Local dealer, suggested using a diesel additive to any road diesel, in order to increase lubricisity. What brand or type is suggested. I bought some yesterday at Auto zone, which was the same brand TSC carries. thanks
what diesel additives do you use?
- Thread starter acsteve
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Whats the reason for putting additive's in highway diesel? I thought only around the winter time you had to put in a treatment to keep the diesel from jelling in cold weather, I had head that there's no real difference in highway and non-highway other then the dye they put in off road diesel so we know which is which and that you don't pay a tax on off road diesel. I've been a truck driver for a number of years and heard a few horror stories about D.O.T pulling over big rigs at random and dipping the fuel tanks to see if someone was putting off road diesel in a highway rig, thats a real nasty fine if you get caught, up wards of two thousand dollars or more.
I worked with some guys in Dallas that had working ranches. I remember them refering to the stuff as "red gas" due to the dye. They also said there was a big fine if caught driving a non ag vehicle with the red gas.
For the jelling of the diesel I believe that is why in very cold regions, like say, Alaska or maybe even our buddies in Canada would have diesel No. 1. The lower 48 we get deisel No.2 that does not like to be cold. I didn't know there was an additive for that but it makes sence.
I have a 2003 Ram Cummins that I have never put an additive in and I also have never put any in the Kubota.
By all means I'm not saying it shouldn't be added because I don't know. For the people using it what are any benifits of the additives.
A lot of over the counter products are just snake oil and I have been cautious of adding extra chemicles to $$$ engines.
Scott
My uncle is a used car dealer and rather knowledgeable with cars and the entire history, from the day Walter P. Chrysler or Henry Ford was born. He used to tell me all the time "theres no such thing as a mechanic in a bottle" which I assume he means that nothing on the market that claims to be the miracle cure for engine problems with this handydandy product. He used to tell me that when I was a kid and to this day I still don't know what to make of that phrase. I know some people are old school and cant adapt to technology but we have come along way and so has engine technology.
I was adding some Jet fuel but no longer have a source. Here is what I have to offer. Thank the AQMD & EPA but like the Led being removed from gasoline years back. In about 2006 sulpher has almost completly been removed from DZL. Like Led in gas Sulpher in DZL was it's main lubricant. They have additives they put in it to take the place of it but it will never be as good.
I'm not sure if these over the counter additives are for lubrication or not but I plan on using them soon.
I can say the AQMD & EPA are only interested in clean air and not your equipment longevity. Remember we now live in a throw away world!
Ex Shell
I'm not sure if these over the counter additives are for lubrication or not but I plan on using them soon.
I can say the AQMD & EPA are only interested in clean air and not your equipment longevity. Remember we now live in a throw away world!
Ex Shell
The very reason why diesel will never be cheaper then gasoline like it was years ago. I had learned that diesel was a bit more refined these days for emissions standards compared to the crude old school diesel. I didn't notice that the exhaust smell coming out the stacks on a big rig smelt more like propane then diesel.
I'm a little confused with this statement. Was that a brand name of the addative or were you actually adding Jet Fuel (JP4,5 or Jet A)
I do know that jet fuel used in turbine engines is like diesel, they are kerosene based. Diesel has addatives for lubrication and such but jet fuel is in a sense a dryer fuel, pretty much pure kerosene and would be counterproductive.
I have a pretty much unlimited supply of the stuff. One of my co-workers has an old rabbit diesel. He saves the old sumped jet fuel and burns it in his rabbit BUT he also adds a quart of engine oil to each tank since the fuel has no real lubricating properties. That is also the same procedure we used to do in the Army when diesel was not available. Top off with JetA and add engine oil to the fuel tank.
I'm still not sure I'm on the same page with you though
Scott
Jet A
I'm not real sure you can compair a Kubota engine with a 1950s Army equipments but I could be wrong.
After years of product quality testing if you saw the spec sheets Jet is just a much better grade of DZL. The EPA & AQMD won't be requiring sulpher to be removed from jet. But (Kubota's won't fall out of the sky)
The additives they started adding to DZL a few years back were directly related to the loss of lubricating properties from sulpher removal.
Some of the guys I worked with bought Mercedes just so they could dump all the old jet samples in there tanks and they never added oil.
I think a good comparison here would be the same reason you would never think of running SAE 30 oil in a new car.
I'm not real sure you can compair a Kubota engine with a 1950s Army equipments but I could be wrong.
After years of product quality testing if you saw the spec sheets Jet is just a much better grade of DZL. The EPA & AQMD won't be requiring sulpher to be removed from jet. But (Kubota's won't fall out of the sky)
The additives they started adding to DZL a few years back were directly related to the loss of lubricating properties from sulpher removal.
