Fuel additive?

[Kris K]

I was just wondering what would be best to put in my fuel to get the luberacation back i the fuel. I've heard about ATF and, also Veggie oil from the local food store. What would be best? how much do I put in each a full tank (19gallons). One quart of ether kind in a tank???
I'm just wonting to put something in there to hlep out with the lube side of things. I'll be running it in the truck in my sig.


Thanks

 

[Exekiel69]

stanadyne or power service are between the best I think. I use PS bc of availability.

 

[tonkadoctor]

stanadyne or power service are between the best I think. I use PS bc of availability.

Agreed 100%. Power service is available almost anywhere including walmart and one of the only additives authorized by many of the large fleet trucking companies I used to work for to put in their company trucks.

Personnaly I don't run any additives in mine. Everybody worries about the new ultra low sulfer fuel and before that the worried about the low sulpher fuel that came out years ago but the fuel has lubricants added back into to it to compenstate from the loss of lubricity from the process of removing the sulpher. I know this for a fact as I am a retired Petroleum Laboratory Technician

ATF is an old school trick but it wasn't for lubrication, it was to clean the injectors. The problem with it is that the red dye is the same as the dye in off road fuel so if your state checks you, you will get a ticket. The dye is still detectable many tanks down the road.

 

[Agnem]

I use Howes Lubricator. Good stuff. Howes Diesel Treat.

Kinda like a doggie treat, only for trucks.

I know the experts will tell you that you don't need to add anything, but I think the reality is when you get your fuel from different dealers/pumps all the time, you can never really be sure what your getting. If you put an additive in, then you know without a doubt that it is in there, regardless of what you read, hear, or are told.

 

[troutwest66]

I use Power Service all year. In the warm months (AKA- non freezing months), I use Diesel Kleen (grey bottle) because it has a higher cetain boost. I use the year round (white bottle), in the winter for the anti-gel. I use all of it for the added lubricity. Cheap insurance and it conditions the fuel against microbes and moisture as well. I won't fill up with out it. If I was driving a PSD I would still use it just the same. The Ford parts counter had a sign that recommended using an additive with the new fuel in the PSDs. Can't hurt and could help.

 

[jauguston]

The new ULSD has the same lubricity as the old fuel. The refiners are putting in other additives to replace the sulphur. There are very stringent specifications for lubricity that the refiners must adhere to. The only thing you should put in your fuel tank is #2 diesel fuel. The only one benefiting from the use of diesel fuel additives is the person selling the stuff!

Jim

 

[tonkadoctor]

The refiners are putting in other additives to replace the sulphur

Here's some myth busting about sulpher.

Here are the facts: (put on your ruby red slippers, repeat 3 times and click your heels together)

1. Sulpher is NOT a lubricant.
2. Sulpher is NOT a lubricant.
3. Sulpher is NOT a lubricant.
4. They don't put in additives to replace the sulpher.
5. Sulpher is not a good thing for a diesel
6. Sulpher is not good for the environment.
7. The natural lubricity of the fuel is lost due to the harsh processes used to remove the sulpher from the fuel.

Everybody I have personnally witnessed blame low sulpher fuel on IP failure and injector failures over the last about 20 years already had a slam wore out and/or poorly maintained truck to begin with and was looking for anything to blame but themselves.

 

[TLBREWER]

Here's some myth busting about sulpher.

Here are the facts: (put on your ruby red slippers, repeat 3 times and click your heels together)

1. Sulpher is NOT a lubricant.
2. Sulpher is NOT a lubricant.
3. Sulpher is NOT a lubricant.
4. They don't put in additives to replace the sulpher.
5. Sulpher is not a good thing for a diesel
6. Sulpher is not good for the environment.
7. The natural lubricity of the fuel is lost due to the harsh processes used to remove the sulpher from the fuel.

Everybody I have personnally witnessed blame low sulpher fuel on IP failure and injector failures over the last about 20 years already had a slam wore out and/or poorly maintained truck to begin with and was looking for anything to blame but themselves.

Tonkadoctor

Good to see you posting again.

This brings up a good conversation that I've had questions about. I know I was under a misconception. What IS it in the fuel that lubricates the affected parts? And without getting too technical, what is the process or what is it that is removed from the fuel (lubricity) in the effort to remove the sulphur?

I know I will continue to use additive in the winter months for gelling, but I may not during the warm months if I can get educated. I know I don't put any additive in my Duramax, heck I don't even plug it in and it fires right up.

Tom

 

[tonkadoctor]

Tonkadoctor

Good to see you posting again.

This brings up a good conversation that I've had questions about. I know I was under a misconception. What IS it in the fuel that lubricates the affected parts? And without getting too technical, what is the process or what is it that is removed from the fuel (lubricity) in the effort to remove the sulphur?

I know I will continue to use additive in the winter months for gelling, but I may not during the warm months if I can get educated. I know I don't put any additive in my Duramax, heck I don't even plug it in and it fires right up.

Tom

Thanks Tom, Needed a break from the puter for a while and got busy doing other things.

The process of removing the sulpher at most refineries is called Hydrodesulfurization. I'm not going into a chemestry lesson or chemical engineering on this as it's fairly involved but here is a good link that explains the process if you have some time to sit and read (don't do it on a day when you are already confused or tired) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrodesulfurization

What is removed in this process as well as the sulpher is the naturally occuring lubricants, what these are exactly, I don't know, my job was to know if the fuel passed ASTM specs or not and what to do, or add if possible, if it didn't.

The refineries are required to bring the fuel back up to ASTM standard D-975 for lubricity which is usually done with a product called "lubricity improver" (not kidding, that's what it says on the lables). These lubricity improvers usually have products like Naptha, Ethyl Benzene, Napthalene and Xylene in them.

Other additives that we don't think about are also injected into the fuel, like thermal stabilizers, corrosion inhibitors and static electricity dissapators to name a few of the most common many of which will also increase a fuels lubricity. Some of these additives cost several thousand dollars for a 55 gallon drum.

 

[ttman4]

Napthalene
Some of these additives cost several thousand dollars for a 55 gallon
drum.

Just wondering, but would mothballs work??
Would be cheaper than.....cost several thousand dollars for a 55 gallon
drum.
just wondering...

 

[Mike]

The process of removing the sulpher at most refineries is called Hydrodesulfurization. I'm not going into a chemestry lesson or chemical engineering on this as it's fairly involved but here is a good link that explains the process if you have some time to sit and read (don't do it on a day when you are already confused or tired) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrodesulfurization

This is essentially how I make my living. I am sitting infront of a control board as I type this that does this process.

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Elemental sulfur that has laid down inside one of our vessels.

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Sulfur reactors (large cylindrical vessels) and sulfur condensors (smaller longer cylindrical vessels). This is where sulfur is turned from a gas into a liquid molten sulfur.

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Sulfur rail loading facility at the plant.

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One train leaving the plant. We make approx 1500 long tons per day here. Its our main by-product.

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But I digress, carry on with your fuel conversation gentlemen.

 

[TLBREWER]

Very interesting. Thanks for the education fellas.

Tom

 

[Agnem]

Ew! Ew! More pictures of the GP-38-2!

OK, so it looks like we have all the professionals in here now, and each has rendered his opionion. I maintain that D-975 is the problem, and always has been as far as rotary pumps are concerned.

 

[Mike]

Ew! Ew! More pictures of the GP-38-2!

Mel likes choo-choo's


Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad aka Bad Water Railway

 

[Agnem]

Yes. Thank you.

I'm confused though. Don't know much about those Wyoming short lines, but why does the BDW have El Dorado and Wesson Railway reporting marks? Who owns who?