Major problem? No, just bad fuel

[MahindraYanmar]

Reading through this thread, I am surprised on how many of us are close. I think I know where that Rotten Robbie is right off the main drag. One time I stopped there and made mental note they had red diesel because an hour away it would be one of the closest
I get my on road diesel near a grade that is always on the traffic reports every morning. All the quarry trucks fill there so it’s usually fresh.

@California what were your symptoms?
Trying to diagnose for my 186 up near the border. I only get up there every other weekend and usually don’t have time to tinker with it.

 

[careyo63]

Look into the glass fuel bowl. The reason I don't use Red offroad Diesel is for this exact same reason. You can't see in the fuel or see the filter. I just filled up the tank with off Rd. and of course I was smart enough to look at the fuel bowl before I ran the off-Rd. in it. It's so dark red you can't even see the fuel filter in a clear as could be fuel bowl. I have a new filter just waiting for the last 40 or so Tach Hrs. and I'll roll it over 000. 025 Hrs. was the first oil change in 4/2008.

 

[Hay Dude]

I picked up 3X cases of ATF last year for $1 per qt. on clearance. Looking to use it too.

I know ATF saves and prolongs the life on Cummins CAPS diesel pumps. Those are found on 8.3L Cummins engines just to name a few.

 

[careyo63]

use atf in the fuel? I'm guessing he does it.

Copilot Answer





Adding Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) to diesel fuel:

Car Care Hacks

• Common ratio: one gallon of ATF per 250 gallons of diesel fuel.
• ATF improves lubrication and prevents wear and tear on the engine.
• However, ATF is not meant to be burnt in today's diesel engines.
  
  1

 

[ponytug]

use atf in the fuel? I'm guessing he does it.

Copilot Answer





Adding Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) to diesel fuel:
Car Care Hacks

• Common ratio: one gallon of ATF per 250 gallons of diesel fuel.
• ATF improves lubrication and prevents wear and tear on the engine.
• However, ATF is not meant to be burnt in today's diesel engines.
  
  1

I think I would rephrase that last line as
"Modern ATF is not designed to be run in yesterday's engines"

There are friction modifiers in particular that aren't supposed to be good for injectors and pumps, but I don't know first hand.

All the best,

Peter

 

[California]

Reading through this thread, I am surprised on how many of us are close. I think I know where that Rotten Robbie is right off the main drag. One time I stopped there and made mental note they had red diesel because an hour away it would be one of the closest

This RR is a few miles west of Santa Rosa. This, and the nearby Chevron, have the only red diesel near me. Chevron's price is similar, I'll go there next time.

@California what were your symptoms?
Trying to diagnose for my 186 up near the border. I only get up there every other weekend and usually don’t have time to tinker with it.

The symptom of bad fuel was loss of power that felt identical to running out of fuel. Holding rpm above 1800 kept it running, but it ran rough like one or more cylinders weren't firing And it had intermittent weak performance, ie it needed a downshift to climb the grades in my orchard without bogging down to a stall. It stalled a couple of times when I was maneuvering at lower rpm but each time it re-started readily - unlike real out of fuel.

I had added Sta-Bil - (an additive claimed to make water blend with fuel) last fall prepping the tractor to be out of service for several months. I suspect that ruined the fuel. It no longer smelled like diesel.

Replacing 100% of the fuel with fresh red diesel from Chevron resolved the problem.

 

[California]

I think I would rephrase that last line as
"Modern ATF is not designed to be run in yesterday's engines"

There are friction modifiers in particular that aren't supposed to be good for injectors and pumps, but I don't know first hand.

I sometimes find un-opened Mercon ATF on the free table at the Household Hazardous Waste facility where I take used motor oil. Then use it to top up the 40 year old backhoe that has its own pump and reservoir. The hoe's manual specifies JD303 UTF. This Mercon must be better than that.

Today's find at HHW was an unopened 5 quarts of Castrol GTX Conventional 5w-20. Google says this hasn't been available since 2016. But it should be fine for my 2005 Focus that wants 5W-20. Yeah I'm cheap!

 

[Hay Dude]

Thankfully the price of fuel is generally coming down. Then desperate or cheap people can begin affording decent fuel again.
In the past few years, fuel was so expensive, it was getting stolen. Idling was a wasteful exercise. I banded together with a few other farmers and we bought in bulk.
Looks like sanity has returned to fuel prices.

 

[careyo63]

Sounds like Performance problems and a quick easy fix! First thing comes to mind Low Cyl. pressure.. Miracle oil is what I'm guessing they use it for.

 

[Jtullis13]

This RR is a few miles west of Santa Rosa. This, and the nearby Chevron, have the only red diesel near me. Chevron's price is similar, I'll go there next time.


The symptom of bad fuel was loss of power that felt identical to running out of fuel. Holding rpm above 1800 kept it running, but it ran rough like one or more cylinders weren't firing And it had intermittent weak performance, ie it needed a downshift to climb the grades in my orchard without bogging down to a stall. It stalled a couple of times when I was maneuvering at lower rpm but each time it re-started readily - unlike real out of fuel.

I had added Sta-Bil - (an additive claimed to make water blend with fuel) last fall prepping the tractor to be out of service for several months. I suspect that ruined the fuel. It no longer smelled like diesel.

Replacing 100% of the fuel with fresh red diesel from Chevron resolved the problem.

There are only a few diesel additives that I will use and have used with good results. Opti-Lube is a great lubricity additive, Hot Shot's EDT, Hot Shot's Winter Anti-Gel and Howes, which some people will have various things to say about. However I have used all of these additives for years and never had a fuel problem, unless I run out of fuel (most recent issue). I will say that Walmart's "Super Tech" Tc-w3 outboard 2 cycle oil is a great lubricity additive to use too, but not in any common rail engine, just in our older diesels.