Diesel Additives

[Jon Schneider]

There's been a fascinating discussion on the C36 list about diesel performance additives and biodiesel.  One particularly bright correspondent wrote a couple of posts which I thought C34ers would be interested in (smushed together and edited by me for posting here with the author's permission).

Jack Steward writes:
Most on-highway and mobile equipment diesels in the US are designed to utilize diesel fuel with a cetane # between 40-55.  Cetane # is the volume % of n-hexadecane (cetane) in alpha methyl naphthalene. 100% cetane will have a cetane # of 100. 100% a m n has a cetane number of 0. For engines like ours, a cetane # greater than 50 is just wasted.  The higher cetane # mainly improves the starting performance of our engines.  Most diesel additives, e.g., Amsol will increase the cetane rating by 3-7 points. Is that enough?

We have, during the course of last year, heard from a number of us on the east coast concerning the use of biodiesel fuel in our engines, and all has been positive.  A number have had concerns regarding the use this year of the new low sulfur diesel fuel in our engines and the lack of lubricity of the product.  Well, biodiesel is the answer.  In fact, adding as little as 1% to regular diesel increases lubricity 67%.  Biodiesel is available now at many locations in our states.  It is usually dispensed at the pump as either 2%, 5% or 20% by volume. The price is usually the same for all mixtures. There are some locations where you can buy it as 100 % Biodiesel in 5 gal. jugs. Normal diesel in the US has a cetane number greater than 47.  20% biodiesel has a cetane # of 50.  So instead of adding a cetane booster additive to my fuel this year, I will add some 100 % biodiesel, In Minnesota all diesel is required to contain 2% biodiesel; Ohio has HB4235 in the process to do the same thing.

Jack F Stewart
1993 C36 #1233 "Windancer"
Port Clinton, OH

[Jeff Kaplan]

jon, having been involved in the trucking industry for the bulk of my working career,i sell parts, supplies and chemicals, i am a strong proponent of fuel additives. especially now that we have to deal with low sulfer fuels. biodiesel is not abundent here on the east coast so i strongly reccommend the use of a diesel fuel additive, especially for us with older engines. the low sulfer fuel will eventually eat away at the o-rings in the injector pump. a good fuel cond. will do many things. look for one that increases the lubricity, cleans the injectors and removes water. the cond. will also aid in prolonging 0-ring deterieration. a bioside should be used once a year to kill the bacteria that naturally grows in the fuel and tank. fuel cond. should be added with every fill.  good brands are  fppf, howes, crc diesel and power service. these can all be bought at a truck parts store and will be cheaper than going to a marina or boat supply store. a little pm goes a long way. just a few thoughts...jeff kaplan  ps: spring is getting closer.

[Bill Sedgwick]

This is a great discussion! Thanks for the information.

FWIW, last year at the Catalina Rendevous, one of the speakers presented a recommendation that was counter to all of the information I had ever heard about diesel in fuel tanks. His recommendation was to not fill  the tank with more fuel than you will burn in a couple months. His reasoning was that the current formulations are unstable and are more of a risk than condensation in the tank. I use a biocide and have a water separator but am still worried about water in the tank. Any comments?

Bill

[Phil Spicer]

Would 100% biodiesel stop the growth of bacteria in the tank and help keep the fuel clean, or would this  create other problems?

[Ted Pounds]

100% biodiesel would NOT stop the growth.  In fact it would probably encourage it as bio is much less toxic (PURE bio diesel is fit for human consumption!).   As I recall there are also other considerations that preclude the use of pure bio.  Practical Sailor had a good article on it a while back.

[David Sanner]

Jeff,  do you have any experience with Soltron ?
http://www.soltron-gtr.com/english.htm

It's an enzyme treatment that's suppose to do all sorts
of wonderful things.  WestMarine sells it as StarTron.


Phil, as far as 100% biodiesel I believe that if you
run higher than 20% you can have some problems,
especially on older engines and fuel lines.

[Phil Spicer]

Thank you Ted & David

[Jeff Kaplan]

dave, i am not familiar with that product, but reading the info on wm star-tron, it is similar to a bioside, kills growth in tank. these type of products should be used once a year, but are not fuel conditioners. one of the most important qualities to look for in a fuel cond., i forgot to mention above, is one that also raises the cetane rating of the fuel. with low sulfer fuel, the rating is lower than before. cetane is the "kick" in the fuel. raising it will improve performance. so  look for a fuel cond. that adds lubricity, increases cetane, cleans injectors and removes water, encaptulates water particles so they pass thru and get burned. some also have anti-gel properties, but unless you sail in freezing weather, you don't need that. fuel cond. is very inexpensive, and if used according to directions, will keep your engine and fuel running great...jeff

[jfssail]

Jeff, If you were purchasing an additive package today to do all those things,what would you put in your fuel tank?
I searched the FPPF, Howes and K100 web sites and couldn't find one additive that does all. Or do you buy Lubricity Plus Fuel Power from FPPF and a cleaner from some one else.
By the way,in looking at FPPF, I noticed they have a coolent treatment product, 4000 Cooling System Treatment, that is recommended by Yanmar and Hunter. I hate adding a cleaner-dispersent to my closed cooling system for fear of having problems with the coolant pump,
Had anyone used this product ?

Jack F Stewart

[Jeff Kaplan]

jack, fppf fuel power does it all. most of the other ones do lubricity, cetane, and inj. clean. a water disburser is another product, although sometimes in the mix. crc diesel does all but water removal. if you can't find a product to do all, buy 2. a little goes a long way especially since most are a concentrate able to treat hundreds of gallons. in our 25 gal tanks, you only add a few ounces per fill. remember to check out truck stops and truck parts stores as they are the biggest distributors of fuel cond. and also, diesel fuel is diesel fuel weather tinted red for highway use ,or not, for the marine and off road market. low sulfer fuel is here to stay and must be dealt with...jeff

[Jeff Kaplan]

jack, a better product that fppf makes is" total power", adds the lubricity that "fuel power" doesn't have. pt# 90317, 12oz. treats up to 60 gal. pt#90343 32 oz. treats up to 250 gals. there is no alcohol in the mix. great products. you can read about them on fppf site,, look under trucks and see the different products....jeff

[Ken Juul]

Question about the Biocide.  I use Bio-bor Jr.  I generally fill at 1/4 tank adding roughly 16 gal of fuel.  Will an annual application of biocide protect normally 2 refills a year? 

A note about Bio-bor, I cleaned my tank last spring.  Picked up a bad load of fuel at some point.  Engine started running poorly, checked the Racor.  Full of "tea leaves".  The stuff works.  Changed filters and opened the bypass valve.  Checked the racor again about 10 hrs later.  Good coating of "tea leaves" but passing sufficient fuel.  Will change the racor again this spring, hopefully problem solved.  The "tea Leaves" are much prefered to the slime/algae that grows without the biocide, much easier to deal with.

[Jeff Kaplan]

ken, an annual dose of bio-side, very small amount used,read the instructions, should be all that is needed...jeff