Just thoughts I'd share the info....

The solar system lined up just perfectly where I had three identical 600 mile round trip runs from Tucson to El Paso with no load or trailer, so I decided to try out two DFAs. I fueled up at the same stations each time.

The first trip I ran straight pump fuel with no DFA of any kind.
75-80mph cruise speed (Tucson-El Paso) net 15.1 mpg
60-65 mph cruise speed (El Paso-Tucson) net 18.8 mpg

Second trip with Shell Rotella DFA.
75-80 mph cruise speed (Tucson-El Paso) net 15.5 mpg
60-65 mph cruise speed (El Paso-Tucson) net 19.8 mpg

Third trip with Diesel Kleen (grey bottle)
85-93 mph cruise speed (Tucson-El Paso) net 16.0 mpg
60-65 mph cruise speed (El Paso-Tucson) net 21.0 mpg


The last trip was pretty quick going out, I shouldn't have been driving so fast, it was just that the truck seemed to be running very well that it was hard to stay out of the throttle. There was a VERY strong headwind most of the way to El Paso, so I had to keep my foot in it to keep up the speed. Then the wind would die down for a bit and I would peek at my speed and it was stuck at 93 mph. I guess that's the fastest the truck will go.

Anyway, I think I'm sold on the Diesel Kleen product. ($10.99 per 96 oz at Flying J Truck Stop) About 3 mpg better fuel economy, easier starts, smoother engine and more power. Pretty cool stuff!

 

great info, senor chavez!

 

Thanks, gchavez,

Thats really good documentation. I just bought a couple of 96 oz jugs of Diesel Kleen last week from WalMart for about the same price, 1 white and 1 gray. I haven't tried them yet, until I finished my Shell DFA, which I did tonight. So next fill up I will add the Diesel Kleen. How much did you add per tank? Also how big is your tank?

At the least I am glad to see the Shell was helping, though not as good as the Diesel Kleen, it looks like.

Thanks again for sharing those kind of details with us. Keep up the good reporting.....

 

I put about 16 oz per tank (29 gallon capacity), and .01 oz on my shirt sleeve (I hope the smell comes out) I need to get a few empty 16 oz bottles so I can pre-portion the stuff for each tank. It's kinda a pain to pour from those large jugs.

Next week we'll take a look at leading airfilters.....can they pass the clean swab test?

 

gchavez

Nice of you to do this research and share it with us..

Thanks

 

Good stuff to know. Thanks, man.

 

Diesel Kleen is also a biocide, in case you need to park your truck for an extended period of time.

 

I was going out today to pick up a DFA and was toying around with getting either Stanadyne or DK. From your much appreciated info., I will get the DK. I will get the white bottle since its winter and it ahs the anti-gel in it also. alanscott has a good point if your truck sits for extended periods like mine. Thanks again!

 

Thanks for the information. I have been using Diesel Kleen for sometime now with not quite as good of results. Would you please help me with my mixture? The bottle reads 96 ounces for 150 gallons to boost 6 numbers. Doing the math with my tank sizes, 18.2 gal. and 19 gal. (37.2 gal capacity), I should add 11.6 and 12.16 oz. respectively (I round to 12oz. on both tanks). You are saying 16oz. per tank or 32 oz. per 29 gallons.

Based on the DieselKleen recommendation you should be using about 18.7 oz. total for the 29 gallons. I am not a chemist, and I am not questioning your results but I am curious if in this case 'more is better' and if using this much more could damage anything? Again, I am assuming my math is right so if I have missed something I welcome the correction.

Thanks.

 

This is really good info fellas. Thanks for the research chavez. I have a question though, I added the recommended amount of DK and my mileage has gone down. This is the first time I have added the DK and the truck can sit up to a week between operations. Any ideas? I would also like to know if a person can add too much?

