Leaded Fuel and Microbes

[swall]

While reading a motorcycle magazine yesterday, I came across a quaint tale about leaded gas. It was the perception of the author that with leaded gas, stored engines did not develope gum in the carburetors as rapidly as when unleaded gas came into common usage. His conjecture was that the lead poisoned bacteria in the gas that otherwise would secrete substances that would creat gum.Never heard that one before.

 

[ctmtwilliams]

Tetra-ethyl-lead is pretty toxic stuff and indeed it may kill some types of bacteria. In the environmental industry we use bacteria to help cleanup "heavy metals" contamination (they digest it breaking it down to less toxic forms). I've never heard that the varnish/gum residue in gasoline was from biota activity. I always thought the the more volitile fractions had evaporated leaving behind the "gum".