Diesel Fuel Additive for Yanmar Engine

[DeereMann]

Members,

I haven't owned a diesel engine in quite a while. I just bought a Deere 1026R SCUT with Yanmar 3cyl 1.1L diesel engine, so need some advice from you.

I work for a major OEM of generator sets that uses diesels, so I've kept up to date on engine design, etc. But - I am unsure what the status of diesel fuel & additives is.

Here in MN, USA, all pump diesel fuel must be ULSD (<15ppm sulfur), regardless if on or off highway engine per US Govt law. This was done in 2010. With the consequential reduction of lubricity when removing the sulfur, the fuel suppliers are SUPPOSED TO replenish lubricity via additives, but are they required to by law? Is there any consistency in adequate lubricity replenishment, or are we on our own & need to use supplemental additives?

These little diesel engines are a throwback to mechanical indirect injection, so I would think they would be sensitive to lubricity. My Yanmar has in in-line fuel injection pump. Don't know what the injection pressure is, likely lower than HPCR electronic injection. MN also mandates 10% biodiesel, I believe. I have read that it is a good lubricity agent, so as long as I buy only in MN is this sufficient?

Also, this engine being IDI, they need higher cetane to start & run well. Yanmar calls for 51 cetane, which is only availble in Europe! I have seen tests of U.S. pump diesel fuel where most cetane isn't much north of 40.

I have read much about Opti-Lube XPD diesel fuel additive and the wear ball scar test results. Do you all recommend it? Or would a cetane & winter additive be sufficient w/o lubricity agent?

Thanks much,

DeereMann :anyone:

 

[jerrybob]

Check our Power Service Diesel Kleen......sold in most auto stores and Walmart. I use it......seems to work well. Good luck.....

 

[crashz]

Stanadyne and Howes also make fuel additives that are really good. If i can't find those, i usually make a home-brew of Power Service and 2 cycle oil.

 

[dschuffert]

I use Amsoil Diesel Fuel concentrate in all my diesel equipment. Any good quality product such as those mentioned above will work.

 

[3930dave]

Good quality bio-diesel is said to have decent lubricity, but for anything I want to hang onto I prefer to add my own lubricity/cleaners/cetane boosters. Opti Lube XPD seems to test well, and does have it's fans.

I've been using Stanadyne and just changed the fuel filter for the second time on my old (new to me) 7.3L. The filter still looked very clean after 30k km (factory change interval), as opposed to the black-as-coal-tar looking filter that I changed the first time.

Enforcement on added lubrication is a good question. I think I still have the relevant document on another computer.... don't recall the exact wear scar #'s but generally speaking what happened was that when the sulphur was pulled out, the engine manufacturers pushed hard for a certain maximum wear scar level, to be addressed with lube additives at the refinery. Canada went with that limit, but as I recall, the oil companies in the USA rammed through a wear-scar limit that was something like 20% higher - obviously they would prefer to have your engine need repairs sooner, than spend some of their excess billions on more lubrication in the fuel.

I treat the fuel I buy in Canada, and knowing what I just described above I dose a little higher on lubrication when I buy fuel in the USA.

It would be interesting to see a Watchdog assess how often Refinery-added-Lube in diesel actually meets spec at a retail pump. Same goes for % alcohol in gasoline. I suspect neither is being tested anywhere near as often as it should be.

Perhaps when Jay Leno retires he can buy a refinery and churn out specialty "race only" fuels for us gear-heads !

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

This is the pdf I was on about..... history on the lubrication back room maneuvering.

(460 vs. 520.... not quite 20%, but you get the drift.....)

Rgds, D.

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Take look at this link. From this study there is no need to spend a lot of bucks to help out with the lubricity issue.

Lubricity Additive Study Results - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

Do note sample #7.

 

[JasG]

We use Stanadyne Performance Formula which the local diesel injection shop recommends. It's not just for lube but to help with the higher water content the ULSD fuel seem to have. I have become good friends with these guys and they have seen a huge increase in water damage to the fuel systems. They say it's not the typical damage of the past for water for poor fuel storage, but from water that is basically blended in to the point it is very hard to filter out. They actually have shown me some injection pumps with this damage. They sell a few products but recommend the Stanadyne.

They said they have been told the water is coming from the process that gets more sulfur out of the fuel. Don't know if true or not, but for the cost, plus the anti gel and other things it does. It's well worth the piece of mind.

 

[lilranch2001]

Opti Lube XPD AND Power Service is my choice

Sort of like wearing a belt and suspenders......

 

[jgayman]

Have you checked out the John Deere Fuel-Protect Diesel Fuel Conditioner? It comes in both Summer and Winter formulas. I've been using it in my JD 2720.