Anyone have any thoughts on deisel fuel additives/conditioners. Should I be using them? I just bought a 2001 crew cab F250 with the turbo powerstroke.

 

I was wondering about using Techron from Chevron but someone told me if it has alcohol in it, it is a definite no no to use as alcohol carries water into the injectors instead of remaining in the filter/water separator where you can drain the water from the fuel. Secondly, read your diesel supplement that comes with your manual and Ford says no additives are necessary. I use no additives and everything seems to be operating normally.Hope this helps....Les

 

Hi, I put an additive in my fuel it is just as a preventitive measure it is an anti gel fuel system cleaner but I only put it in about every 6th or 7th fill up and it has never given me any trouble so I would have to say yes use it but you dont need it all the time. Most fuel stations have winterized fuel but the additive wont hurt it. JOHN (FATFORTY)

 

Stanadyne is the manufacture of the injection pumps for the 80-94.5 diesels. They have a excellent fuel additive that ups the cetane level, cleans injectors, a lubricant, prevents gelling, alcohol free, and all kinds of good things. Best of all it will pay for itself because you will get2-3 more miles per gallon. It is also safe for the new direct injection engines. This product is called :
Stanadyne Preformance Formula All Season Diesel Fuel Conditioner.

You can call (800) 525-0821 for more info.

 

I use a fuel additive from Gunk put in about 1 ounce per tank every other fill up. Find that it helps keep the injectors clean and gives me better mileage. Company I worked for has been using this same product since the mid 80s there 1990 truck has 800.000 kms and still runs great. Just don't use to much it also helps for poor fuel quailty.

 

You won't need an additive in your Power Stroke unless it gets bitterly cold in which case you might want to add some anti-gel additive.

 

The only additive I would add would be to prevent it from gelling. I had a 6.9lt diesel (then I broke a rod bearing) and ran it in very cold winters with no gelling problems after running the additive.

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1985 "Cowboy Cadillac" Ford F-250 4x4, Granny 4-speed, 4:10 Gears, 460 with Holley 750cfm 4-barrel Carb, Custom Painted Block (Ford Dark Blue), Rebuilt Transfer Case, BFG Trac-Edges, Tachometer, Kenwood CD Player and Pioneer Speakers, 27" cherry bombs dualed out each side with 2 1/2 inch pipe, NAPA Premium Clutch, NAPA Premium timing Chain, Gooseneck Ball, Hitch Reciever, Whistler 400 radar detector!

"When in Doubt GAS it"

 

A cetane enhancer is a good idea. I can usually gain 2-3 mpg by using a good fuel additive in the summer, and about 4 mpg with the winter blend diesel.

alanscott

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You asked for our opinions and I think fuel additives are a bad idea, I will never put one in my tank, unless it is being pumped from the local gas station(I live in a town with only one place to buy diesel).

I don't live in weather cold enough for diesel to gel, I don't mind hooking up my block heater so I don't plan to use and anti-gel additive. I do wonder about hp and mileages changes, I would imagine that years later there is a good chance you'll find your engine ruined when it should still be running fine.

There is always a chance that you might get additives that won't hurt the engine any and increas hp and mileage, but untill that is put into every gallon of fuel I can buy, I won't put it in my tank.

Logan

 

>You asked for our opinions and I think fuel additives are
>a bad idea, I will never put one in my
>tank, unless it is being pumped from the local gas
>station(I live in a town with only one place to
>buy diesel).

That in itself would make me nervous, I always buy diesel from a dealer with a high turnover. If you ever wind up with microbes in your trucks fuel system, you'll need a bio-cide and have many plugged fuel filters before your system is clean again. I have pumped out station tanks in the past that didn't have a high enough turn over and it's ugly. (that's what I do, petroleum transportation)

>I don't live in weather cold enough for diesel to gel,
>I don't mind hooking up my block heater so I
>don't plan to use and anti-gel additive.

If you ever do find yourself in cold enough weather to gel fuel, the block heater will be of no use. The fuel will gel in your lines first and after initial start-up, the engine will then die of fuel starvation. Did you know that some blends of #2 diesel will start to cloud (crystalize) at 45 degrees or higher?


>I do wonder about hp and mileages changes, I would imagine that >years later there is a good chance you'll find your engine
>ruined when it should still be running fine.

Every diesel engine we run has a cetane booster added to every tank of fuel. Usually we go 550k-600k and then trade them in on new trucks. These trucks are run at wide open throttle for a couple of hours every day while ascending the Continetal Divide westbound out of Denver. It's pretty rare when an internal engine problem developes, even the big Cats that develope 2050 foot pounds of torque. Also, when a truck burns 20,000 plus gallons of fuel every year, even a 10th of a mile per gallon increase is noticible.

>There is always a chance that you might get additives that
>won't hurt the engine any and increas hp and mileage,
>but untill that is put into every gallon of fuel
>I can buy, I won't put it in my tank.

Every brand of diesel in this area has some type of additive in it, just enough to bring it up to minimum spec. If you find your self someplace that offers premium diesel, that just usually means your paying a premium for a little extra additive.

Cetane numbers are kind of like octane numbers to gas, but different The higher the cetane number, the faster the fuel will ignite. When the cetane number is too low, it may cause difficult starting and engine knock. Low numbers can also lead to harmful engine deposits that will accumulate in the combustion chamber. Do a net search on the cetane numbers and reach your own conclusion.

alanscott

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While, maybe cetan is a good additive, but I still simply don't believe in pouring anything intomy tank than what the local station offers. About mileage increases, my theory is that if you buy a gallon expensive diesel that raises your mileage just a tiny bit, is it actually worth the extra cost? About diesel in cold weather, it gets around 16 degrees here, maybe 11 degrees, and a block heater greatly increases how well a diesel starts. I'll admit I competley messed up and didn't think when I posted that the first time.

Logan

 

Hi guys; The most important reason for an additve is to improve lubricity of the fuel. Since the mid '90s the sulfur has been reduced for smog reduction. Sulfur lubricated the injection pump, and injectors. No lubrication and your pump life is cut in about half. The Chevron "dieselmotive" is a good one and the Standyne line is also exellent. So it's the pay me now or pay me later if you don't use additives! Regards Kelly

 

Kelly: The power Stroke Diesel doesnt have an injection pump and since he is asking for advice on a 2001 model year, which has the upgraded teflon coated barrel and sleve injectors, I seriously doubt if there is any benefit to be gained by using an additive unless the temprature gets below zero.

 

I bought a new 2000 sd 250 and use stanadyne performance formula and it does work. More power, better miles, and runs smoother.Dealers don't want to bother with additives because it is a one to one type sale....and they do not make enough profit to spend the time.......a direct quote.

 

There are alot of thoughts on fuel additives in this post. Here are the facts. The best rated fuel additive is by Power Service. It is Advanced Formula. It removes water, kills biocidical microbes, lubricates inj. pumps and inj; prevents gelling and stabilizes the fuel.