MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Modern fuel in MGA

Hi
I Need to ask what is the best modern fuel for my newly acquired MGA, which is using a 1622cc A60 engine. High octane? With additive?
It would help to know what folks actually put in at the filling station, and if additives, any particular one?
Also, any way to tell if it's been converted to unleaded (nothing relevant on invoices going back to 2004)?
Most grateful
Regards
Tony
Tony Stout

Depends on what engine, cylinder head work and other changes have been made to your car for petrol and additives.

There are various add-in bottle additives for various purposes. Castrol is a favourite but there are others.

The additive I'm trying at the moment is Millers VSPe - "An all-in-one fuel treatment providing ethanol protection, lead replacement and octane improvement endorsed by the FBHVC."

Millers is an independent blender "Established in 1887 in Brighouse, Yorkshire".

VSPe available in 250ml or 500ml bottles - https://www.millersoils-shop.co.uk/vspe-power-plus-multishot

Other Millers petrol additives - https://www.millersoils-shop.co.uk/classic-fuel-treatments
Nigel Atkins

Tony, I have the same engine as you. Head is from an MGB
Standard valves and no hardened seats.
I use regular grade Canadian 87 octane which has 10-15% alcohol.
No troubles at all in 7000 miles since rebuild.
No pinking.
Art
Art Pearse

I run the 1800 5-bearing with hardened valve seats. Whilst it will happily go all day on standard unleaded straight from the pumps with no additives I much prefer to fill her with Super Unleaded. I find the improved performance most noticeable. Might cost a bit more but improvements are worth every penny to me.

Steve

Steve Gyles

Generally it's the higher octane options that have the (higher) additive cleaning packages.

Note: if you're worried about 'f'an'ol' rotting your teeth and stealing your youthful looks two below don't have the up to 5% (I emphasise the up to below as some don't seem to get it).

In order of octane rating:

. Tesco Momentum 99 - 99 octane - cleaning additive package - UP TO 5% ethanol

. Shell V-Power - 99 octane - 3x more cleaning molecules than Shell regular - UP TO 5% ethanol

. Texaco Supreme 97 octane - cleaning additive package - UP TO 5% ethanol "to much of the country" (so not all of the country).

. BP Ultimate - 97 octane - cleaning additives package - UP TO 5% ethanol

. Esso Synergy Supreme+ -97 octane - double the detergent additive to Esso regular (and friction reduce) - "Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland."

. Jet Ultra - 97 octane - cleaning additive package - ethanol-free apart from in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region, Teesside or Scotland, where it contains 5% ethanol.
Nigel Atkins

I have been running, in my 1959 MGA with stock 1600cc motor, 93 Octane Methanol free fuel.

I suspect about anything would work as these cars weren't very picky. The Methanol concerns me for fear of perhaps loosening deposits. That fear may have no basis in fact.

Nonetheless, it seems to run fabulous and continues to provide immense joy.

Given how finicky some of the new vehicles are . . . I admires thing that, as long as it has fuel, compression and spark . . . runs.

Courtney
CC Canfield

Tony
so long as your engine is showing no signs of pinking on modern fuel, you should be ok.
But you need to keep an eye on your fuel system for leaks because modern fuels tend to dissolve older rubber parts like fuel pipes and the float chamber seals.

If the engine does pink with modern fuels,just try retarding the ignition timing a little for the time being.
You can always have the proper unleaded-suitable hardened valve seats fitted when you next have the cylinder head off.

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

I have a friend who had an old Spitfire and his attitude as to whether to do anything about unleaded was he would sort it if it went wrong. It never did and he has now swapped it for a mobile home in his retirement. By the way he was a life time mechanic with lots of B series experience. Perhaps Spitfires are less sensitive but....
Paul Dean

Use super unleaded, it works
David Brenchley

This thread was discussed between 25/05/2020 and 05/07/2020

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.