New 350 06 PSD coming moved from a 5.4. How often, which one and when to start a diesel additive to fuel. Thanks

 

everytime, they all seem to be good by reading here,(stanadyne,diesel kleen,lucas,) now

 

Ford also has one that is a good value. About $6 for a bottle that treats 125 gallons. And you don't have to worry about future warranty coverage by using a Ford approved additive.

 

Jawbreaker... I myself use Stanadyne Performance Formula, and now many, many of my friends and co-workers use it, with great results. Order MSDS sheets if you really want a good comparison, so you can compare apples to apples. Like thelogster says, the FoMoCo stuff is a bargain, but if you read the MSDS sheets you'll see it contains ingredients that may be less expensive to manufacture, and not as effective as some other products. In additon, you will have to purchase two separate products with the Ford label if you want a cleaner/lubricity additive/cetane improver as there is not a Ford labeled product that does all three. I have several close friends who happen to work at my local Ford dealer (the diesel tech, a service writer, and a wholesale parts guy) who all run Stanadyne, even though they obviously have easy access to the Ford product.

Tim

 

Tim, how do you know the ingredients are not as effective in the Ford product? Also, PM17A from Ford does it all. I have a bottle in front of me that states:
*Boosts the Cetane Rating
*Increases Power / Smoother Engine Operation
*Improves Fuel Economy
It has been real effective for me. The other Ford offering is an Anti-Gel (PM18A).

 

logster.... I am not positive, as I am not a chemist, but if you read the MSDS sheets it appears that the Ford product contains mostly naptha and other cleaners, which may be as effective, but seemed to be less involved in manufacturing, and possibly not as beneficial. I was, however, unaware that Ford offered a cetane improver that had lubricity additives as well.... so I have been schooled! I did not mean to infer that the Ford product did not work as intended, but that there may be a better product available.

Tim

 

Here is a link to an old thread I started about this very topic. I even called each of the main suppliers of additives for their input, sales approach and marketing.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=446262

Powerservice and Standyne are the main two respected names. Howes is good and I have used it as well, but I thought that there's does not boost cetane levels????

Should use in every tank and double is better than single treatment, but triple does not provide enough benefits for the added cost. Any reputable brand that you feel is cost effective and readily available (reason I use Powerservice) will be all that you need to lubricate your fuel pumps, injection pumps and injectors. With ULSF coming it will also be more important.

Check out the link above...

Jeff

 

what i would like to know is how many miles do each of you have and what parts have had to be replaced i.e injectors, fuel pumps, as i'm new to diesels but i have never put additives in any of my gasoline cars. i know that gas has all the additives it needs and by itself is a cleaning agent so all gasoline additives are ripoffs and are more costly than they are worth. what is different about diesel? do the diesel refineries not put the proper additives in the fuel? if they are such a necessity then why wouldn't they all ready be in there? i'm not saying theyre not needed , im just trying to understand the logic here. as i know there are a lot of people who do not run additives and have not had a single problem with thier vehicle. and if they would post i would like to hear from them too.

 

Diesel fuel has some additives, but as it is refined or made into Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel, or even #1 Diesel, it looses it lubricity. Additives increase "cetane" which gives each drop of diesel a little "kick" of power and allows for a hotter & cleaner burn. The Lubricity part of the additive lubes the fuel pumps and injectors. Some have no problems and many of use it as cheap overall insurance if we own (rather than lease) our vehicles... or plan on having them a long time.

Do a search on cetane ratings and the like and a search on diesel fuels in general (on the web that is). Many add "anti-gel" additives in the winter to ensure easier starting as well. Diesel fuel is a "dirty fuel" unlike gasoline and it burns dirty as well.... hense the reason so many people use additives to ensure fuel pump and injector cleanliness.

 

Also ford requires a certian cetane rating (44 I beleive) and a lot of the suppliers sell fuel with a lower rating. Most can't even tell you what rating they are selling. Some states have mandatory ratings while others don't so giving the engine a helping hand makes sense. I use PS in every fill up and am pleased with my preformance & mpg 16-17 city 19-20 hwy.

 

I read somewhere early on, after the release of the 6.0, that it was designed for optimum performance at a minimum 47 cetane. May be part of the cause of early issues in some states as it seems to me that some regions of the country had more engine related issues than others. It has been reported here at FTE that some regions cetane ratings were as low 42 with the national average being around 45.

In the DFW region, for example, the EPA mandates that we are offered fuel with a minimum 48 cetane rating. I can't say that all suppliers met this standard but, while this area certainly had trucks with issues, it is my personal belief that we had fewer than most regions.

 

So-Cal,
Thanks for the info... found a case of Pints of Stanadyne Performance for 4.40 a bottle on the internet. Will give it a try and see. Thats 2.20 a tank full . Certainly can't hurt and can only help. Jawbreaker

 

so cetane is the opposite of octane. so the lower the better for power, but worse for engine wear? or no.

 

Read this:

Cetane Number/Cetane Index

Cetane number is a relative measure of the interval between the beginning of injection and autoignition of the fuel. The higher the number, the shorter the delay interval. Fuels with low Cetane Numbers will cause hard starting, rough operation, noise and exhaust smoke. Current commercial fuel cetane requirements may not adequately address these customer satisfaction issues. Generally, diesel engines will operate better on fuels with cetane numbers above 50 compared to fuels with cetane numbers of the national average of approximately 45.

Cetane number may be increased through the refining process or the blending of combustion ignition improving additives by fuel suppliers.

Cetane index is an approximation of fuel ignition quality through measurement of distillation range and specific gravity. It is not affected by the use of combustion improver additives; therefore it produces an indication of the base cetane number of the fuel.

 

Ya... what he said above in post #14.