 

Your figures are correct if you want to increase 6 cetane numbers.
The information on the bottle led me to believe that increasing 3 cetane numbers is baseline and I could go as high as 6. So, I figured out the following formula:
Increase of 6 points: 6.4 oz per 10 gal
Increase of 5 points: 5.3 oz per 10 gal
Increase of 4 points: 4.2 oz per 10 gal
Increase of 3 points: 3.2 oz per 10 gal

Since my tank holds nearly 30 gallons....
I multiplied by 3 (10 gal x 3 = 30 gallons)
Increase of 6 points: 19.2 oz per tank
Increase of 5 points: 15.9 oz per tank
Increase of 4 points: 12.6 oz per tank
Increase of 3 points: 3.2 oz per tank.

My first bottle was a 32 oz size (since I was still testing at this stage, I wasn't comfortable buying huge bottles just yet). Reading the bottle and tossing around mixture ratios in my head I figured I'd shoot for a 5 cetane increase since it works out to a half bottle per tank. (something easy for me to remember and measure out.) So, that's how I came up with my portions. Not very scientific huh?

I did find a website last night with some more good info. They have something called "Fuel Polishing Kit." I'm not sure what that is all about, so I'm going to read what they have to say and ask around to see if anyone knows what this is for. If you want to check out their website www.powerservice.com.

On another note:
Over the years I've gotten into a habit of keeping a fuel mileage log for all my vehicles. It's been a very good maintenance tool for me. When my mpg would start to decline, it usually indicated that something was getting ready to fail or not adjusted correctly. Tire pressure , fluid levels and filters seem to be the main causes. But I have discovered several more potentially serious system failures just by noticing that my mileage was dropping (cooling system, electrical, fuel pumps, transmission etc). This is my first diesel, so I'm learning that mileage can vary wildly just by driving conditions and of course by payload weights. So, I'm going to modify my log for when I'm driving empty, loaded and with trailer (5th wheel). This should help me monitor the vehicle performance. I'll be buying guages soon, I'm hoping the boost guage will help me conserve fuel, and also tell me when my engine is working harder than maybe it should be.

 

You want to see what complicated is? The Premium Arctic Express I am using is bulk and has a 1:1500 ratio

 

FWIW, I've used a number of different brands of fuel additives and I don't think that some of them really raise the cetane as much as they claim to do.

I've occasionally purchased some sub-par fuel, engine would loudly cackle under accelleration and start hard. I've added brand X cetane booster with absolutely no improvement or difference.
The only improvement came when I filled up with a half tank of good fuel. Quieted the engine down in 30 seconds after starting.
Brand X additive didn't do squat.

Alan, you would probably know the answer to these questions- How many actual different refined brands of diesel are sold around here. What I mean is- How many different sources of diesel end up at all the different brands of stations? Do as few as one or three different refineries sell to all 10 or more local brands of fuel?

One reason I ask is that there is a big name brand station in SE Wyoming that I used to buy fuel at, and it was awful stuff, like I described above. There is the same brand of station on I-25 near Longmont, and I've never had a problem with their fuel. It can't be the same stuff.

And the last question- Do you know if and where I could buy straight #2 around here in the winter- not the 20%-30% kerosene winter blend.

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the data! My guess about why first using an additive can produce poor fuel milage is that it is cleaning your tank and fuel lines and that crap is landing in your filter. Hence not a bad idea to change your fuel filter after the first couple of tanks of fuel treatment. I've noticed a mileage improvement using DK but only up around the 6 cetane number. 3 or lower seems to have little effect. Not nearly as reliable info as gchavez was able to do.

I did notice almost a 2 mpg increase when I raised my tire pressure by 8-10 PSI. Tires are rated at 50 and like many of us I had let it drop off without checking. Took them all up to 55 and noticed immediate results. These tires are about to wear out so I am going to go to a narrower tire closer to stock. I betting my mileage will jump another 2 MPG.
Scott

 

Maybe we just have extremely superior diesel here at the intersection I 57, US Route 24, US Route 54, and US Route 45 (yes lots of truckers) but I havent been able to tell any difference whatsoever from Shell, Citgo, or Amoco Premium diesel fuels whether I put something into it or not, whether it be Howes, Diesel Kleen, or Lucas. It was 18 degrees this morning and my truck had an inch of snow on the entire thing and it started like it was 80 degrees outside. Is there really that much variation in motors or is my diesel better here?