
deposits are not abrasive and do not build up in the
combustion chamber. Tests show the octane requirement increase when using Red Line Lead Substitute
to be no greater than expected with unleaded fuel. In
fact, the additive seems to significantly reduce ringland deposits.
There are many other lead replacements currently
marketed and it is difficult for the consumer toevaluate the protective qualities each. Some have
tried a potassium version of our chemistry, but haveencountered failures due to valve sticking. Others try
to simply "lubricate" the valve seats with upper
cylinder oil. The temperatures involved are much togreat for simple lubricants. Some give you leaded

DESIGNED FOR PERFORMANCERed Line Synthetic Oil Corporation is the leader in lubricant and fuel system chemistry. Red Line manufactures a full line of automotive products which aredesigned to provide noticeable improvements in performance. Other Red Line products are:Waterwetter® Cooling System Heat Transfer Agent
RL-2 & RL-3 Diesel Ignition Improvers
Diesel Fuel Catalyst
RL Smoke Suppressant
85 Plus Diesel Fuel Additive - with Cetane Booster
Diesel Fuel Biostat - Antimicrobial Agent
SI-1 Fuel Injector & Intake Valve Detergent
SI-2 Injector & Valve Detergent Lead Substitute
Motor Oils - 5W30, 10W30, 10W40, 15W50, 20W50
Diesel Engine Oil - 15W40
Race Oils - SAE 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70
High-Performance Two-cycle LubricantsGear Oils - Lightweight, 75W90, 75W90NS,
75W140NS, 75W140, 80W140
MTL- Manual Transmission / Transaxle Lubricant,MT-90
ATF - D4 ATF, High-Temp ATF, Racing ATF
CV-2 CV-Joint and Wheel Bearing Grease
Compressor Lubricants
For further information please contact:© 1987, 2002 Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation

RED LINE®

LEAD
SUBSTITUTETECHNICALINFORMATIONRed Line Synthetic Oil Corp.
6100 Egret Court
Benicia, CA 94510(707) 745-6100
www.redlineoil.com