How do I know if a head has been converted to unleaded?
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi guys
I have recently bought a 12g295 head to put on my 998(non turbo). I was told it had been skimmed, but this turned out to be untrue. I was also told that it has been converted to unleaded, but am not sure if this is true. How can i tell if the head has had the unleaded valve seats put in? It looks like the valve seats are seperate to the actual head casting, but am not sure if the standard valve seats were seperate to the actual casting, if you see what I mean.
Hopefully somebody can help me?
Cheers
Steve

Rebuilding a 1992 mini...will be finished in 2019

Standard leaded heads have the valve seats cut into the cast iron. Unleaded heads have inserts on the exhaust ports that you can usally see when the valves are out.

If its looks separate then i belive that it is unleaded

Pull a valve out and you can just tell.

Bugger off, I'm getting there.

Yeah as sumpnut said, the exhaust valves on an unleaded head have a pressed in insert. its made of better quality/harder material than the casting so can cope with running unleaded fuel.

ps: you may have to clean up well round that area to see it, sometimes tricky