Got my 97 F-350 about 4 months ago. With the weather warming up I'm starting to use it more and have run into a silly problem.

What kind of in-truck container do you use for your fuel additives?

I got a a case each of the Stanadyne additive and biocide but don't want to deal with the big containers when I refuel. My idea was to put a 2-tank dose in a small container, carry that in the truck and squirt it into the tanks when I refill. I usually run the tanks past empty on the gage (have gone 100 miles on each tank with no signs of fuel starvation) before filling, so a 2-tank dose is about right.

Well, first time I did this I poured the stuff into an empty STP gas additive container, and went right off and filled up. 2nd time, I left the stuff in the STP container about 10 days before I filled up. Man, am I glad I didn't wait any longer! The additive softened the plastic to the point it was bubbling and buckling, and there were drops of a watery liquid condensing on the outside. A few days longer, and I would have had a real mess on the cab floor.

I figure somebody out there is doing something similar, but has found a container thats relatively unbreakable, easy to get the additives into, easy to pour into the tanks, and immune to the additives.

Your help is greatly appreciated!

 

Funny you should ask Paddler. I, too, went through several ideas on how to give each tank a proper dose of additive without spilling the stinking stuff all over the place. I also found that hard plastic (like stp bottles) or hard plastic which was known to be acrylic type would melt from contact. Clear acrylic (like a measuring cup) will start melting in about 15 seconds. I tried small containers made of HDPE (high density polyethylene) like what milk jugs are made of. They didn't melt but the additive did start to permeate the plastic after a week or two. So, the only alternative I found was glass. I decided to use small bottles with screw-on caps if possible. I found what I was looking for at:

American Science and Surplus

At that time, they had some dark amber 4 oz. bottles with caps in stock and I got a half dozen. Not the best as I'd would rather have had clear but usable. I have no idea if they still have them but there are several different types for sale and they're always adding items. You'll probably want to have the math on hand to convert mls. to oz., unless you're from Canada
I use Powerservice year round. I like to add 6.5 oz. to my forward tank and 8 oz. to my aft tank. To utilize the 4 oz. bottles, I used a rotary tool with a diamond cutting wheel and etched a line around the bottle so I could see how far to fill the bottle when using it for just 2.5 oz.
To store them, I used a cardboard box with cardboard inserts to keep them separate from one another.
I guess that's about it. Hope it helps. R.A.

 

I too use the PowerService brand winter additive. Before I did, I bought a couple of doses of NAPA single-tank servings and kept the bottles. Now I use a regular kitchen measuring cup (it stays in the shop-- and this one happens to be plastic) to measure 6oz into each NAPA bottle. I've had no problems (yet) with degradation of the bottles or their in-lid "seals", so no leaks. Each bottle of PowerService will do 5 tanks of fuel this way, with 2 oz leftover for the next bottle. So by the third PowerService bottle, I can do six tanks. And since the NAPA bottles were made to dump in the fuel tank, draining them is no problem. I let them drain while I do the pay-at-the-pump thing.

Just another idea....

-David

 

I'm new to the diesel world with my 6.0 350 CC DRW on order. What are the additives Powerservice and Stanadyne? Are they just for cold weather for preventing geling or are they also preventing build up of bacteria? Has anyone used Duralt fuel conditioner (http://www.buyduralt.com/dieselorgas.html)? Any other advice for a "newbe" would be appreciated.

Chris

 

I stumbled across a really slick way to measure out Stanadyne. I also buy it in the handy 1/2 gallon size, and find that I could very easily overdose if trying to pour from that directly into the tank. I found a measuring device that's intended for measuring 2stroke oil for outboard motors. It holds 16ozs, and has a second compartment attached, so you can measure how much of the 16ozs you put into the second compartment. I can accurately measure 4ozs into the second compartment, then safely pour from that compartment into the tank, through a funnel. I still carry the large bottle in the tool box, so I can refill the smaller bottle when away from home, and have found that the material that the measuring bottle is made of is intended for 2stroke oil, so it doesn't break down from exposure to Stanadyne.
It only cost about $4 at a marine store, and has taken the hassle out completely.
I hope this helps.

 

Along the same lines as Quad's idea.... Sta-bil fuel stabilizer comes in a similar configuration; a large reservoir that squeezes Sta-bil into a measuring reservoir that is then emptied into a fuel tank. If you use fuel stabilizer for storing gas equipment, you could pick some up and then save the container when empty.

-David

 

I've probably got an old 2-cycle 2-compartment container or 2 out in the shed. Have to see how the small compartment would pour into the fill opening- I would rather not carry a funnel in the truck. Behind and under the rear seat is already pretty full with canoe/kayak tiedowns, tow strap, tire chains, mini air compressor, bottle jack, boat trailer tool/parts kit, extra oil/power steering fluid/antifreeze, and maybe some other stuff.

Quadzilla's no-detioration experience suggests this could be a winner, if it pours well.

I would rather not experiment with a gas-stabilizer container. I THOUGHT that something that holds fuel injector cleaner would be OK for the diesel additives and was wrong, maybe gas stabilizer is similarly wimpy fluid.

Wingit1X's idea on buying a "single serving" or 2 of diesel conditioner and reusing is also good.

My goal is easy to carry, and no mess in or on the truck.

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

--Ron

 

In the winter I use a stanadyne product called "Perfomance Formula" For my 01 psd supercab if I am not mistaken my tank size is 29 gallons. The stanadyne "Performance Formula" comes in your choice of 1/2gal or 16oz.60gallon or approx 2 tank dosage (close enough). So what I did was bought 1 16oz bottle and 1 1/2 gallon bottle to keep filling the small bottle with. The small bottle even has a measure on the side of the bottle. Fill it when you need to and keep it in your truck. Dont have to worry about the bottle melting down because it is original packaging for the product!