Some of the guys I worked with bought Mercedes just so they could dump all the old jet samples in there tanks and they never added oil.
I think a good comparison here would be the same reason you would never think of running SAE 30 oil in a new car.
LMAO! oh man your kill'n me...1950's? HA HA HA!Jet A
I'm not real sure you can compair a Kubota engine with a 1950s Army equipments but I could be wrong.
After years of product quality testing if you saw the spec sheets Jet is just a much better grade of DZL. The EPA & AQMD won't be requiring sulpher to be removed from jet. But (Kubota's won't fall out of the sky)
The additives they started adding to DZL a few years back were directly related to the loss of lubricating properties from sulpher removal.
Some of the guys I worked with bought Mercedes just so they could dump all the old jet samples in there tanks and they never added oil.
I think a good comparison here would be the same reason you would never think of running SAE 30 oil in a new car.
No, there was the Hummer, Hemmet, the NEW 5 ton.
And these new diesel engines were taking JETA because that's the mil grade, and maybe JETA was in use in the 50's, I wouldn't know.
I gotta go, I can't stop laughing.........
I have used Power Serve in the old Dodge for 15 years. My diesel mechanic swears by it, he say use the white bottle in summer to help with Cetane values and to help keep injectors clean. In the winter I use the grey bottle which lowers gelling temps. I figure I have had really good luck all those years with the truck, I am keeping up the same regimine with the little orange beast.
Ref my previous post, I got my dead dinosaurs mixed up. JetA is Civil and JP4 is the mil grade.
When I was on my way to work I remembered the reasons of having to add the oil to a tank of jet fuel. While jet fuel may have the sulfur, it is still about three times as less viscous than diesel 2. Lower levels of viscosity tend to lower levels of lubricity. While the diesel will run on pure jetA it will cause long term damage to pumps and such.
1Dragon, don't get my post wrong, I'm not doing any flaming or anything. I'm just typing what I have been told over the years. I know you worked for a petro company and seem to have experiance with the refining (?) and I do appreciate your input.
Thanks,
Scott
When I was on my way to work I remembered the reasons of having to add the oil to a tank of jet fuel. While jet fuel may have the sulfur, it is still about three times as less viscous than diesel 2. Lower levels of viscosity tend to lower levels of lubricity. While the diesel will run on pure jetA it will cause long term damage to pumps and such.
1Dragon, don't get my post wrong, I'm not doing any flaming or anything. I'm just typing what I have been told over the years. I know you worked for a petro company and seem to have experiance with the refining (?) and I do appreciate your input.
Thanks,
Scott
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nkcblue,
I didn't know what the word "cetane" was so I googled it. Came up with this, a link to wiki.
I wonder how the cummins would do pulling a load up a grade with a tank that has the Power Serve and then a run up with the same load but a tank that doesn't have it.
Do you add a bottle with every fill up?
Soctt
Here's a bit of info for those who want to undestand more on additives.
http://www.johnfjensen.com/Diesel_fuel_additive_test.pdf
http://www.johnfjensen.com/Diesel_fuel_additive_test.pdf
Hey Scott,
I think I have the white and grey bottles mixed up, but I use one for winter service to prevent gelling and the other for summer. I do add the recommended amount to each tank of fuel. I have not tried to compare the pulling power with and without the additive. I think probably you could make the arguement either way, but I tend to just stay with stuff that has been working for me. Maybe the Power Service folks depend on guys like me to buy the product, but we keep rattling and shaken the woods here in Missouri.
G
I think I have the white and grey bottles mixed up, but I use one for winter service to prevent gelling and the other for summer. I do add the recommended amount to each tank of fuel. I have not tried to compare the pulling power with and without the additive. I think probably you could make the arguement either way, but I tend to just stay with stuff that has been working for me. Maybe the Power Service folks depend on guys like me to buy the product, but we keep rattling and shaken the woods here in Missouri.
G
I did learn from a fuel delivery guy and from a few other people that around the winter time most highway and off road diesel it already pretreated with conditioner in the diesel. It was told to me that you need to treat it further if you have it siting around in fuel cans at your home. There can be a problem too with diesel turning sour {for a lack of a better word} if diesel sits to long in a fuel can or storage tank it can get moldy and a fungus will begin to grow in the tanks after time. So thats something to consider as well is try to keep fresh diesel on hand if possible.
As long as its kept warm and free from condensation you should be fine for a little while. I'd keep and eye on it and make sure there no fungus forming inside the drum.