Atf to clean?

[chris142]

I keep seeing atf recommended to clean injectors. How does it do that? Atf has no detergents or solvents. Wouldn't an injector cleaner work better?

 

[FarmerFrank]

The scientific term is PM. Pure Magic. It works, even if it's just a placebo.


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[Macrobb]

I can't give you a scientific mechanism for it working, but it does seem to help. I'm not sure that it has no detergents in it - considering ATF goes through an auto trans, picking up particles of clutch material and taking them through the filter.

On the injector side, it may be because it's thicker than diesel - simply making the IP work a little harder, creating higher pop pressures and (hopefully) pulling out some crud with it.

I'm not quite sure. I do know that it is a bit more work to shove through an injector(I use ATF in my pop-tester), and seems to lube everything up real nicely.

The other part of the recommended cleaning is also important, though - that of taking the truck out and /working/ it as hard as you can for a while.
Seriously - the old 'italian tune up' is alive and well. Personally, I find that the engine doesn't get nearly hot enough just driving around empty; you'll get plenty of not-burned-off deposits on the exhaust manifolds.
It's only when you hook a trailer to it and give it a good workout that things start cleaning up and burning off.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

It's a trick that was taught to me by my dad and Grandpa and I have run half a quart a tank in every diesel iv ever owned and always used it to prime when changing the fuel filter and I'll swear by it

 

[rewbrooks50]

How often is ATF added to a tank of fuel?

 

[Thewespaul]

Atf is a detergent, that combined with it being a thicker fluid than diesel is what cleans the injection pump and injectors. I wouldn’t recommend using it as an every tank additive, only when you run into a sticking injector or metering valve issue. The best additive I have found is hotshots diesel extreme. I add it to every tank of diesel in every Diesel I work on here, and you can feel the difference when you forgot to add it.

 

[rewbrooks50]

Atf is a detergent, that combined with it being a thicker fluid than diesel is what cleans the injection pump and injectors. I wouldn’t recommend using it as an every tank additive, only when you run into a sticking injector or metering valve issue. The best additive I have found is hotshots diesel extreme. I add it to every tank of diesel in every Diesel I work on here, and you can feel the difference when you forgot to add it.

So that I understand, any cleaning additive is as needed and not very fill up? Is there a fuel additive that is recommended at every fill up?



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[Thewespaul]

I use the hotshots every fuel up, a $13 bottle will last quite a while if you dose it right. It will clean your fuel system and keep it lubricated. Imo, modern diesel is not adequate for our fuel systems lubrication needs, you have to add something in each tank to make up for that lack of lubricity

 

[rewbrooks50]

Thanks Thewespaul, that clears it up for me.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

@Thewespaul how come you wouldn't recommend using every tank ?

 

[austin92]

Diesel was what, 200ppm sulfur when our trucks were built? Now we have 15ppm maximum. The process of removing sulfur makes the fuel more “dry” as I understand. Kinda like kerosene. I did a lot of reading on the subject of additive lubricity. There was an extensive test done that showed optilube very high in the list, stanadyne lubricity formula as a bang for the buck, and 2 cycle oil as a better than nothing additive (my own interpretation). Marvel mystery oil actually lowered the lubricity rating of diesel fuel which surprised me. I couldn’t find the link but I vividly remember reading it


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[Thewespaul]

The thread is in the tech articles, but it’s ten year old research now so take it with a grain of salt, products have changed and new options are available now. The reason I wouldn’t do atf every tank is mostly cost. There’s better additives that cost less per gallon of diesel that are a better lubricity/cleanliness maintainer per se. Atf can be ******* injection pump seals if used very regularly as well.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

That makes sense guess I'll change up routine

 

[riphip]

There is also a product EDT (Every Day Treatment) from same company. The HotShot Treatment is not meant for every tank fill-up. Google: Lubrication Specialties EDT

 

[nelstomlinson]

There was an extensive test done that showed optilube very high in the list, stanadyne lubricity formula as a bang for the buck, and 2 cycle oil as a better than nothing additive (my own interpretation).

Is this the old study you are thinking of? http://www.jatonkam35s.com/DeuceTechnicalManuals/Diesel_fuel_additive_test.pdf

I'm using the cheap Walmart 2 cycle oil with every fill up, a pint to each tank.