Fuel additives

[czechsonofagun]

After I had to replace two fuel filters in two days - both frozen solid - I use additives in winter.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Local dealer sells TK-7 fuel treatment.
Pretty darn pricey stuff.

 

[JWR]

Just to clarify John Deere, CaseIH and New Holland all recommend using fuel conditioner. They all sell there own brand.

Good point. I was wrong to say that no major tractor manufacturer recommends additives. A few years ago before low and ultra-low sulfur fuel became so common the mfrs not only did not sell their own but recommended against use of fuel additives. Things have changed. From what I can find, the lowered lubrication quality of lower sulfur fuel is the driver. No manufacturer is saying "you shall" use the additives but as Kuboman says they are selling it and thus inherently recommending it. Other motivators besides lubrication are boosted cetane ratings and supposed cleaning of injectors. In my sample both Deere and AGCO offer winter and summer versions with the winter ones intended to help minimize gel formation at very cold temps. Winter versions tend to call for using twice as much of the conditioner in cold months. All that said, I'm not impressed with the need for conditioner/additives. It reminds me of tiger repellent -- people who use it regularly very rarely see any tigers.

 

[buickanddeere]

After I had to replace two fuel filters in two days - both frozen solid - I use additives in winter.

Using summer fuel in the winter , well of course the filters will fill with wax or ice if there is water in the fuel.
Supposed to use winter diesel in the winter that does not have water in it.
Why not prevent the problem instead of allowing the problem then having to treat the symptoms?

 

[buickanddeere]

Companies will sell anything that they can get away with that will make $$$.

 

[CreekyB]

I am a lifelong industrial technician/carpenter, last decade or so I have been working in transit. I currently manage an operation that dispenses about 25,000 gallons per night. 11,000 from the tank farm of 120,000 diesel gallon capacity that is 75 feet from my office. 6x20K gallon diesel tanks and a 20K gallon unleaded tank.

USLD - needed but it is a bane, depending on how fresh it is will often tell how much water will perk out of it. There are several methods for removing the sulphur but one that is most effective and gaining the most ground is adding oxygen then using water to dissolve the sulphur from the ionic solution. This method is preferable because you wind up with byproducts that can be used in other industries as opposed to the older methods which left large unusable waste streams.

So, what does this mean? The centrifuge is going to leave some suspended water, the perking process for evaporation is often lengthened or shortened depending on the volume of orders for the product. Your diesel is getting delivered and dispensed with some water. Algae, fungus, and bacteria become an issue eventually. As tolerances get tighter, injectors get more and more high tech, finer and finer filters are needed to protect them.

Having said all that I use a ton of Power Service products. They just work. I can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in roadcalls and downtime if the tanks are not kept clean. Fuel cleanliness is not a huge issue because of the turnover we have in inventory. This also goes for the tanks in the vehicles. I use Bio-Kleen biocide and Clear-Diesel fuel and tank cleaner together. One kills and the other dissolves and disperses. They have some cetane boosters and cold weather additives but I have not had any use for them. Our fleets are designed for USLD and our winter lasts a week, sometimes two if we are lucky enough to have it go that long.

So, if you have a modern diesel, use what you need, not what someone is telling you that you need. If you have an older diesel use the products that you need to ammend the fuel.

There are affordable test kits to test for algae/fungus/bacteria in diesel. I tend to use the culture type, I feel like I get a better view of exactly what and how fast things are growing. That way I can treat accordingly. You will need something to grab bottom samples. Bacon bombs are good for this if you have a clear drop to the bottom of the tank.

There are other products out there, they may be effective, this was the first option while spending tons of money that actually worked for us. Mechanical cleaning of the tanks and fuel polishing can run us better than 30K$ per year, these two chemicals give us a better level of performance, reduced roadcalls and downtime, cleaner tanks for about $9,000 per year. One of the few times saving money saved money in all aspects.

