Does anyone use fuel additives?

[1720DnTennessee]

I hear a lot of talk today about stiction in diesel injectors and the fuel additives that help prevent stiction. Is this actually a concern or just a marketing ploy by those that make the fuel additives?

In general are diesel fuels additives beneficial or should they be avoided?

 

[Looking4new]

i use power Service in the grey bottle in summer in both my Kioti and C15 Cat. I use the same PS in winter in the white bottle. I don't have any issues with fuel jelling in winter. Whether it is snake oil or not, I don't care. I use it anyway.

 

[clemsonfor]

I use Power Service more for the Cetane Boost than anything. It helps quiet the Diesel knock just a bit in these loud yanmars.

I also mix in a little TWC two cycle oil. To add lubricity to it that sulfur being stripped out reduced. Its one of the best according to some diesel tech articles I have read for adding lubricity and its cheap. I add it at about the 150-200:1 rate.
After all the diesel fuel my tractor was designed to run on in japan in the late 70s is far different than the diesel fuel of today.

 

[jerrybob]

Same here....Power Service for cetane boost.

 

[California]

I use Power Service more for the Cetane Boost than anything. It helps quiet the Diesel knock just a bit in these loud yanmars. .... After all the diesel fuel my tractor was designed to run on in japan in the late 70s is far different than the diesel fuel of today.

Ditto.

On the YM240 ('70's design) Power Service as a Cetane improver definitely calms that awful racket at cold idle that sounds like a rod is about to come through the block. I've described the sound as sledgehammers on a manhole cover, it's that severe. PS also reduces smoke if it lugs down. Their claims seem to be valid.

Also Seafoam seems to be useful as a fuel system cleanup. But one bottle then quit, not continual. I bought a bottle of SeaFoam when I bought the most recent Yanmar (a second 30+ year old YM186D, 18 hp diesel, this second one has a loader) and the seller told me he thought it needed valve guide seals due to smoking on startup and under load. 5~6 tanks later with my Seafoam/PowerService magic diet, that startup smoke is gone and there's little smoke when working hard. He may have had it crudded up from light use. Possibly my mowing and tilling with implements intended for my larger Yanmar (see my sig photo, below) are working the little guy hard enough to burn the crud out. Or maybe Sea Foam can take credit for this cleanup. This one runs nice with or without Power Service, it apparently was designed for American-spec Diesel which is a lower Cetane content than Japanese diesel fuel spec.

And like clemsonfor I'm adding 1:200 two cycle oil but that's just to use up an old pint that's been on the shelf 10~15 years and I wouldn't run it in a chainsaw now, I think its old enough it would cause hard starting for the saw. I have no idea if its needed in the tractor for lubricity or that's just urban legend. I read that the early low-sulfur diesel had too much lubricity removed along with the sulfur, damaging a lot of automobile engines, but I don't know if that problem continues with the fuel sold today.

 

[Snobdds]

Striction usually only happens in HEUI or high pressure oil systems that are used to fire off the injector instead of high pressure fuel. In the HEUI systems, there is a spool valve in the injector that gets varnish on it and it then you have striction.

As long as you use a good oil with good detergents in it, you should not have any issues.

I have a Powerstroke with the 6.0 that is fired off using high pressure oil. I like the system as it's reliable and the fuel quality doesn't need to be perfect like on the common rail diesels. I've alwaysed used Rotella T-6 with no longer than 5k oil changes...No striction ever.

 

[oosik]

Kubota recommends not needing any fuel additives. However, I do use Power Service in the white bottle in the winter. I had fuel jelling in my previous tractor and it was a PITA.

 

[clemsonfor]

Ditto.

On the YM240 ('70's design) Power Service as a Cetane improver definitely calms that awful racket at cold idle that sounds like a rod is about to come through the block. I've described the sound as sledgehammers on a manhole cover, it's that severe. PS also reduces smoke if it lugs down. Their claims seem to be valid.

Also Seafoam seems to be useful as a fuel system cleanup. But one bottle then quit, not continual. I bought a bottle of SeaFoam when I bought the most recent Yanmar (a second 30+ year old YM186D, 18 hp diesel, this second one has a loader) and the seller told me he thought it needed valve guide seals due to smoking on startup and under load. 5~6 tanks later with my Seafoam/PowerService magic diet, that startup smoke is gone and there's little smoke when working hard. He may have had it crudded up from light use. Possibly my mowing and tilling with implements intended for my larger Yanmar (see my sig photo, below) are working the little guy hard enough to burn the crud out. Or maybe Sea Foam can take credit for this cleanup. This one runs nice with or without Power Service, it apparently was designed for American-spec Diesel which is a lower Cetane content than Japanese diesel fuel spec.

And like clemsonfor I'm adding 1:200 two cycle oil but that's just to use up an old pint that's been on the shelf 10~15 years and I wouldn't run it in a chainsaw now, I think its old enough it would cause hard starting for the saw. I have no idea if its needed in the tractor for lubricity or that's just urban legend. I read that the early low-sulfur diesel had too much lubricity removed along with the sulfur, damaging a lot of automobile engines, but I don't know if that problem continues with the fuel sold today.

Many of the diesel sites and mags and stuff recommend it. The fuel needs it for the older systems they claim. The older cummins pumps go out all the time without the use of something for lubricity enhancement. Those guys are always talking about it and if you have an older one to add TWC oil so it does not burn out the pump as it will sooner or later without an additive.

 

[ninefinger]

Is this a discussion about street legal fuel or what in this area is known as red or off road fuel or both ? My tractor runs a little different with the red, it will smoke a little with the red. I was told the red had more sulfur but do not honestly know. Always eager to learn so please enlighten me.

 

[Billrog]

Here there is no difference in the fuel whether it's marked or unmarked . The only difference is a small amount of dye is added to regular diesel.