Fuel additive

[gwcowgill]

"Nitrogen Infused" gasoline.  Nitrogen!!  Really!!  It's an enert gas

As said nitrogen makes up 80% of our air, nitrogen is what expands as the oxygen creates the catylst for the burn. by adding more N you can get more power. TBS, I want to know how they get the nitrogen in the fuel. It is all BS. The oil companies market. I crack up when I see gasoline coming off a ship and it goes in all the different branded trucks. Sure they add their brand additive pack but no matter the brand it goes to all the different branded stations.

 

[Foto-n-T]

With gasoline there are "markers" in the fuel. A simple dip test by a Shell or Exxon inspector will immediately tell them whether the station is selling the correct fuel. The company I used to work for constantly cheated on their Cenex stations and got caught numerous times, the fines were impressive.  Diesel fuel on the other hand does not have the markers in it to differentiate brand so diesel is pretty much diesel.

While on the subject of gasoline, unbranded gasoline in your fuel injected car/truck over a long period of time can be problematic.  Although filling up every time with branded gasoline isn't necessary you should consider using it at least every four fillups simply for the additive package.  If you're running an antique car with a carborator on it then run what ever burns but those fuel injectors are a lot more picky about their fuel.

 

[GIB]

I had a 2000 Freightliner with a 5.9 Cummins. They had an electronic injection pump and an extremely poor lift pump. After 7 lift pumps and 3 injection pumps in 100,000 miles the owner/service manager at the IH dealership recommended tha I use a fuel additive. His reasoning was that especially on the smaller engines in those years the injection pump had to do it's work plus build the pressure to fire the injectors and they need all the lubrication they can get. I also bought a lift pump from FASS a direct bolt on for 5.9 cummins. After that and the Howes I didn't replace any more parts. I can't speak for the new owner but never heard any complaints . I now use Howes in my M11 cummins , my Duramax, and my Kubota. They all appear to like it.

 

[mygreyhound]

Sorry -just had to hi-jack for a sec & rant & say something kind of unrelated to the OP...

Thanks for that Joe! For a couple years I've been talking about that Shell rip-off of adding nitrogen to the mix. No one believed me. I'll admit even trying it once along I-95. It dropped my mileage exactly 1 mpg! Nothing had changed, the terrain, wind, direction, & etc. was the same (of course come to think of it I did fill up 75 gallons) but that never made as much of a difference before.

I understand nitrogen is used in fire extinguishers so like you said, how much good is it to try and burn it? Of course they say it cleans parts-but so does water! Problem is it takes up space in the tank that should contain something that at least will burn. Anyway, for their trickery I've made a promise to never buy their products again. Sorry but that felt good. 

On another note, the DW once worked at a refinery that re-refined "trans-mix" (the mixed up portion of the pipe line load as they switch from diesel, to gas to ?). Even branded stations would buy it during the second half of the month-never the first load that they bought, as that was indeed branded product. Bottom line is to fill up before mid-month if you can.  GR

 

[Foto-n-T]

Speaking of trans-mix, there are distributors who will add it to gasoline in a less than 10% blend when their drivers cross drop fuel. It's put into gasoline though, never diesel that I know of.

 

[Kamper Dave]

I agree, I use the Stanadyne Purple . I hear of way too many failures to not use an additive. Like Peanut man says, "it can't hurt". Injector pump failure along wiith injectors leaves you a pretty good repair bill, over 2000 if you do the work yourself and could be as high as $5000.

STANADYNE is what we faithfully continue to use.  http://www.stanadyne.com/docs/puba/99625%20PF%20poster.pdf

Last year while we were pumping fuel and adding Stanadyne we spoke with the man at the next pump doing the same. He maintains hundreds of diesel engines at work in Wyoming. According to him all of those engines get fuel additive because they need the added lubricity now reduced in diesel fuel at the pump. I am going with what this hard working man had to say.

Unfortunately, no amount of additive will help you if you pump BAD fuel into your tank. The cost can be a new fuel filter and a set of injectors at $380.00 each ($3,000.00 with labor and diagnostics).

 

[Robert K]

I use Lucas .My friend who is and has been a diesel mech for years  sez that the Lucas products are all good to use .Also using there Hub oil

 

[Wristpin]

I ran across this study on lubricity when researching this same thing several months ago, I'll try to attach it here.
I found it very informative as I'm an old diesel mechanic and was wondering what is happening to the older diesel engines that were made to run on high sulfur diesel fuel. I hope you will find it as informative as I did.



Spell corrected version

 

[Ned]

I have trouble giving credence to an author that can't spell "sulfur" when it's referenced several times in his paper.

 

[Wristpin]

A few misspelled words are of no consequence to me, The person that typed this article spelled words correctly that I couldn't spell for sure.

The original poster ask for advice on fuel additives and I thought this article might help.

 

[Ned]

Accuracy is important if someone wants to be taken seriously.

 

[Tin man]

I am more confused than ever.  Information overload!!!

I am going to Florida in January, so I'm going to try something.  Just don't what yet. 

Thanks for the info. 

Jim

 

[dirko]

Hi Ho:  Wanted to thank Wristpin for the data.  By the way, it's the only input that I found that's not anecdotal.  And it does point out that adding something is not necessarily better than nothing as many of the additives caused MORE WEAR not less.  I think Gary is also correct (as usual) in stating that increased mileage or power is a pipe dream.    It would be interesting to hear from RV folks that have over 100,000 miles (or better yet 200,000 miles) on the same engine.  By the way, any engine can fail with or without additives.

 

[Foto-n-T]

Cat 3126, 250hp 355,000 miles. Majority of the miles are highway loaded and still have the original injectors (knock on wood).

Since 2008 (ULSD was mandated in 2007) we've run either Stanodyne when available or Power Service when not. I'd rather run some sort of lubribricity additive than nothing.