Diesel Additive - which one, and how much?

[ruffdog]

Stanadyne has 4 different additives depending on your priorities.

 

[Fallon]

I think you will be fine using nothing but a biocide. Keep it simple. Two things that bother me about additives. One is when the claim too much. You know, it improves fuel mileage, cleans injectors, ends world hunger etc. The truth is the people that make diesel would add stuff if it helped. They could probably buy these additives in bulk quantity cheap.

The second is when people say “I’ve been using xxxxxxx for 30 years and never had a problem”. Maybe if they hadn’t been using it they wouldn’t have had problems.

Yup.

I use the biocide as I store fuel for a while & anti-gell as it gets cold. Both reasonably testable scenarios, not that I want to risk it.

Other claims may or may not be true. I'm pretty sure increased mileage claims are generally bogus. Better lubrication may be realistic but I I'm running a modern machine designed for modern fuel.

 

[jjp8182]

I think you will be fine using nothing but a biocide. Keep it simple. Two things that bother me about additives. One is when the claim too much. You know, it improves fuel mileage, cleans injectors, ends world hunger etc. The truth is the people that make diesel would add stuff if it helped. They could probably buy these additives in bulk quantity cheap.

The second is when people say “I’ve been using xxxxxxx for 30 years and never had a problem”. Maybe if they hadn’t been using it they wouldn’t have had problems.

I agree with the first part of that, but I wouldn't count on the distributors/refiners adding anything to for long term storage of diesel.

Don't see they'd have much incentive to do that between the cost and so many just refilling the vehicle(s) using the fuel.

 

[newbury]

A couple of points I want to make. I see lubricity brought up a lot. That’s probably important on older machines but not on newer tractors that are designed to run on low sulfur diesel.
<snip>

It may depend on the tractor.
The lubricity was needed in 2010 era Vw's and some american trucks that used Bosch common rail systems.

the Bosch CP4.2 fuel pump that come stock on a 2011 to 2016 Duramax engines has led to thousands of catastrophic failures.

from Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Provide Insufficient Lubricity - AMSOIL Authorized Dealer

 

[ruffdog]

It may depend on the tractor.
The lubricity was needed in 2010 era Vw's and some american trucks that used Bosch common rail systems.

from Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Provide Insufficient Lubricity - AMSOIL Authorized Dealer

Here is an interesting article about those Bosch pumps:

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/what-is-cp4-failure/

 

[jjeff]

Off ops topic but not looking forward to when my LMM cp4 pump goes, just changed the fuel filter for the 2nd time. still was very clean with no water very simple to bleed, I try to change every 50k despite the obd tells me it still has 25%+life Hardest part was reinstalling the fender liner without a lift. After reading the posts and links may try additives for additional lubrication. Thanks.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Off ops topic but not looking forward to when my LMM cp4 pump goes, just changed the fuel filter for the 2nd time. still was very clean with no water very simple to bleed, I try to change every 50k despite the obd tells me it still has 25%+life Hardest part was reinstalling the fender liner without a lift. After reading the posts and links may try additives for additional lubrication. Thanks.

I have seen a few CP4 pump horror stories, the guys I know using lubricity additives are getting longer life out of there pumps. One guy replaced his pump before failure as a precaution.

I know this is an old study at the link here, but it is very informative about diesel additives.

Lubricity Additive Study Results

 

[jjeff]

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I have seen a few CP4 pump horror stories, the guys I know using lubricity additives are getting longer life out of there pumps. One guy replaced his pump before failure as a precaution.

I know this is an old study at the link here, but it is very informative about diesel additives.

Lubricity Additive Study Results

Thanks very informative, bookmarking that page. Side note, You know have to much equipment when its a part time job maintaining and fixing all your stuff, let alone remember what engines your running lol. My truck has the LML engine not the previous LMM, If I "remember correctly" the LML has a 9th injector for regen and has an exhaust brake, but still has the cp4 pump, unfortunately. Seems like there are a lot of options to mitigate and permanently repair if pump fails while still keeping the truck mostly stock, I've found on different websites.
Thanks again!

 

[Number15]

That report is from 2007 I think. None of it likely applies today. I mean companies change formulations all the time. Useful 10 years ago but just interesting stale data now.

 

[ruffdog]

That report is from 2007 I think. None of it likely applies today. I mean companies change formulations all the time. Useful 10 years ago but just interesting stale data now.

Also, one company had 3 products while others had one....and not the lube formula. Some were used at the high end of the mix ratio while others were mixed at the low end. I agree...stale data at best. I also could care less which additives are better than others, I would just like a real test.