Once upon a time diesel engines were relatively simple pieces of big heavy, hard to break iron. You could put almost anything from kerosene to heating oil in them and they would run, maybe not well, but they would run.
Diesel fuel was considered a residual fuel, something left over from making the good stuff (gasoline). It was not supposed to be a good fuel; it was supposed to be a cheap fuel.
Even if this fairy tale was ever true (it actually was not), those days are long, long gone. Diesel engines today are as sophisticated as those of the worlds fastest Formula One race cars. These engines can have fuel system pressures of up to 35,000 psi and injector machining tolerances of 2 microns or less. Fuel filters that used filter down to 30 or 10 microns, now regularly filter down to 7, 5, and even 2 microns.
The new Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) that is now on the market is derived using various Catalytic Cracking refining processes that affect the quality of the fuel on many levels. The "new" ULSD has less oxidative stability, holds more suspended water, forms gums, varnishes, and carbon deposits more quickly, has less lubricity, gels at higher temperatures, is less thermally stable, is more corrosive, and in general is much more problematic.
In short the quality of the fuel has not kept up with the sophistication of the engines.
As a result you can no longer expect untreated fuel to meet the needs of your engines.
It is no longer good enough to treat your fuel just when it is cold outside. The needs for additional lubricity, higher Cetane, water dispersion, higher levels of oxidative and thermal stability, fuel injector cleaning, corrosion inhibition, fuel atomization require continuous year-round treating to protect your equipment and to maximize performance.
Products such as Well Worth Products Summit Fuel Treatment when used as directed in every tank of fuel helps to ensure that your fuel meets or exceeds the OEM requirements.
mechnificent,
Jan 18, 8:52pm
I agree with everything you say Chebry.Intrade though, is absolutely adamant that you can't overhaul a modern pump yourself, that they have to be set up on a machine, amongst other things. He is living in the past. He lives in fear that his diesel pump might get a leak and he might have to send it away for the twelve hundred dollar overhaul. And "set-up".
mechnificent,
Jan 18, 8:54pm
If Intrade was right, the fuel companies would be adding something. to prevent the court cases. if their fuel really is as bad as Intrade and the additive companies say, they would be paying out every day in court.
scoobeey,
Jan 18, 9:32pm
Well intrade is NOT talkin nonsense . mates pajero had a tiny pump leak and flashlube stopped the leak! . I use as well and on car and two trucks . glad one diesel truck has no injector pump lol
scoobeey,
Jan 18, 9:34pm
You must have forgotten the hoards of leaking pumps when sulphur was removed . Was widely publisised:)
supernova2,
Jan 18, 10:05pm
Whilst a seal kit may only be $50 the problem is that joe blow the average motorist takes his vehicle to the garage to be fixed and then he gets a bill for $1000s.
I'm picking that in a lot of cases the local garage rips the pump off and sends it off to the "experts" and those experts fit a $50 kit and change part of the egyptian national debt just because they can.
For joe blow if chucking in an additive puts the $1000 bill off for a few years then let them do it.Remember that joe blow often can't find $1000s overnight but can find/afford a few bucks each fill up.
In all the time these threads have been going I don't think I've seen anyone post proof that the additive is a bad idea but I have seen a few links that suggest that it is a good idea.
Diesel fuel lubricity is an important for users around with world with regulations on sulfur content having been implemented in the last decade. Removal of the sulfur to benefit the environment has given the consumer a drier diesel fuel with a lower lubricity value. This lubricity imparted by the fuel is relied on by the engine to lubricate and extend the life of certain moving parts such as injections and fuel pumps.
Diesel fuel lubricity is an important for users around with world with regulations on sulfur content having been implemented in the last decade. Removal of the sulfur to benefit the environment has given the consumer a drier diesel fuel with a lower lubricity value. This lubricity imparted by the fuel is relied on by the engine to lubricate and extend the life of certain moving parts such as injections and fuel pumps.
flack88,
Sep 28, 12:16am
I believe you!have been using additive for years,and never had pump fail,some say you dont need too,everyone entitled to their opinion,but i dont trust it,have seen leaking pump this week ,old hilux2.4 n.a motor ,seals all hard ,when removed.
NZTools,
Sep 28, 12:52am
I've owned, driven, serviced, and repaired diesels for years too. It is very easy too say that using an additive has prevented any pump or injector failures, however it is impossible to prove it, as your vehicle may well still be running perfectly well if you had never been near it with an additive.
