Help with Flathead vapor lock

Originally posted by rob love
Many of us started mixing up to 15% kerosene with the gas, and much of the problem went away. The kero also was reputed to help lubricate the valves where the lead additives had been legislated away.

Bit of a nomenclature/location problem here.

Kerosene could mean, AVJET, AVTUR or to me paraffin, the stuff for blowlamps, Primus stoves, Tilley lamps and parts washing owing to the cheapness and non-volatility.

If the latter, its effect as a valve lubricant may possibly be folklore but may be derived from the fact that it doesn't necessarily vapourise or get burnt. What it definitely does do is scour the oil from cylinder walls on intake and compression with accelerated ring and bore wear; the advice from the Chief Chemist at the Ass. Octel Co. in the UK is don't.

R.