Diesel antifreeze

Doug-Iowa · Oct 17, 2017

Do you have to use any special antifeeze in these newer diesel engines in tractors? Or an additive to regular ethylene glycol antifreeze? Seems the new OTR truck engines need an additive due to the combination of aluminum and cast iron parts, but the web-sayers not very clear on the subject of all cast iron tractor engines. Thanks.

caterpillar guy · Oct 17, 2017

If your buying a quality product from a reputable supplier it is not needed. We are in MI, and I have trucked all over the US in the winter from ID to Boston, with no trouble for over 20 years. Ran Catengines which were supposed to be the worst for freezing up in cold weather.
I have always felt if the fuel is blended for the location it is sold in. So if you buy fuel in the south and come north in the winter it will probably freeze up.
I know the ney sayers will all tell you it will gel at some temperature around 25-32 degrees.

wilson ind · Oct 17, 2017

I do not understand your comparison to fuel gelling to antifreeze in cooling system.

Doug-Iowa · Oct 17, 2017

Just to be clear i was asking about coolant not fuel additive. But, since the subject came up, I plan to use road diesel since the local station moves lots of it and it is adjusted seasonally for winter in Iowa. Then, when we have below zero temps forecast, I plan to add Howes additive.

Part Time Pete · Oct 17, 2017

I learned about coolant maintenance the hard way - I had a sleeve cavitate in my Oliver 1755, and had to do a complete overhaul. Now I run the NAPA purple fleet coolant, and use distilled water
Pete

matthies · Oct 17, 2017

Deere has a treatment that looks like blue koolaid, I always put some in when inspecting tractors at the dealership if the owner wasn't going to change the coolant. Just did our radiator on the 4020 and brother works for CaseIH and he brought home a treatment and it looked just like the Deere stuff from twenty years ago. Any truck shop would have it on their shelf. Does the owners manual say anything?

Ronnie Budd · Oct 17, 2017

In reference to the fuel question, there is no reason to buy road diesel for your tractor if the local supplier has off-road fuel available. As a a retired gas hauler, I can tell you with certainty that the ONLY difference in on-road and off-road diesel fuel since 2007 is the presence of red dye or not, and whether the road taxes are charged or not. The fuel is exactly the same, with the exception of taxes and dye.

Once in a great while, the computerized dye injector would fail to inject dye while loading. In that case, the driver had to go find a terminal operator, who would then manually pour some dye into the fuel, which makes it legal to sell as off-road fuel.

The actual fuel itself is no different from on-road to off-road. It has been that way since 2007.

Steve@Advance · Oct 17, 2017

My first source would be the owners manual.

Use what they recommend, especially if under warranty.

4520BW · Oct 17, 2017

Cummins/Fleetguard DCA.

leroy in ne · Oct 17, 2017

comment to Ronnie Budd, what about my local station that has a 5000 gal. tank for off road. orders in a load in Nov. after harvest. only a few skid steers and small tractors pushing snow. sell a few hundred gallons a week. along comes 20 below in Jan. still have Nov. blend. on road sells a semi load every week or 10 days. which engine is going to have problems with jelling

caterpillar guy · Oct 17, 2017

Leroy
Neither of them as it is blended for winter in about September.
As for the fuel deal I guess I miss read the post. I did fully read it though. I test all the diesels with wet sleeves with the strips from the local Baldwin distributor. The have 3 pads one for freeze level one for nitrates and one for the other test can't remember it right now. Then add as the chart indicates. Usually about a cup to a pint per engine. It is figured in per gallon of antifreeze ratio.

hd6gtom · Oct 17, 2017

Neither one of them should have problems with jelling. You blend 50-50 starting in mid October. Depending on your location, if you are north of the Iowa border you should be running 100% #1 fuel in Nov-Dec-Jan and Feb. The problems you are going to find is algae in truck stop diesel. If you buy truck stop-convienence store diesel and leave it sit in anything even for a few months you have a huge chance of picking it up. Why-- that stuff is made to be used in a few days, most of it does not have an algaecide blended into it. The solution-- spend a few cents a gallon more and buy premium #2 fuel. It is made to be put in a storage tank and remain stable and clear of algae for months or years. Talk to your fuel supplier, if they tell you there is no difference or they claim to not know what you are talking about-- then it is time to switch fuel suppliers. Most Farm Coops that handle fuel have it. Its cheaper to buy premium #2 fuel than buy the cheap stuff and add stuff to it.

Diesel antifreeze

Doug-Iowa

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caterpillar guy

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wilson ind

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Doug-Iowa

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Part Time Pete

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matthies

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Ronnie Budd

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Steve@Advance

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4520BW

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leroy in ne

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caterpillar guy

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hd6gtom

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