Personally, I've never used diesel additives, and never had fuel system problems with the diesels i own, which based on the logic of pro-additive crowd, means that additives dont work.
gram,
Sep 28, 1:31am
No problem.it's a free world where we all make our own choices. Just like whether to use toothpaste or not.
jerichord,
Sep 28, 3:27am
ausie motorhomers use 300mls of two stroke oil to 100 lt of diesel, they say that it lubricates the seals
intrade,
Oct 9, 9:05pm
bump read thisloads more just type search ulsd on right and click last year.
chebry,
Oct 9, 9:31pm
And heavy transport operators use what, those are the guys who drive diesels you need to ask not somebody driving a puddle jumper ute. Aussie motor homers are scared of the massive bill that comes with an unneccessary injector pump overhaul you get sucked into when the injector pump starts leaking, when in reality a $50 seal kit and some light spannering is all thats required oh and heavy trucks just fill at the bowser no additives needed
intrade,
Oct 13, 4:55am
well your citroen will cost you big time just ask zephire haven guy he now uses a additive after his injector pump was nuked on his toyota i think if i recall right. And the toothless naigbour got a diesel serena that was smoking black and then white. Told him its his injector pump that is going to die and he should add flashlube soonest to stop it wearing further. Well he poured loads of it in his fuel and i seen it today he was on his way to aucklandfor the weekend idlesd sweet no smoke what so ever for now, I told him his pump is puked but at least its still going and the flashlube will stop further nuking of the pump and injectors.
chebry,
Oct 13, 5:00am
If you had any credibility your posts might make sense but you are full of it low sulphur diesel is all over the world and modern diesel engines are designed to burn it. I have NEVER been told when refilling a tractor unit to throw additives into it but hey if you want to waste your money go right ahead but stop telling otherslies
paul861,
Oct 13, 5:13am
i have to agree. got a few old diesels here and they are still running fine
intrade,
Oct 13, 5:20am
Why do you think they developed ulsd injector nozzle! for fun probably you morons or what.
thejazzpianoma,
Oct 13, 5:24am
Heavy Diesels may well be a different kettle of fish all together. I am not one for wonder potions but I have done some research and done some basic first hand tests myself. Even Mercedes use additives when testing in countries that may not have perfect diesel.
I don't see the point in getting wound up about it all when the extra economy I get from adding an additive to my diesel pays for the additive and it takes me next to no time and effort to do so.
In some older diesels where I have used an additive the difference has been quite noticeable in other way's. In an old Ford Transit for example you could clearly hear whether we had added anything to the tank of diesel yet or not and there was quite a difference in the amount of diesel smoke.
Each to their own, there is certainly no harm in spreading the word that this might be a good idea, at least then people can make up their own minds.
chebry,
Oct 13, 6:19am
That was developed a long time ago ULSD has been around over a decade here and much longer in Europe where most diesel engine research is carried out so these snake oil potions might help or not Im not too keen to subject a perfectly good new injector pump to some goo brewed up in a tin hut somewhere.
pieman33h,
Oct 13, 7:08am
i use about 12000 litres of diesel every month in my two trucks, doing over 25000km, and have never had a seal issue in the injector pumps!I have driven various kinds of trucks with engines from pretty much every truck maker in the world, and have yet to have a seal fail due to low sulphur diesel
intrade,
Oct 13, 7:14am
i repair diesel and almost all come in with rooted injecton system when they have serious problems. You also notice almost no old trucks on the roads now. up the road was a 18 year old hino it failed its wof and guess why exessive smoke, dont takes mutch to figure what has made it do this. The owner scrapped it to expensive to fix.
splinter67,
Oct 14, 2:47am
What are you on about have a look on the road there is quite a few old trucks on the road and just so you know hmvs have a cof
chebry,
Oct 14, 5:31am
Dude learn something, some of those not very old trucks already done 1million kms and are still going strong you seem to think every diesel engine in the country is the worn out dunger your hillbilly neighbour got dumped on his lawn. If youve been repairing anything more technical than a wheelbarrow Id be astonished.
chebry,
Oct 14, 7:08am
Actually tradein Im still wondering how a substance as corrosive as Sulphur has any lubricating qualities Ive seen what it does to concrete and various steam turbine parts and I sure dont want that shit in my diesel good riddance all it did was burn out valves and scour injector pumps, so replacing it with an additive is counter productive in my experience. Away you go, this should be good.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.