Fuel Treatment Needed?

[man00]

My B2320 won't see much use at all during the winter months. Do I need to add anything to the fuel?

 

[Kanook]

Diesel is far more stable and has a greater shelf life than gasoline...My personal opinion is just ensure the tank is topped up to prevent condensation.

 

[geneP]

Seeing the "won't see much use" in the expected winter use, I would put an anti-gel in the fuel in case some of that seldom use occurs in cold weather.

 

[HEC]

I agree with geneP and many of us use power service in the white bottle . I get mine at Walmart. I use it year round in both my tractors .

 

[coldfingers]

That power service helps keep junk from forming in the tank as well when it sits

 

[nybirdman]

I also use Powerservice year round,doesn't cost much and cheap insurance.Fill tank to the top.I think one quart does 100 gallons.

 

[AStanton]

As I don't use much diesel, I too use Power Service year round. Beside helping the fuel not gelling, it also suppose to clean the injectors. I view it as cheap insurance. And knock of wood, haven't had a fuel issue in 5 years of running diesels.

 

[geneP]

My tractor is a low use (~ 50 hrs/yr) vehicle, too. I buy diesel in 5 gallon quantities so as to use it before it gets too old. In addition to the Power Service treatment, I also put about 2 oz of Marvel Mystery Oil in the fuel. It also helps keep injectors clean, and my theory is that it will help lubricate the injection pump that was made before the ultra low sulphur fuels

 

[Billrog]

Never heard of the additives listed here but I've been using Stanadyne for a few yrs. now for lubricity .

 

[Toolguy]

I agree that additives like Power Service are cheap insurance. On the other hand, in over 30 years of daily diesel use without additives, including Michigan winters, I never had a fuel problem until last year when the temps were minus 24 below. Twice I experienced fuel gelling. Acted just like a dirty fuel filter. Truck would run but had no power and would struggle to go 25 mph. Luckily I keep a can of Diesel 911 on board. Added that and 5 minutes later all was well. I still don't use additives as a regular practice, but I will always have 911 on hand in the winter. Just in case. Good luck.

 

[hutchman]

The powers that be keep taking Sulfur out of our fuel. Sulfur lubricates diesel fuel pumps. Prior to 2007, D2 had 500ppm and afterwards, 15ppm. So machines that lived on 500ppm diesel their whole life and then were fed a diet of 15ppm ... many had problems with fuel pump seals and fuel lines leaking etc. (the aromatic content changed caused swelled seals and lines to shrink), never mind the extra wear on the pump from getting less lube.

I use Power service mainly to put the lube back (and boost Cetane since our diesel is crap compared to the rest of the world). Its cheap insurance. Power service is readily available most everywhere (walmart, Tractor Supply, AutoZone etc.) but if you want the very best ... most diesel fuel gurus use Stanadyne.

 

[rbarker]

I agree that additives like Power Service are cheap insurance. On the other hand, in over 30 years of daily diesel use without additives, including Michigan winters, I never had a fuel problem until last year when the temps were minus 24 below. Twice I experienced fuel gelling. Acted just like a dirty fuel filter. Truck would run but had no power and would struggle to go 25 mph. Luckily I keep a can of Diesel 911 on board. Added that and 5 minutes later all was well. I still don't use additives as a regular practice, but I will always have 911 on hand in the winter. Just in case. Good luck.

I'm a big fan of Diesel 911. It has bailed me out a couple of times. I now us it in every tankful instead of the white bottle.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[xring100]

For diesel that has potential to sit for extended times i also treat all of mine with a biocide. i use biobor jf. I would prefer to avoid the black death caused from algae.
Its expensive to fix if it happens as my neighbor found out.

Biobor Jf Fuel Additives - Products

 

[hutchman]

Yep! If you mess with biodiesel, it will strip all that junk out of a fuel system too. Folks that went hog wild running higher than B50 in a engine that was always fed rot gut D2 learned the hard way all that junk went straight to the filter and promptly clogged it killing the engine. Biodiesel is a great additive for non common rail or piezo electric fuel systems in a ratio of B20 or less (some Mfr. say anything over B5 will void warranty). Older style mechanical fuel pumps can run B100 but you have to gradually increase the ratio (wean it off D2) as going straight to high concentrations of bio kills all the algae and strips other crud and clogs filters.

Most bio is at least 52 Cetane so it is a good Cetane booster too (a double dose of PowerService only boosts Cetane 6 points)

The best love you can give old machines is to replace fuel pump seals and lines with Viton and use an additive to protect the pump. I have two VW TDI's and there is only one place in the US that will open Bosch fuel pumps and it has to be in a clean room and prices start at $900. Situation may have changed since I used to be hot and heavy into this stuff but I learned to respect my diesel fuel pumps (they are serious high precision instruments) and show them love. No problems in almost 1/2 million miles!

 

[Paystar]

I used Power Service all the time in my dump truck and my Powerstroke that I hauled RV Trailers to dealers all over Canada. Then one day on the freeway going into Indiana 2 injectors started sticking. I found a bottle of Howes, poured it in, ran for 10 minutes, engine light went out and engine ran smooth again.
Now I use Howes in everything. Even my furnace oil tank.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My B2320 won't see much use at all during the winter months. Do I need to add anything to the fuel?

I live a bit south of you, just below Hot Springs, Ark and normally don't use any additives. Last time an artic air blast came thru and dropped temps to 17F, I put in some anti-gell agent for the first time. I haven't ever had an algae problem or water problem and don't know that I would have had a gelling problem but it was cheap insurance at the time.
If you keep your fuel in a dry area where temperature fluctuations are minimal, you likely don't need to put anything in your fuel given the normal low temps that we get.
If your tractor is less than 10 years old, it is designed to run on ultra-low sulfur diesel and doesn't need anything added for lubricity either.

 

[geneP]

This thread got me to thinking, researching diesel additives. This study http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/at...ssion-copy-diesel-fuel-additive-version-3.pdf has me considering changing to Opti-Lube XTD. The Marvel Mystery Oil I have been adding to my fuel might really be degrading the lubricity.

 

[hutchman]

I'm not willing to roll the dice with my stuff:

http://fleetowner.com/real-truth-about-fuel-additives-pdf

 

[Billrog]

I never used additives for yrs. then the bulk supplier started putting Howes in my tank when he filled it one winter it got real cold and my tractor quit the filter was solid with parifin replaced it dumped some straight kerosene in the tank and quit using Howes. Then a rod in the injector pump seized up and when I had the pump rebuilt they introduced me to Stanadyne ,The premium all-season, multi-function diesel fuel additive, designed to tackle virtually any diesel fuel related problem. The cost to me is around $45 every time I get the bulk tank filled ( approx. 500 gal.) twice a yr. a rebuild injection pump is $1,200 plus down time. I can't tell the dif. in the dump truck but the backhoe runs 100 rpm faster when I use it ( from 2,200 to just over 2,300.

 

[hutchman]

This thread got me to thinking, researching diesel additives. This study http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/at...ssion-copy-diesel-fuel-additive-version-3.pdf has me considering changing to Opti-Lube XTD. The Marvel Mystery Oil I have been adding to my fuel might really be degrading the lubricity.

I don't know ... these guys were trying to prove a point about lubricity and put in 2 cycle oil and got a bump in mpg:

Fuel Additive Test - Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel - Diesel Power Magazine