Leaded or not ?

[johng]

My 1988 Portuguese failed Emissions this year for first time. Mechanic sorted it adjusting timings and valve clearances but questioned if it is leaded or unleaded engine. Driven over 100,000 km on unleaded and never thought about it. Engine number starts 99HB . Anyone know if it is an unleaded head ?

[Nigel(no top)Sykes]

I believe unleaded heads were fitted from 1989, it’d be a 99H/D. From what you say you’ve probably not got inserts, there’s a few unleaded 998 heads on eBay (CAM4810) for around £85 so that’s probably the best way to go.

[Tim]

If you can just drop an ebay head on with no further work, then that's the way to go. But, more than likely you would need to get the valve seats machined (possibly new valves) and have the head planed, regardless of whether you use a second-hand head or your existing one. So it would be worth getting a quote from a machine shop to fit unleaded seats to your existing head while they are doing that other work. I had mine done recently and it only added about the same cost as one of those ebay heads.

Tim