Addidtives for diesel

What do any of you readers use for additive regarding the low sulfur fuel in older engines. I have an Ac 7040 and AC 175 and Deere Combine 9500. Thank you.

If you look back on here you"ll probably find hundreds of discussions about this very thing. That aside, I"ll say this. Between myself and my Dad we"ve been doing business with the same fuel/pump shop for more than 20 years, and needless to say you don"t do business with folks that long without trusting them. That said, I"ve had many conversations with the guy"s in the shop about this very subject, and what I"m told is that if your not running additive, of some kind, your just asking for trouble. Yes, industry magazines say there"s no need, and that"s all well and good. Thing is when the fuel shops start seeing a big increase in the amount of older pumps coming through the doors directly after a change in the makeup of the fuel.....it tells me that the industry "experts" writing the articles are "full of it"......And that's exactly what happened when ULSD hit the market.......

Personally I run additive in every diesel I own. In my service truck my MPG increased when I started running additive, (before ULSD) but then dropped back down once the ULSD came on the market. To me it was, and still is, well worth the cost, not only for the improvement in fuel economy, but also for the peace of mind that I won"t have any premature problems with the injection pumps.

Tom,

One of the ones that I use is in this list, one is not. I'm not going to say which ones I use, it will only cause a fight. Your intentions are good and honorable. You want to protect your investments just like I do.

You asked, here is a list. Good luck.

Mark
10 Additives To Treat Low Sulfer Diesel

Myself as well as a few others have posted a link here to the results of testing of different fuel additives as to how well they lubricate the fuel system. It was done using "dry", additive-free ULSD. Many did well, some mediocre, many, including MMO, made the fuel worse.

I went with 2-stroke oil. Available anywhere, cheaper than most of the additives, and effective. It reduced the wear scar in the test to where the engine manufacturers want it, and again, that was with fuel that had no other additives in it. Biodiesel was most effective, but you get more cold-weather gelling issues with it.

The 2-stroke oil tested was wally"s-mart brand, so it was nothing special. Mixed at 200:1. With fuel around $4 i just use a pint per $50. If you want to make some smoke mix it at 50:1. The day I did that my old (stock) Cummins was still blowing smoke at 75. oops

Friend has always used stanadyne in his 4430 JD since new. Pump just took a crap. $1100 to repair, 6700 hours.

For $1100.00, it didn"t take a real BIG crap.

That"s the price of a basic re-seal and calibration!

I"m not saying that the use of additive will keep a pump from ever wearing out, or having problems. There will always be a 100% certainty that routine wear and tear will happen, and will ALWAYS happen.

What I am saying is that if you aren"t using an additive, the chances that the wear occurs sooner rather than later increases. As far as any other kind of major repairs being needed, to that all I can say is crap happens. Basically there is always a chance that something will happen, whether your running additive or not.....but the additive will typically reduce the chance of it happening.

Beyond that, given the crap they are calling fuel nowdays, anything you can use to help it is a good idea. Personally I look at it like this. I've had my current service truck for nearly 14 years. In all that time the 'water in fuel' light never came on until about a year ago. All of my fuel comes from stations, and typically it's all from larger,name brand, stations. Still, when they started forcing the ULSD on us, when they started mixing in biodiesel, etc, etc a few years back, the light on my truck now stays on just about as much as it stays off. It's sad that you have to ignore a light designed to let you know there may be a problem simply because the problem is the fuel your getting is crap.....and there isn't a dang thing you can do about it but give your engine 'medicine' (additive)to keep it from getting sick as long as you possibly can......

But that's just my .02 as a construction equipment mechanic who has seen a difference in the amount of my customers, who use no additive, having fuel system problems, and those that use additive religiously not having the same problems. makes a believer out of you in a hurry......

Just tryin to be simple. Model years about 2003(?) n back especially need an additive.
There's moving parts in the fuel system,
Moving parts need lubricated,
The newer fuels do not have the lubricity
that the old fuel once did.
My understanding, well may be wrong,
is get something in the fuel to lubricate
them moving parts.
Off the shelf additives, two stroke oil, bio diesel/diesel mix,
just get something in there to lube them movin parts.
And I believe the newer ones, tho supposedly designed
for the new fuel, can benefit from lubricity additives.
Some come with other benefits, anti-gel, stabilizer, better mileage, etc but lube that fuel with something,
I do, but I don't know that much,
but I do think moving parts last longer if lubricated.
Take care, Danny

If the fuel if clean and contains no water. No additives are required.
Run #1 Diesel which is #2 diesel with the wax removed in winter.
To control water add ISOPROPYL alcohol instead of methyl or ethyl alcohols.
Too many people believe in witchcraft and sorcery. They think they are huge gains with a cheap easy potion or elixir.

a detroit diesel mechanic with 35 years on the job told me to use atf

There have been controlled tests conducted on lube additives. For sure ATF and motor oils do almost nothing. Best bang for the buck is two-stroke-cycle motor oil bought in gallon jugs at Walmart and mixed at a 1 to 200 ratio.

