Me personally... I don't trust "demulsifiers" either. Here's my theory behind it, feel free to agree or disagree, it's my theory:

First, demulsifiers actively target water, trap it, and pull it from the fuel. We all agree here, right?

We all learned in grade school that water is more dense than oil, so the water will fall to the bottom of the tank. Again agree, right?

Demulsifiers pull more water from the fuel than would normally disperse on its own. You may or may not agree, again this is my theory here. I have learned there is always some portion of water in fuel. In smaller quantities and droplets, the water stays within the fuel and doesn't drop to the bottom. Larger quantities of water will disperse on its own over time. Demulsifiers significantly advance both the larger quantities being dispersed, as well as the smaller quantities and droplets that wouldn't have dispersed on their own.

Ok, so on to the scenario....

Let's say on the off chance you get some bad fuel heavy with water. You run a demulsifier, and it drops a significant portion of water to the bottom of the tank, because of course what I've already stated as basic science - oil floats on top of water. The truck sits long enough for a large amount of water to collect at the bottom. We all know, the fuel system draws from the bottom of the tank.

So now you turn the key, the fuel pump kicks on, and the only thing that is drawn in for that first second is mostly water. How will the water separator handle that?

At a large enough quantity, water will get by the separator and contaminate the fuel system.

That is my theory, and why I won't use a demulsifier.

Of course, the purpose of emulsifiers is to get water to completely bypass the water separator. So I wouldn't use either a emulsifier for that simple reason, or a demulsifier for the reason I just stated. Period.

But that's just me. Feel free to discuss. I might grab some popcorn

 

I can agree with this logic. But if I had a diesel under warranty I probably wouldn't run an emulsifier. I have a lot of diesel customers and I recommend them to run an additive in every tank. Likes been said I think the biggest thing is lack of lubricity. That gripes me about our fuel here. Amsoil did a test very recently on fuel from approximately 8 different states around the midwest and very few actually passed the minimum 520 scar/lubricity test. Just my $.02

 

I haven't worked on/with a water separator in years, but the Stanadynes I used to work with would pull out all that water in a big slug, but if you filled the reservoir, it would be forced into bypass and the water would go through the injection pump.
I took a sample of every fuel pump I used, every time I fueled. Small peanut butter jar and a funnel to put in the tank when it showed clear.
Any funky clouding of the fuel or water beads in the bottom of the jar and I would not put it in my tank.

 

I try and buy fuel at the high volume locations, I don't get fuel there if I see a fuel delivery truck there and I always use PM-22 in every tank. I have did very little research but I started out this way and have never changed.

Well there is my 2 cents.

 

I went out and bought one of those DieselSite Fuel Filter / Water Separators, plan on installing it this weekend. My fear is that I tow a 22' trailer and do travel a bit with it meaning that I won't always be purchasing my fuel at the same "trusted" location. I do try to use "heavily used" fueling stations but one never knows.

I did something I don't normally do, bought something and dumped it into my fuel tank with zero research / based on the recommendation of my local parts store. Dumped a bottle of Diesel Extreme HotShots Secret into my tank. Thought it would get me back to a "clean" baseline and then I'll start using the Ford additive. Hopefully I don't blow my truck up but thinking 1 tank shouldn't be an issue.

Yesterday I went out and bought 10 4oz bottles to carry my fuel additive with me wherever I go.

The goal remains "reducing regens". Everything else is a side benefit.

 

Does anyone know if opti-lube is Ford approved?

 

I'm curious too........... Does Ford approve of anything other than it's own PM-22 or 23 stuff?

Is there a list of approved fuel additives like there is a list of approved oils?

 

I found out opti-lube contains alcohol(emulsifier), not something you want in your diesel fuel. Emulsifiers will allow water to pass through the water separator and into your injection system, lots of damage. I will stick with Lucas.

 

Where do you get that from? Opti-Lube is a demulsifier and ethylhexanol is a complex alcohol that is poorly soluble in water, not an emulsifier . It was the top rated additive in the 2007 study.

 

I got it from the Opti-lube website SDS sheet: This is the first 3 ingredients of the XPD, Ethylhexanol is ethyl alcohol, 16-24% of that bottle is alcohol, which is the emulsifier. Google ethylhexanol.






Petroleum naptha 64742-95-6 29 - 38%


2 - Ethylhexanol 104-76-7 16 - 24.25%


2 - Ethylhexyl nitrate 27247-96-7 7.75 - 15.5%

 

The real issue here is Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel (ULSD) and BioDiesel. As many know ULSD in the refining process strips nearly all lubricity properties of diesel fuel, known as hydrodesulphurisation. This process also lowers the degree to which the water and fuel layers repel each other, measured as the interfacial tension (IFT). The addition of BioDiesel (Mandatory in some states, WA comes to mind at 5%) increases this affect. In plain english, diesel and water do not mix unless you strip the fuel of these properties as with ULSD or add BioDiesel. Exxon, BP, Shell and especially Chevron/Texaco with Techron D place additives into ULSD to replenish lubricity and IFT and still meet EPA Regs 40CFR 79. The above is concerning when using "off brand" or "discount fuel outlets" who generally are able to discount their fuels by not adding additives. Also concerning is the efficiency of the fuel water seperator generally designed to remove 95% of the water from the fuel delivered to the injectors. The ULSD refining process without additives generally achieve a 80% seperation rate with standard fuel filters tested using the SAE J1488 ver. 1997 rather than the ULSD testing standard SAE J1488 ver. 2010 rev 10 or SAE J1488-201010. Sorry so long but wanted to make sure we understand the issue at hand.

IMHO there is not much need for snake oil additives if using a quality fuel from a respectable supplier, cetane is a whole nother thing... Add cetane if you don't live in CA or Eastern TX.

 

I've been using K-100 since my truck was new. This link has a lot of info on the product:


https://www.dieselpowerusa.com/K100-...d-8-12pack.htm


Take it or leave it...thanks for your cooperation. I have no affiliation with the product; I just use it.

 

A very good fuel additive and the one I use and recommend when I question the quality of the fuel is TDR-FL (Temperate Climate) or TDR-WDA (Cold Climate) by Amalgamated, Inc. Its a very good everything in one (Cetane boost, Lubricity, Detergents, Stabilizers and Combustion Improvers). This product is historically used by Fleets but is currently available to the public in smaller packaging for the consumer. And no I am not affiliated in any way with this company.

 

TDR-FL has been on my radar for over a year, but I was on my 2nd gallon of Opti-Lube Summer Plus. My only concern about TDR-FL is that the dosage is twice that of OL so I worry about not having enough for long trips. I am about out of the OL now and got a couple bottles of Dee-Zol from Bell Performance to tide me over on my road trip. I may try TDS after that.
Enerburn has been amazing at keeping soot levels to a minimum.

 

I did Google it and what I read says it doesn't mix with water. That tells me demulsifier rather than emulsifier which makes water mix with fuel.