Diesel Fuel Additive

[Bright Raven]

Opti Lube Ag is a new additive for Agriculture equipment by Opti Lube. It increases storage stability, boosts cetane rating, cleans fuel system parts like injectors, improves cold starts, and improves water separation. I have used Opti Lube for years.

I wonder sometimes if it makes that much difference. Opti Lube does rate among the top three additives in the test I have seen.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I run 2 cycle outboard motor oil pint to the fill up. Run it in every Diesel around here. Studies when LSD came out nothing beat it and it's cheap, 12 dollars a gallon at Walmart.

 

[jltrent]

I always run some kind of additive, power-service, stanadyne, mystery oil, 2-cycle oil, brake fluid etc. Sometimes I wonder if all of it is just snake oil. On diesel sites I visit from time to time stanadyne is considered good. Some say brake fluid or 2-cycle oil is the best. With the sulfur taken out of the diesel I like to add some lubrication on every fill up.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I always run some kind of additive, power-service, stanadyne, mystery oil, 2-cycle oil, brake fluid etc. Sometimes I wonder if all of it is just snake oil. On diesel sites I visit from time to time stanadyne is considered good. Some say brake fluid or 2-cycle oil is the best. With the sulfur taken out of the diesel I like to add some lubrication on every fill up.

Especially if you have a pre 06 diesel.
Desulfurization reduces the lubricants.
The process of removing the sulfur breaks the longer chain paraffins reducing lubrication and cetane.

 

[Bright Raven]

I always run some kind of additive, power-service, stanadyne, mystery oil, 2-cycle oil, brake fluid etc. Sometimes I wonder if all of it is just snake oil. On diesel sites I visit from time to time stanadyne is considered good. Some say brake fluid or 2-cycle oil is the best. With the sulfur taken out of the diesel I like to add some lubrication on every fill up.

That is why I use an additive. Modern diesel is not as easy on an engine. Unlike gas engines, diesel engines have the added benefit that the fuel itself has lubricating properties. It still does but not as much as before the removal of sulfur.

 

[msplmtneer]

Back in the 70s some truckers would have you pump a gallon or two of gas in each tank to keep things clean.

 

[jltrent]

Back in the 70s some truckers would have you pump a gallon or two of gas in each tank to keep things clean.

The gas also kept it flowing good in the dead cold of winter and usually add some kind of lube with the gas. With all the sensors, converters, regeneration, particles filters, Piezo stacked fuel Injectors, etc. etc. using gas now might be a very expensive mistake.

 

[sstterry]

I have a friend that was in the fuel business and he insists that you must use an additive now, not just for the additional lubrication, but to also extend the shelf life and kill any algae that might grow in the tank.

I just finished a case for a friend where the supplier delivered a tank load of water contaminated diesel to his farm and it destroyed a fuel pump on one of his tractors. Until that time, I had no idea how quickly a very small amount of water can do a tremendous amount of damage to a diesel fuel pump.

The way that fuels are delivered to the wholesalers is interesting in itself. There are normally only one or two major pipelines and all fuel is delivered for every wholesaler through those same lines. Farm diesel, Exxon, BP, Marathon, etc all get their fuel through one large pipe from the refineries.

 

[snoopdog]

We try to use something in every tank, 2cycle oil, or marvel, or atf . If there is a sale on lucas or something else we'll stock up. I think algae is the predominant problem nowadays .

 

[sstterry]

We try to use something in every tank, 2cycle oil, or marvel, or atf . If there is a sale on lucas or something else we'll stock up. I think algae is the predominant problem nowadays.

That and shelf life. My friend says that the reduced sulfur really affects the shelf life of the fuel and he recommends an additive to the entire tank to help preserve it longer if it is not used within 2 or 3 months.

 

[jltrent]

We try to use something in every tank, 2cycle oil, or marvel, or atf . If there is a sale on lucas or something else we'll stock up. I think algae is the predominant problem nowadays.

That and shelf life. My friend says that the reduced sulfur really affects the shelf life of the fuel and he recommends an additive to the entire tank to help preserve it longer if it is not used within 2 or 3 months.

I had never really thought of that, but I bet that will happen with fuel now.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have a friend that was in the fuel business and he insists that you must use an additive now, not just for the additional lubrication, but to also extend the shelf life and kill any algae that might grow in the tank.

I just finished a case for a friend where the supplier delivered a tank load of water contaminated diesel to his farm and it destroyed a fuel pump on one of his tractors. Until that time, I had no idea how quickly a very small amount of water can do a tremendous amount of damage to a diesel fuel pump.

Local guy is doing a booming business rebuilding fuel pumps. We are required to run bio diesel. Algae grows in it and then you get water. :cry2:

What additive works best with bio diesel?

 

[sstterry]

I have a friend that was in the fuel business and he insists that you must use an additive now, not just for the additional lubrication, but to also extend the shelf life and kill any algae that might grow in the tank.

I just finished a case for a friend where the supplier delivered a tank load of water contaminated diesel to his farm and it destroyed a fuel pump on one of his tractors. Until that time, I had no idea how quickly a very small amount of water can do a tremendous amount of damage to a diesel fuel pump.

Local guy is doing a booming business rebuilding fuel pumps. We are required to run bio diesel. Algae grows in it and then you get water. :cry2:

What additive works best with bio diesel?

I am by no means an expert on diesel fuel. I just learned a lot in this case. My friend got a whole load of water contaminated fuel. His tractor was filled directly from the delivery truck. Luckily he did not use that fuel in any other equipment. They came back and pumped it all out and replaced it but we had to sue to get them to pay the cost of repairs.

It only takes a small amount of water to create rust in the fuel pump and that, in turn, causes pitting very quickly. A lot of white smoke is an indicator you have water in the system. A bottle of isopropyl alcohol added to the fuel tank for the engine will sometimes help the water combust and cure the problem. There are commercial additives as well.

When different fuels are pumped from the refinery, they are separated by a water block that is called "line wash". Since petroleum and water don't mix that is how they separate the deliveries that go to various distributors. If a mistake is made, water can get into a delivery.

My friend who used to be in the fuel business said always have a slight incline to your farm fuel tank so that any water from condensation will go to the bottom and flow backward away from the pump.

 

[HDRider]

I use this for algae

This for cold weather

And this for injectors

 

[HDRider]

I am a sucker for additives

 

[Stocker Steve]

My friend who used to be in the fuel business said always have a slight incline to your farm fuel tank so that any water from condensation will go to the bottom and flow backward away from the pump.

Sounds good, till the incline fills with water. Then what?

 

[sstterry]

This one is good for fuel stability and algae.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We try to use something in every tank, 2cycle oil, or marvel, or atf . If there is a sale on lucas or something else we'll stock up. I think algae is the predominant problem nowadays .

How well does ATF work? I have a bunch of it.

 

[Bright Raven]

My friend who used to be in the fuel business said always have a slight incline to your farm fuel tank so that any water from condensation will go to the bottom and flow backward away from the pump.

Sounds good, till the incline fills with water. Then what?

The inlet to the pump on farm tanks is a good distance off the bottom. If you periodically drain the sludge and water off the bottom of your farm tank, you should not have a problem.

 

[sstterry]

My friend who used to be in the fuel business said always have a slight incline to your farm fuel tank so that any water from condensation will go to the bottom and flow backward away from the pump.

Sounds good, till the incline fills with water. Then what?

What Ron said above. Like a lot of things though, it is easy to forget to do it from time to time.