Cetane Booster beneficial in a 7.3 idi?

[Cubey]

I have run Power Service products and they seem fine. I ran Hot Shots Diesel Extreme in my RV after it got gunked up from starting to use the filthy old rear tank. (Some ATF also helped).

I bought 2 bottles of this on deep clearance ($3/bottle!) from WM a couple months ago, but haven't used any yet. It's only a cleaner though, not a cetane booster: https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/590038944

 

[Fredrickson]

Out of curiosity..

What cetane number do most of you see posted on the fuel pump when you get fuel?

I was traveling yesterday and topped off at a BP station that was rated at "40".

Which I thought seemed lower than last time I got fuel, from another station, which I thought was 45.. but I may be mistaken.
(I will start adding the number to my fuel log entries)


I have read about premium diesel but have yet to see it ..

 

[flyarmyguns]

I use cheap 2-stroke oil whenever I think about it at fill up time as recommended by my local hot rod diesel shop... https://www.ultimatetruckperformance.net/
But I rarely think about it.

 

[Dane Rickford]

What cetane number do most of you see posted on the fuel pump when you get fuel?

I never noticed a cetane number in the pumps. I will have to check next time I fill up

 

[Fredrickson]

Propel Fuel's HPR Diesel is available for those of you in California.

Supposedly.. it has a cetane rating of 75, and is cost competitive.

https://propelfuels.com/locations

"Performance formulated Diesel HPR has a cetane rating up to 75+, 40% higher than regular diesel, for smoother combustion and a better ride. Diesel HPR combusts more efficiently, which means more power and torque for your rig. And unlike biodiesel, Diesel HPR provides uncompromised cold weather performance. Diesel HPR is additized to provide excellent lubricity in all driving conditions and exceeds ULSD lubricity specification."

 

[chillman88]

What cetane number do most of you see posted on the fuel pump when you get fuel?

I don't pay a LOT of attention, but between home and driving at work I'm filling something with diesel almost daily. Every place I've ever paid attention is listed as 40 for the cetane value.

 

[Philip1]

Is the us, a cetane value of 40 is the minimum, 45 is the average value that engine manufacturers recommend. The higher the cetane value, the faster the diesel burns which helps the engine become more efficient.

https://www.bellperformance.com/bell-performs-blog/how-to-boost-cetane-in-diesel

 

[rhkcommander]

whats the main ingredients in those mixes?

I know the some fuel additives I like usually consist of naphtha and alcohol (isopropyl I believe), but they weren't advertised specifically as cetane boosters.

 

[kuskoal]

Propel HPR works great in my 6.9, just add a little optilube XL and go about your day!

Cetane is the "ignitability" of the fuel. Higher the cetane, the more volatile/ignitabile it is.

It really depends on where the diesel is operating! If you are loadlfing around at 1700-2000 Rpm, a low cetane is fine, because the fuel has enough time to burn. If you had an engine that was in the Arctic, spun higher frequently like a tractor puller, high cetane levels are needed to ignite/burn faster so the piston can extract more energy.

With that said, you can add less timing to your engine if you have a reliable source of high cetane fuel, like HPR. The less lead on timing, the less the explosion in the cylinder is working against the piston, creating work easier.

 

[Greenie]

In Maine we had premium diesel briefly - it was dyed red before heating oil and dyed diesel were dyed to assist tax collection. I'm not sure what the cetane number was but I noticed increased performance at the first tankful. Towing a 3 ton travel trailer top speed was bettered by 5 mph and mileage was a little better. This fuel disappeared when dye was added to heating oil.
I use Stanadyne Performance Formula as an additive. I got 265,000 miles out of the original injectors and injection pump partly due to the increased lubrication the Stanadyne additive offers. This additive also disperses water in the fuel into tiny droplets that are suspended in the fuel - I haven't had any water in the fuel filter sump for years as the water is burned with the fuel rather than accumulating at low points. Although I haven't had any issues water in diesel fuel that is dispersed into suspension can accumulate on the fuel filter in cold weather blocking the flow of fuel.
Years ago I wrapped 3/8" refrigeration tubing around the fuel filter that was heated by coolant teed off from the heater hoses. When the motor is at operating temperatures in the winter this helps prevent waxing and gelling issues.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Propel HPR works great in my 6.9, just add a little optilube XL and go about your day!

Cetane is the "ignitability" of the fuel. Higher the cetane, the more volatile/ignitabile it is.

It really depends on where the diesel is operating! If you are loadlfing around at 1700-2000 Rpm, a low cetane is fine, because the fuel has enough time to burn. If you had an engine that was in the Arctic, spun higher frequently like a tractor puller, high cetane levels are needed to ignite/burn faster so the piston can extract more energy.

With that said, you can add less timing to your engine if you have a reliable source of high cetane fuel, like HPR. The less lead on timing, the less the explosion in the cylinder is working against the piston, creating work easier.

That's funny/interesting because my understanding if gasoline octane rating is that higher octane makes the fuel *less* volatile, with a more predictable flame front meaning you can add more timing to increase the amount of time the fuel is burning in the chamber without detonating it and thereby transfer more energy into the piston and less waste out the exhaust valve.
Cetane rating sounds like the exact opposite of this! Guess I should use my Google-fu and read up about it...

But still a good point if you could find high cetane rating you could change your timing to match and overall should net great MPGs and better power. I have heard from a lot of old timers that bought these pickups new would get 20mpgs easily back when cetane ratings were 60+.

 

[Dane Rickford]

Cetane rating sounds like the exact opposite of this! Guess I should use my Google-fu and read up about it...

From all that I know and have learned about cetane, it does do the exact opposite of octane

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I have heard from a lot of old timers that bought these pickups new would get 20mpgs easily back when cetane ratings were 60+.

Don't forget that the speed limit was 55 as well. That had a lot to do with it.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Don't forget that the speed limit was 55 as well. That had a lot to do with it.

Good point. I was born in 83 so I forget these things! Meanwhile I'm getting 14mpgs doing 75mph with 31" tires, even with 3.55 gearing.

 

[Cubey]

Good point. I was born in 83 so I forget these things! Meanwhile I'm getting 14mpgs doing 75mph with 31" tires, even with 3.55 gearing.

My F250 (NA 6.9, C6, 3.55) seems to get better MPG at 60-65 than it does at 55. Maybe it's just interstate vs back highway driving with steeper hills, more slow downs for sharper curves, etc, that makes the difference.

Hard to say for the RV single it's always upper single digits no matter what. I'd say it's maybe 1.5-2mpg lower for city vs highway. (about 4 lower for the F250)