Favorite Diesel Fuel Additives

[cowpie1]

Just from some experience over the years, unless temps get nasty cold, gelling is hardly ever an issue. Freezing is more of the problem. Any moisture in the fuel will crystallize and choke a filter. That is the main culprit when folks think that have gelling. That is why it is critical that any fuel additive also do a great job at handling moisture in fuel.

I have run #2 diesel, uncut with #1 or kero, at -20F with no problem. I have run so-called "winter" blended fuel and had it take out fuel filters at 0F. It always pays to treat fuel in the winter (or for that matter, year round) to prevent a host of fuel related issues. But I have found, that of all of the things that can go wrong at the worse time with fuel, water wins the prize. I use so much diesel in a year that it is almost criminal, and I can't afford to have a semi truck sitting along side the road. I am pretty **** about treating my fuel, each and every fill.

 

[Reg]

Just from some experience over the years, unless temps get nasty cold, gelling is hardly ever an issue. Freezing is more of the problem. Any moisture in the fuel will crystallize and choke a filter. That is the main culprit when folks think that have gelling. That is why it is critical that any fuel additive also do a great job at handling moisture in fuel.

I have run #2 diesel, uncut with #1 or kero, at -20F with no problem. I have run so-called "winter" blended fuel and had it take out fuel filters at 0F. It always pays to treat fuel in the winter (or for that matter, year round) to prevent a host of fuel related issues. But I have found, that of all of the things that can go wrong at the worse time with fuel, water wins the prize. I use so much diesel in a year that it is almost criminal, and I can't afford to have a semi truck sitting along side the road. I am pretty **** about treating my fuel, each and every fill.

YES, water is indeed the BIG enemy.
WIF (Water in Fuel) sensors tell us, water separators take it out - but we MUST drain them.
I am STRONGLY against anything that inhibits the ability of water separators to "do their job" by putting/keeping water in solution and I am even a little bit suspicious of additives that purport to coalesce it out so that the water separator can do a "better" job.

I can't afford to be stuck at the side of the road either, LIVE ANIMALS in the trailer dictate that.
I do carry a couple of spare fuel filters, but have never had to use one at road side.
Most modern trucks recirculate so much warmed fuel back to the tank that the whole fuel supply is very warm only a few minutes after the engine reaches full operating temp, I rarely reach a highway with a cold engine or a cold tank of fuel.
Feel a saddle tank some time to confirm this.
In the back of my mind I still carry a line from a 1968 or 9 Mercedes owners manual, approximate translation; In an extreme cold emergency if winter blend fuel is not available it is possible to use up to 30% gasoline.
I think that was intended to dissolve the summer blend "waxes" and whatever else gels.
I have never resorted to that, but I think I would add a bottle or two of dry gas.

So, I still believe that recent trucks "as built" can manage small amounts of water and waxes.
Also the fuel suppliers do a good/fair job of giving us the right blend for the seasons, slightly TOO good with respect to power and economy (-:
I don't think the summer blend fill up in a southern State followed by a drive north is likely to result in a freeze up - UNLESS one does something "less than wise".
I have had vehicles with 1,000 mile range and such a scenario is possible, but... now we're back to planning and forethought (-:
Just top the tanks off with local brew before shutting it down for the night - done and done.

 

[cowpie1]

And ULSD has magnified any problems we had in the past.

 

[clemsonfor]

I run power service grey bottle. I use it to boost my cetane numbers which helps quiet the lound nature of our old yanmar 2 cyls. I also add some tcw3 two stroke oil to about the 150:1 ratio or so for lubrication purposes, and will occasonially add about 1 ounce to the gallon of seafoam.

 

[clemsonfor]

I am a forester that deals with loggers here in South Carolina. They never treat the offroad fuel. If we get winter mourning in the mid teens to low 20s i have had guys have thier filters ice/gel up and spend hours with a torch and new filters to get the equiptment running. This may have been more in the teens than the twenties. Last cold snap where it was about 10F in the mourning 2 days in a row i did not have any with trouble? not sure the difference but it was different crews and different parts of the state, really a different state (georgia)

 

[bigdeano]

I didn't read all the posts, but someone was wondering if any of these additives are used by the military. Biobor JF biocide has Military Spec MIL-S-53021A. They say it's used by the military. Don't know any more about it.

 

[IslandTractor]

I didn't read all the posts, but someone was wondering if any of these additives are used by the military. Biobor JF biocide has Military Spec MIL-S-53021A. They say it's used by the military. Don't know any more about it.

That is a biocide to prevent microbial growth. Most of the discussion has been about additives that claim to increase mileage/efficiency. I wonder if there is a milspec for that (kinda doubt it).