By the way - this has nothing to do with "witchcraft and sorcery" as Mr. Buick/Deere states. It's about rotary mechanical distributor fuel-injection pumps that that must have lube in the fuel. In-line pumps are almost immune from the problem, as are latter common-rail diesel systems.

The original diesel fuel had natural lube and that's what the rotary pumps are made to run in. If they get less - they wear out faster. Cooking diesel fuel to remove sulfur removes the lube. So - fuel sellers are supposed to put lube additives back in before it comes out the pump. Do you trust them all to do it correctly? I don't. Adding some lube to my fuel in an older car, truck or tractor is cheap insurance. Also note that heating oil in the US now has virtually NO lube. Farm fuel - where I live - is heating oil with lube additive put in. So if you cheat and run an engine on heating oil - now lube additive is a must.

Here are some results of one of the tests. The prices for additives are not current.

THE RESULTS:

These results are listed in the order of performance in the HFRR test. The baseline fuel used in every test started at an HFRR score of 636. The score shown is the tested HFRR score of the baseline fuel/additive blend.
Also included is the wear scar improvement provided by the additive as well as other claimed benefits of the additive. Each additive is also categorized as a Multi-purpose additive, Multi-purpose + anti-gel, Lubricity only, non-conventional, or as an additive capable of treating both gasoline and diesel fuel.
As a convenience to the reader there is also information on price per treated tank of diesel fuel (using a 26 gallon tank), and dosage per 26 gallon tank provided as “ounces of additive per 26 gallon tank”.

In Order Of Performance:

1) 2% REG SoyPower biodiesel
HFRR 221, 415 micron improvement.
50:1 ratio of baseline fuel to 100% biodiesel
66.56 oz. of 100% biodiesel per 26 gallons of diesel fuel
Price: market value

2)Opti-Lube XPD
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, demulsifier
HFRR 317, 319 micron improvement.
256:1 ratio
13 oz/tank
$4.35/tank

3)FPPF RV, Bus, SUV Diesel/Gas fuel treatment
Gas and Diesel
cetane improver, emulsifier
HFRR 439, 197 micron improvement
640:1 ratio
5.2 oz/tank
$2.60/tank

4)Opti-Lube Summer Blend
Multi-purpose
demulsifier
HFRR 447, 189 micron improvement
3000:1 ratio
1.11 oz/tank
$0.68/tank

5)Opti-Lube Winter Blend
Muti-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver
HFRR 461, 175 micron improvement
512:1 ratio
6.5 oz/tank
$3.65/tank

6)Schaeffer Diesel Treat 2000
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, emulsifier, bio-diesel compatible
HFRR 470, 166 micron improvement
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.87/tank

7)Super Tech Outboard 2-cycle TC-W3 engine oil
Unconventional (Not ULSD compliant, may damage 2007 or newer systems)
HFRR 474, 162 micron improvement
200:1 ratio
16.64 oz/tank
$1.09/tank

8)Stanadyne Lubricity Formula
Lubricity Only
demulsifier, 5% bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 479, 157 micron improvement
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.00/tank

9)Amsoil Diesel Concentrate
Multi-purpose
demulsifier, bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 488, 148 micron improvement
640:1 ratio
5.2 oz/tank
$2.16/tank

10)Power Service Diesel Kleen + Cetane Boost
Multi-purpose
Cetane improver, bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 575, 61 micron improvement
400:1 ratio
8.32 oz/tank
$1.58/tank

11)Howe’s Meaner Power Kleaner
Multi-purpose
Alcohol free
HFRR 586, 50 micron improvement
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.36/tank

12)Stanadyne Performance Formula
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, demulsifier, 5% bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 603, 33 micron improvement
480:1 ratio
6.9 oz/tank
$4.35/tank

13)Used Motor Oil, Shell Rotella T 15w40, 5,000 miles used.
Unconventional (Not ULSD compliant, may damage systems)
HFRR 634, 2 micron improvement
200:1 ratio
16.64 oz/tank
price: market value

14)Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant
Gas or diesel
HFRR 641, 5 microns worse than baseline (statistically insignificant change)
427:1 ratio
7.8 oz/tank
$2.65/tank

15)B1000 Diesel Fuel Conditioner by Milligan Biotech
Multi-purpose, canola oil based additive
HFRR 644, 8 microns worse than baseline (statistically insignificant change)
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$2.67/tank

16)FPPF Lubricity Plus Fuel Power
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
Emulsifier, alcohol free
HFRR 675, 39 microns worse than baseline fuel
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.12/tank

17)Marvel Mystery Oil
Gas, oil and Diesel fuel additive (NOT ULSD compliant, may damage 2007 and newer systems)
HFRR 678, 42 microns worse than baseline fuel.
320:1 ratio
10.4 oz/tank
$3.22/tank

18)ValvTect Diesel Guard Heavy Duty/Marine Diesel Fuel Additive
Multi-purpose
Cetane improver, emulsifier, alcohol free
HFRR 696, 60 microns worse than baseline fuel
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$2.38/tank