Last thing, getting the water off the bottom of the tank and keeping it off the bottom of the tank will do you better than more treatment. The bugs only grow on the split between water/fuel and where the water hits air. They can grow down sump tubes and the walls of the tanks due to following the water with the condensation effect. Thus keeping your tank full is really another of the best things you can do. Fill up after use and not before use, fill up more frequently. Also, your bugs are not growing while frozen, your biocide will not do it's job while frozen. Treating in freezing temps is a waste of money.

Disclaimer: I do not work for these people, I just give them money for a product that works. The two products I have mentioned do work and are worth the cost in the Central Texas area. YMMV (but I don't think so)

Pardon the grammatical errors, I am fluent in Redneck, English is my second language.

 

[JWR]

Using summer fuel in the winter , well of course the filters will fill with wax or ice if there is water in the fuel.
Supposed to use winter diesel in the winter that does not have water in it.
Why not prevent the problem instead of allowing the problem then having to treat the symptoms?

"Winterized" fuel has NOT had the water removed per se. It has had chemicals added to prevent solidification. The winter problem normally has nothing to do with water. For czechsonofagun to have had to replace two "frozen" fuel filters in 2 days he was either talking about the water separator filter (and it is wild/hard to picture that filling right back up with water a day later unless he had terrific water pollution in his fuel tank) or more likely the fuel had turned to gel, which it does below around 10 degrees F. Unless I got fuel from the same supplier every time and confirmed it to work OK down near zero deg F I would never depend on the looseness and unproven nature of seasonal fuel treatment at the sources. I have had auto diesels flat quit due to gel forming below 10 degrees in the mountains of both WV and VT. I prefer the VT heavy equip operator solution of using up to 50/50 kerosene in very cold weather. Some if not all of the additives claim to remove water (meaning they combine with it and allow you to burn it.) That's a good thing too once in a while.


CreekyB: Outstanding insight from an obviously knowledgeable source ! Thanks for that educational info.

 

[CreekyB]

CreekyB: Outstanding insight from an obviously knowledgeable source ! Thanks for that educational info.

You are welcome, I have ZERO knowledge and insight on diesel when it gets cold. It is my opinion that humans should not live where there are no native palm species. I refuse to learn about freezing diesel

 

[JWR]

You are welcome, I have ZERO knowledge and insight on diesel when it gets cold. It is my opinion that humans should not live where there are no native palm species. I refuse to learn about freezing diesel

Ha! Here in So. MD we have no palm trees but do have very mild winters. Last time it went below 10 deg. here was 1978 as I recall. However it often does in WV mountains (where I own property) and in northern New England and Quebec where I snow ski at times. VW diesels were actually delivered in 1979 with manuals recommending 10% gasoline be added to the No.2 fuel if temps were expected below 10 degrees. That was rapidly rescinded in the early 80's when GM research published that the 10% gas mix was a hazzard. I have topped a mountain (1979 VW diesel) and had the engine quit due to low temperatures. Same thing a few hundred yards from the hotel where the engine heater was plugged in (in VT.) Dozer & crane operators in Northern VT routinely use a 50/50 mix with kerosene in very cold weather. More modern diesel cars (I hear) are equipped with line heaters. That gets the car started and then supplies warmer than ambient temp excess fuel back to the tank in the return line. Tractors are a whole different story. The only reliable way to run farm tractors in very cold weather is to use some sort of additive to prevent the gel happening (lowers the clotting point in my terms, Deere calls that "lowering the Cold Filter Plugging Point or CFPP) or, what I prefer, is just use the kerosene mix when needed. The No.1 and No. 2 mix puts out less power and hurts fuel mileage but that's a small price to pay compared with getting stuck somewhere.

 

[kuboman]

Just to add to the conversation. Back about the time that they really started removing sulfur from diesel around 1992 John deere came out with a service bulletin recommending the use of Stanadyne fuel conditioner. I followed their recommendation and noticed a dramatic increase in performance in my tractor engines. I have used it ever since and with 1000's of hours over the years never had an injection failure. For what its worth I think its worth the cost. North America has some of the poorest quality diesel of anywhere on the planet.