Best fuel additives

[Brady D]

What is the best diesel fuel additive for an old tractor?

 

[Roadworthy]

You don't mention whether it's gas or diesel but Sea Foam works on either. I REALLY like it for gasoline but it is recommended for diesel, too.

 

[revver6]

check out opti-lube,been using there products for 5 years,in the winter we use the xpd in the summer we use there lubricity xl,very pleased with it in older and newer diesel engines

 

[Monster5601]

What is the best diesel fuel additive for an old tractor?

My question is, what are you hoping to achieve by using an additive. If that old tractor has survived this long presumably without using fuel additives, I say don't fix what isn't broken.

I'm following interesting discussions about diesel additives and which brand additives work best in what regions of the country. I didn't realize that diesel isn't all the same across the country. I recently took delivery of a new RAM EcoDiesel and I was surprised when I read this in the owner's manual;

"Under normal conditions the diesel fuel filter should be replaced every 20,000 miles (32,000 km) (every other oil change). If the vehicle is being used in severe operating conditions, or in certain geographical areas of the country (Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska) due to fuel cleanliness issues, it’s recommended to replace the fuel filter every 10,000 miles (16,000 km)."

This prompted me to start looking around. Granted, this is about modern diesel engines and their emission systems and HP fuel delivery.

I use Power Service treatment for the diesel tractors and other land maintenance equipment mainly to prevent gelling in the winter (I buy off-road diesel in bulk) and to up the cetane above 50.

In my EcoDiesel and the RAM 3500 Cummins, I use Everyday Diesel Treatment, this also boosts the cetane but provides additional lubricity for the high-pressure fuel pumps.

 

[Spike56]

What is the best diesel fuel additive for an old tractor?

I typically use Diesel Kleen (aka, Power Service) or Sea Foam. Both available locally at Walmart. Best ? Needed ? I am not a chemist, mechanic or pretend to know any details. I have (2) engine mechanic friends who have both told me it's a good idea to keep stabilizer / treatment in my fuel. My tractor can sit idle for two week stretches of time. 1989 model JD.

 

[Sberry]

None.

 

[Reddogs]

What is the best diesel fuel additive for an old tractor?

One word.. "Lucas"

 

[Bearsixty7]

I have been using Amsoil fuel additives for decades.

For diesel they have these, https://www.amsoil.com/c/diesel-additives/18/

 

[etpm]

I have a 40 year old Yanmar tractor. I decided to use an additive because the diesel that was available when the tractor was made is no longer available. Apparently the sulfur that used to be present but no longer is has reduced the lubricity of the diesel fuel. I also wanted to use something that might clean the injectors because I have no idea how the tractor was treated before I bought it. The additive I chose was Power Service but I really don't know if it is any better than other brands. I do know that my tractor started faster after I added the stuff. This could have been coincidence because the tractor had been sitting for so long before I bought it and just running it may have made it work better. But the stuff is cheap and doesn't hurt the tractor and I want the thing to run well for another 40 years. Like my over 80 year old Ford 9N.
Eric

 

[Bill Guenthner]

 

[notaz3]

Neighbor had farm equipment (tractor, trucks, cotton pickers, and backhoe) that was over 40 years old and only additives he ever put in the fuel tank was Red die Diesel. Lasted until the state government forced him to sale it out of commiefornia.

 

[Brady D]

check out opti-lube,been using there products for 5 years,in the winter we use the xpd in the summer we use there lubricity xl,very pleased with it in older and newer diesel engines

I’ve never heard of them before will definitely look into them though

 

[Brady D]

I have been using Amsoil fuel additives for decades.

For diesel they have these, https://www.amsoil.com/c/diesel-additives/18/

I’ve never used amsoil additives before but I’ve heard good things about them

 

[5030]

I find that most elixers are just a way to drain your wallet quicker. Only 'elixer' I use is Naon-Borate additive in my engine oil.

 

[oldballs]

"Naon-Borate"....boy, that's a hard elixer to enunciate....and ...it's free I suppose.

 

[Brady D]

I find that most elixers are just a way to drain your wallet quicker. Only 'elixer' I use is Naon-Borate additive in my engine oil.

I’ve never heard of Naon-Borate before

 

[Bearsixty7]

Neighbor had farm equipment (tractor, trucks, cotton pickers, and backhoe) that was over 40 years old and only additives he ever put in the fuel tank was Red die Diesel. Lasted until the state government forced him to sale it out of commiefornia.

The thing to understand is that diesel has changed a lot over the last 15-30 years, Diesel had much higher sulfur back then which is a great lubricant. A Lot of the additives over the last 20 years are to address that lack of lubrication and many also raise the cetane back up as well.

EPA began regulating diesel fuel sulfur levels in 1993. Beginning in 2006, EPA began to phase-in more stringent regulations to lower the amount of sulfur in diesel fuel to 15 ppm. This fuel is known as ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)

 

[5030]

I’ve never heard of Naon-Borate before

Excuse me, Nano-Borate. I spelled it incorrectly.

 

[5030]

"Naon-Borate"....boy, that's a hard elixer to enunciate....and ...it's free I suppose.

Again, spelled it incorrectly. Nano-Borate. Actually, it's an industrial additive for keeping the internals of engines and assemblies free of sludge and combustion by-products and it's not cheap either. Wish it was free.

 

[Brady D]

The thing to understand is that diesel has changed a lot over the last 15-30 years, Diesel had much higher sulfur back then which is a great lubricant. A Lot of the additives over the last 20 years are to address that lack of lubrication and many also raise the cetane back up as well.

EPA began regulating diesel fuel sulfur levels in 1993. Beginning in 2006, EPA began to phase-in more stringent regulations to lower the amount of sulfur in diesel fuel to 15 ppm. This fuel is known as ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)

I’ve heard that off road diesel has more sulfur in it but I don’t know enough to know if it’s true