19)Primrose Power Blend 2003
Multi-purpose
Cetane boost, bio-diesel compatible, emulsifier
HFRR 711, 75 microns worse than baseline
1066:1 ratio
3.12 oz/tank
$1.39/tank

CONCLUSIONS:

Products 1 through 4 were able to improve the unadditized fuel to an HFRR score of 460 or better. This meets the most strict requirements requested by the Engine Manufacturers Association.
Products 1 through 9 were able to improve the unadditized fuel to an HFRR score of 520 or better, meeting the U.S. diesel fuel requirements for maximum wear scar in a commercially available diesel fuel.
Products 16 through 19 were found to cause the fuel/additive blend to perform worse than the baseline fuel. The cause for this is speculative. This is not unprecedented in HFRR testing and can be caused by alcohol or other components in the additives. Further investigation into the possibilities behind these poor results will investigated.
Any additive testing within +/- 20 microns of the baseline fuel could be considered to have no significant change. The repeatability of this test allows for a +/- 20 micron variability to be considered insignificant.

Thanks to everyone for all the responses. This will help a lot.

Mr. B&D:

Standard over-the-counter (available to anyone) Isopropyl Alcohol is 30% WATER. So how are you going to CONTROL water in your fuel by ADDING MORE WATER?

Now yes, 99% Isopropyl Alcohol IS available but has to be ordered in bulk & it carries a HAZMAT Label.

(quoted from post at 10:49:13 03/30/14) Mr. B&D:

Standard over-the-counter (available to anyone) Isopropyl Alcohol is 30% WATER. So how are you going to CONTROL water in your fuel by ADDING MORE WATER?

Now yes, 99% Isopropyl Alcohol IS available but has to be ordered in bulk & it carries a HAZMAT Label.

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Fuel de-icer in the local store labeled for fuel injection systems is specced at 99.9% isopropyl alcohol ( IPA )
It looks like your local supplers are not up to date.
In any case an ethanol de-icer is less aggressive to fuel system components than the cheapest and most common methyl de-icer. IPA is the least aggressive to plastic, rubber and metal.

Alright I stand chastised.
We don't run stove oil in diesels around here and I never thought of fuel lacking lube from the refinery.
So a dose of cooking oil containing soy from the grocery store is the best diesel anti wear additive?

I consider fuel additives to be just that! A waste of money because the recommended amount of additive is so small that it is like adding a drop of alcohol to a glass of water??

I don't think the authorities who mandate the lubricity in diesel fuel are greatly concerned about the minority of people using equipment with mechanical distributor injection pumps. They are pretty much obsolete on highway vehicles (other then US military rigs with 6.5 GM V8 diesels). For those that are using older equipment that needs more lube - seems it's up to the owners to figure out what they need and not the government authorities. I'll also note one thing. A new rotary-distributor pump like a Stanadyne DB2 or a Bosch VE has a normal lifespan of around 1,000,000 miles if used with good fuel. That's the lifespan for the hard metal parts (not the soft seals). If let's say low-lube fuel cut that life span to 1/10th and the pump would only last 100,000 miles - who the heck would even notice?

That"s the test I was talking about, but never think to bookmark the link to it.

I think you are fundamentally misinformed about what is sold for fuel. ALL diesel fuel whether it be highway or off highway is required to be ULSD and has been for a number of years now. The emission requirements are equally as stringent for off highway as they are for on highway... and if they do not use ULSD it will bugger the emission systems on the off highway as well as the on highway... so the idea that off road fuel is not ULSD is plainly false.
Here, at least, ULSD is supplied for ALL diesel fuels. It's all got the required lubricants. The only difference with off road fuel is that it's got red dye added. As far as trusting Esso to add the right amount of lube... I tend to trust them. If they didn't they'd be opening themselves to a massive class action that would far outweigh the cost of adding some lubricant to the fuel. We're running ULSD now for 7-8 years and thus far I have had 'ZERO' problems with ULSD. I do have some water problems which are entirely of my own making... and filter changes take care of that... without any magic elixers.

Rod

(quoted from post at 21:37:19 03/29/14) If you look back on here you"ll probably find hundreds of discussions about this very thing. That aside, I"ll say this. Between myself and my Dad we"ve been doing business with the same fuel/pump shop for more than 20 years, and needless to say you don"t do business with folks that long without trusting them. That said, I"ve had many conversations with the guy"s in the shop about this very subject, and what I"m told is that if your not running additive, of some kind, your just asking for trouble. Yes, industry magazines say there"s no need, and that"s all well and good. Thing is when the fuel shops start seeing a big increase in the amount of older pumps coming through the doors directly after a change in the makeup of the fuel.....it tells me that the industry "experts" writing the articles are "full of it"......And that's exactly what happened when ULSD hit the market.......

Personally I run additive in every diesel I own. In my service truck my MPG increased when I started running additive, (before ULSD) but then dropped back down once the ULSD came on the market. To me it was, and still is, well worth the cost, not only for the improvement in fuel economy, but also for the peace of mind that I won"t have any premature problems with the injection pumps.

Click to expand...

I'll second that - 'trusting' the distributor to add a lubricity product is like trusting that 'You can keep your doctor. Period.' :wink: