Lead-free in Canada?

[DrRocket]

I've got a question for our friends "up nort."

Is is true that you can not use leaded gasoline at all, in Canada, even for off highway use, i.e. car racing on privately held race tracks?

No, aircraft still use leaded gas as an of the top of my head example. For land use vehicles (including boats) you can't buy it at a commercial pump, though.

[Eddylizard]

Not Canada, but I was surprised a few years ago at my local pertrol station. I thought leaded petrol had been banned since the 1990's having been replaced with 'lead replacement petrol.' I've no idea what's in that, presumably something that acts like lead in the engine, but isn't.

Then around 2000 I think the government banned lead replacement petrol. I drove onto the forecourt one day and was amazed to see pumps dispensing leaded petrol had been installed.

I even went so far as to ask the manageress if that was really, actually old fashioned four star leaded. She said that it was, but the refinery that owns the station didn't make it, so they had to get special permission to source it from a smaller refinery and sell it in their station.

It's still on sale there (as at last week.)

[DrRocket]

In the US, the only way I'm aware of that you can get leaded for automotive use is to buy gasoline from pumps that have a sticker stating "For racing purposes only." It's against the law to dispense it into a licensed vehicle, the principle reason being that no road taxes were attached to the sale.

When lead free gas first appeared on the scene, and unleaded disappeared, it wasn't uncommon for performance car enthusiasts to buy 100LL from aviation fuel pumps. The problem with that was, once again, no road taxes were paid, and the additive ingredients were for high altitude aviation applications, so cars didn't run as well as perhaps owners might have liked. In 1982, I worked for about a year at an FBO, and filled quite a few gas cans for people. After the manufacturers adjusted their engines to run on no-lead gas, the point became moot.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by JD65

No, aircraft still use leaded gas as an of the top of my head example. For land use vehicles (including boats) you can't buy it at a commercial pump, though.

You are indeed correct.

http://www.canadabusiness.ca/servlet...display&c=Regs

Leaded fuel is the only fuel exempt from the regulations banning lead and phosphorus. There are a few exceptions, but they are not for general use.