i notice the smoother diesel motor with ps too.

 

I think this is another placebo effect...JMO. Let's talk mechanics. How would an additive make an engine run smoother? That would kind of be saying the diesel fuel isn't good enough or that it doesn't meet the requirements to make the engine run as it should. Just wondering....

 

I use Howe's in the winter too. We saw -45°F a few times and I had no problems with starting or fuel gelling. I use no additives in other than Bio-Kleen (misspelled?) in the summer.


There are so many factors that could have contributed to that. The PS might have helped some, but you also have wind, temperature, and elevation change that goes into that. When I make a round trip to West Lafayette, I always get 1-2 mpg less on the way back. Other people I know have said the same thing.


A lube could reduce knocking sounds from within the injectors, I suppose. But more than likely it is a placebo effect.

 

no its not placebo. i know what i feel hear and see, you can even smell it in the exhaust. the centene boost and lube has something to do with it im sure.

 

This is not exactly what you were asking about, but thought that I would mention it anyway.

One of my good friends works for an oil company. Since I am new to the 7.3 world, I asked him if I needed to add an anti-gel additive to my tanks, to keep the diesel fuel from gelling when it gets cold outside. His response, was that the well known major oil companies already add the anti-gel additives, starting in the fall of each year. There is no need to add the anti-gel additives on your own, unless you purchase fuel from a no-name gas station.

I do not know this to be true, first hand, but it makes sense, as I am very aware that there are winter formulations of gasoline.

As for fuel additives, 50 years ago, I used to use Marvel Mystery Oil. No objective evidence that it actually did anything, but, at least it sounded cool that we used it in the old hotrods.

 

I think I'll experiment with a tank or two of 2stroke and maybe something else. I've got a 4.5hr round trip coming up to go to a dyno day up in Bangor, so they'll be some highway driving.
Phil, do you store equiptment with diesel in them over the winter? If so do you treat it any special way? Thanks.

 

Yes the additive increases the cetane level of the fuel which intern will alter the timing of the engine. Fuel will ignite slightly faster causing a slight advance in timing. I don't think the IDM can account for different cetane levels of fuel.

I was able to play with this when I had my 6.9 and running W85 and other waste oil fuels. You can tell when the cetane levels were different by the way the motor sounded and ran.

Its like putting octane booster in your gasser

 

I will have to note that there are also other factors when running homemade blended fuels such as BTU's and other variances. Waste oil also has a higher BTU content which will burn hotter in the engine.

 

The last stuff I used was the cheapest stuff at Wally's World. I picked up a gallon of the stuff that said it was for injection systems.

 

Just make sure it is TCW-3 rated, which is ashless. Yes, there are two different kinds. The stuff from Wal-Mart was in a lubricity test a few years back and fared really well, and its the cheapest alternative. Truth be told though, since the Low Sulfur craze a few years back, the oil companies have long since been adding a lubricity agent to diesel fuel and the issues have been eradicated for the most part. But, if it makes you feel better adding something to your fuel, then by all means. I have been running straight diesel for two years now and have had no issues with pumps, injectors, etc that everyone rants about.

Yes, it is a placebo effect. No one can tell me that they hear the difference in the sound of their injector pulse width or sound of the open and closing cycle or they have some hearing and sixth sense I wish I had. But again, if the extra $$ spent pouring Power Service in your tank makes you feel better, smooths out, and quiets down that 7.3....more power to you. I guess my question to myself is this. If something in a bottle that is a "lube agent" quiets down and smooths out my motor/injectors that much, then what's wrong with my injectors? Why does my truck run so much better? Something else must be amiss.

 

If you relay on the oil companies to add anti gell then you'll find yourself up to your a** in snow at -40. There isn't any lube in today's cheap diesel.

I have about eight 20 oz pop bottles rolling around in the back of my pickup. I use walmart cheap 2 cycle 3/4 full, then add PS to top it off. One bottle per tank, does it for me.

 

I'm just a lazy pitiful excuse.I don't add anything at all.do use PS on my SD but never thought it changed anything.maybe I'm cruising for destruction?? We shall see...331000 mi and counting

 

I rest my case

 

Glenn, I don't know about the anti-gel, but I do have a good friend that works for one of the big oil companies in El Segundo. He told me that the additives in diesel include two different lube agents to make up for the lack of sulfur. I'll see him this week and get more explanation from him. What changed my mind is talking to my neighbor who has 386k miles on his truck and told me he has never used any additive since owning the truck new! It got me thinking that a lot of this stuff is for helping those companies make more money on our own stupidity. I could be wrong.

 

I agree with Glen on this! If it falls to below zero unexpectidly you see all kinds of diesels that won't run because the fuel is gelled. Every place that sells Diesel 911 is sold out after one of these occurances. We had one of those last fall.