Fuel additive use or not

[The Evil Twin]

There is a reason it is said to "Buy diesel where it flows like wine".... You are getting less water with your fuel if the supply does not sit around.

Truer words have not been spoken. The station with the most diesel stains on the concrete wins. Lol.

 

[fried1765]

I haven't used additives in over 30+ years. Run tank down to about 1/4 or less at least every three months. Fill with fresh Diesel and repeat. I do ensure that it's "winter blend" before temperatures drop.

Humm......
No expensive snake oil used here either.

 

[GeoHorn]

I have a 160-gal storage tank I keep diesel in for the 3-diesels I run. When I refill that storage tank …(about once/year) …. I add Stabil for Diesel, and Biobor-JF for biocide following the directions. Here in Central Tx I do not use anti-gel because it only gets down to +17-F once or twice a year ….(No.2 diesel doesn’t gel until +15-F)…..and when that happens I stay off the tractor and beside the fireplace with Ancient Age Anti-Gel:

 

[DaveFromMi]

I use Power Service in the white bottle to prevent gelling. I use Pri-D for a biocide. Have used Pri-D for kerosene for several years.

 

[T0adman]

Does power service have a stabilizer too, or should I add something like seafoam/stabil if it's going to take me awhile to use up a tank? Or is diesel more stable than gasoline and simply doesn't need anything like that?

 

[nbryan]

All I've used here in southern Manitoba, which can get winter COLD -35C and summer HOT +35C, is Sea Foam. In the tractor diesel and all my gas vehicles and outboard, saw, etc.
And for all that equipment I've never had stale fuel, gelling, or biological activity problems. Not ANY problems, with my fuels.
And besides that, the SF acts fast to smooth up older engine starts and idling quite a bit, as well as add a touch of power. My 2006 Tacoma gas gets a SF treatment every change and the increased engine smoothness on that engine with 375,000km is very real. Same for the old 80's Mercury Thunderbolt 50 outboard. Sea foam obviously does a good job cleaning the fuel system and injectors.
So I keep a maintenance dose of SF in all my jerry cans of gas and diesel, right at the pump.

 

[Trustable]

Thanks for all the help! Not my thread but appreciate the answers to my add on questions. Went to Meijer and got the power service white antigel. once I do the math I’ll add it to the tank and drive it for 5-10 mins to mix it up.

 

[BruceP]

Does power service have a stabilizer too, or should I add something like seafoam/stabil if it's going to take me awhile to use up a tank?

Clean diesel fuel can store for YEARS within a sealed container.... Most fuel-storage is NOT sealed.

It is WATER and AIR which are the catalysts for fuel to go 'bad'.

Or is diesel more stable than gasoline and simply doesn't need anything like that?

That is correct.


Said another way:
Diesel fuel additives have several MEASURABLE benefits: (None which 'stabilize')

• Lubricity - make pumps/injectors last longer
• Cetane - Adds energy to diesel-fuel. Measurable increase of MPG and some power.
• Water Control - either dispursant -or- coagulant as discussed previously.
• biocide - only really necessary if there is too much water in the fuel AND the temparture is right for breeding the critters. Does not hurt to put some in.
• AntiJell - Only needed in colder ambient temperatures when the paraffin in the fuel solidifies and collects on the filter-surface. This can stop fuel-delivery to the engine.

Commercially available diesel-fuel may contain some of the above additives. (ie...The "winter blend" fuel has some AntiJell within it.)

--------------------
Related: I grew up in Arabia 'cuz my Dad worked for ARAMCO. (ARabianAMericanoilCOmpany) He told stories of "light sweet crude" which was pumped out of the ground and filtered right into their Caterpillar equipment. Back then, it was clean enough right out of the ground. (no processing/refining needed)

Morale --> If million-year-old crude oil was good enough.... 'stabilization' is not the problem.

 

[T0adman]

Clean diesel fuel can store for YEARS within a sealed container.... Most fuel-storage is NOT sealed.



That is correct.


Said another way:
Diesel fuel additives have several MEASURABLE benefits: (None which 'stabilize')

• Lubricity - make pumps/injectors last longer
• Cetane - Adds energy to diesel-fuel. Measurable increase of MPG and some power.
• Water control - either dispursant -or- coagulant as discussed previously.
• biocide - only really necessary if there is too much water in the fuel AND the temparture is right for breeding the critters. Does not hurt to put some in.

--------------------
Related: I grew up in Arabia 'cuz my Dad worked for Aramco. He told stories of "light sweet crude" which was pumped out of the ground and filtered right into their Caterpillar equipment. Back then, it was clean enough right out of the ground. (no processing needed)

Morale --> If million-year-old crude oil was good enough.... 'stabilization' is not the problem.

Thanks for such an informative answer!

 

[i7win7]

I use a golden rod filter on my bulk tank. Water weighs more than diesel and can be drained out the bottom of the filter. Since the plastic is relatively clear, sunlight will allow algae to grow, indicating biocide is needed and filter cleaning/replacement should be considered

Warning for BX owners: If you don't remove the mower deck and lock it in the TOP setting, the hydro fan blows cold air over the filter in the winter. When filter clogs up due to gelling and kills the engine, the deck will not lower so the filter can be replaced. I purchased extra fuel line and moved my filter.

 

[GeoHorn]

I use a golden rod filter on my bulk tank. Water weighs more than diesel and can be drained out the bottom of the filter. Since the plastic is relatively clear, sunlight will allow algae to grow,

Not correct. Firstly, it is NOT algae that grows in diesel, and the biologicals which do live in diesel tanks do not need sunlight.

The microbes which get into diesel (and certain other fuel) tanks live in the WATER (condensated water) which settles in the bottom of the tank….and those microbes consume the fuel as food.
Like all other living organisms …after eating…they EXCRETE and that forms a mass/mat which clogs filter, becomes acidic and corrodes.

The Golden Rod filter people make two types of filter elements for that type container, one of which Blocks water and the other type only filters physical contaminates. The Water Block element will eventually clog with water and reduce fuel flow…and the water that enters the container ordinarily settles to the bottom where you are correct…it may be seen and drained out.
If not regularly drained it will eventually Block the “water block” filter.

But don’t be mislead by anecdotes about “algae”.