Cetane revisited

[sailorman]

Bought 5 gals. of fuel yesterday and didn 't notice until I was done that pump said minimum 40 cetane. Manual says minimum 45 cetane. I have added power service white bottle. I gotta ask even though it may have already been asked ( search didn 't quite get me the answer ). Can I use the 40 without damaging engine ? I don 't even know if I can get 45 in my area, most pumps aren 't even marked.

 

[sailorman]

Guess I 'm gonna have to figure this one out myself. The answer must be out there somewhere.

 

[RalphVa]

Some service stations offer premium diesel that is higher cetane.

Ralph

 

[schmism]

from Cetane number - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cetane number is actually a measure of a fuel's ignition delay; the time period between the start of injection and start of combustion (ignition) of the fuel. In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periods than lower cetane fuels. Cetane numbers are only used for the relatively light distillate diesel oils. For heavy (residual) fuel oil two other scales are used CCAI and CII.
[edit] Typical Values

Generally, diesel engines run well with a CN from 40 to 55. Fuels with higher cetane number which have shorter ignition delays provide more time for the fuel combustion process to be completed. Hence, higher speed diesels operate more effectively with higher cetane number fuels.

so for a low RPM tractor engine, im going to bet you never notice a difference.

 

[sailorman]

schmism, I was hopin' some one would say that. Heck, I 've probably used cetane 40 before without knowing 'cause a lot of pumps down here aren 't even labeled.

 

[SkyPup]

If you add the recommended 1/100 dilution of Power Service to your supposed 40 minimum cetane fuel, the 2-EthylHexylNitrate in the PS will increase your cetane value to 45 cetane minimum.....

 

[sailorman]

If you add the recommended 1/100 dilution of Power Service to your supposed 40 minimum cetane fuel, the 2-EthylHexylNitrate in the PS will increase your cetane value to 45 cetane minimum.....

I haven 't checked to see if I 've done a 1/100 dilution, but I did do a proportionality to figure what I needed for my 5 gal can based on the list on the bottle. That should do it.

 

[Ken45101]

Some service stations offer premium diesel that is higher cetane.

Ralph

I've seen "premium diesel" but no explanation. Where you've seen it, is it marked as with a higher cetane number?


To the OP, I think the study has been that 2 cycle outboard marine oil is the most cost effective diesel booster.

Ken

 

[Skyco]

The 2 cycle oil adds lubricity, does nothing for the cetane.

 

[daman1]

The 2 cycle oil adds lubricity, does nothing for the cetane.

Correct,, it adds lubricity for the injectors and injector pumps.