Would like to see some objective info on fuel additives!

[Barn Owl]

The big fleets have lots of money, lots of testing, same with the fuel companies, and especially the engine manufacturers times 10 ....

If any of this stuff worked, it would be already in the fuel, or we'd all know about it via the trade press and instructions in the owners manuals.

Choose the anti-gel of your choice, mix it to PROPER RATIO, leave the rest on the shelf.

Since I cannot say it any better, I will just have to agree with BW.

[Seayfam]

OK so I noticed a thread that mentions fuel additives. I for one who pays outrageous amounts of $ per yer for buses, maintenance, oil & FUEL would be interested in hearing and seeing some PROS & Cons for fuel additives!
  BK 
Just thought I'd give my thoughts FWIW
I also would like to here from diesel only shops in northern states that don't use bioblend at the pump.
And maybe even over the road truckers with millions of miles in northern states with older diesels. Ultimately they would know the end result.
I've been wondering and researching for years myself.
Gary

[Don Fairchild]

Lets see if I can add to this with out sounding like I am talking out of my backside.

back when fuel was the real thing and btu's were 145,000-147,000 per gallon burned we could get by with just about anything. Now that big brother has become involved the btu's have gone down to 131,000-133,000 per gallon burned. You have heard and will continue to hear that sulfur is not a lubricant and that is true. The thing that gets over looked is when they strip the sulfur from the fuel it also pulls out the lubricity. I don,t think you can get anything that will restore the BTU's but can increase the cetane # and add to the lubricity. My thoughts are that if you can add a cetane boost, lubricity additive and some type of anti gelling product you will be ok, and you should get better startability in the colder climates. I have used power service and amsoil products for several years and have not seen any adverse affects. I want my engine and all it parts to last as long as possible. I believe that one of the places that lack of lubrication from the fuel shows up in the injectors don't last as long as they should.

In July when we went back to Texas to test engines we found that injector wear and longevity became an issue. we tested a few additives with out any clear cut results.

I no this doesent help but that is my take on it.

Don

[5B Steve]

    The "Quality" of  crude isn't the same as it was 20-30 yrs ago. Differant type of crudes produce , differant Natural Cetane

    numbers. Therefor, additives mainly 2-EYTHL- HEXL NITRATE  comes into play. This is added at the refinery for combustion of

    towoll oil, (what becomes diesel fuel). The higher the PTB'S, pounds per thousand barrels of 2-E-H-N.  For instances,

    650 LB of 2-E-H-N in  42,000 gal's or 1000 barrels (barrel is 42 gal) the national average of today's fuel is 42.5 cetane numbers.

    47 numbers represents premium fuel.  650 LB added to that number will give you 47 plus cetane numbers. 550, 450, 350, etc.

    you do the mathematics, will give you the fuel number.  I hope this doesn't confuse anyone.

   
   Steve 5B..

 
 

     

 

[Seayfam]

Don,
You nailed it!!
Since the oil companies and Diesel engine manufactures have to meet big brother's rules, they can only do what they can to make the government happy. After lots of problems with engines Catipillar quit building over the road motors. And also pay attention to the fuel station you buy fuel from. Here in Alaska I have seen some of them pour emulsifiers in their tanks. This is a win win for them. They don't have to clean the water out of their tanks, and they sell water. So only buy from reputable stations.
Just some more thoughts
Gary

[5B Steve]

  I forgot to mention in my last post, Cetane products are tested in a "CETANE ENGINE" designed for diesel fuel testing.  Fuels

  will very depending on the state of crude and where it comes from. Differant levels will have higher or lower  natural cetane

  numbers.  Southwest engineering institute located in the Dallas is where a lot of fuels are tested.  A full diesel fuel cetane

   test will run  $1,500 -$2,200 per test! Get the chance look up CETANE ENGINE on the net, some good info.


   Steve 5B.....

[somewhereinusa]

I'm new here and don't as yet have a bus, but I'm looking. I do however drive a semi 48 states and it currently has over a million miles on it. I never used to add anything to the fuel, unless I was, say going from Fl to WI in the winter. (did that once, it was 99 degrees colder in WI) Today's ULS fuel seems to pick up moisture faster and seems to be dirtier. I don't really have a gelling problem, the fuel gets ice crystals in it that will plug up a filter. I also can't get much over 15000 miles on a filter without loosing power. I now use fuel additive in every fill up if the temp is going to be 20 degrees or below. Changing a fuel filter when it's below zero is no fun. Fuel mileage is down about 1 mpg in the summer and almost 2 in the winter with ULS.

[Seayfam]

The little white crystals in your fuel filter is probably paraffin (wax)
this is very common in fuels with bioblend and that is the side affect.
Additives usually don't help much there. Probably got some 5 or 10% bioblend
down south.

Gary

[luvrbus]

The refining process on ULSD fuel to remove the sulfur is a complicated process that add to the price I was told at Sun they use Hydrogen Gas to remove the sulfur then they refine the hydrogen sulfide from the diesel if not refined good I can see where ice crystals would be a problem.
I don't believe sulphur adds to the BTU of diesel any of you guy know for sure I am not good with the Google thing.
At Sun I built a new wax plant for the new diesel fuels for what purpose I have no idea unless the wax is removed during the process then added somewhere down the line the plant was built before the new fuels were mandated so they knew what was coming I guess   


good luck

[somewhereinusa]

Could be wax, but the crystals aren't white. They are more clear like ice. Whatever they are additive seems to keep them away.