Fuel Additive

[diesel-JimF]

The NAPA store recommended I put fuel additive in called "Guaranteed to Pass". It is meant for big rigs to help them pass emissions tests. I put some in my tank and after a while did notice some smoke reduction.

The writing on the bottle claims to increase cetane, power, efficiency etc... like most other additives. There is fine print at the bottom that I didnt notice until now. It says that for vehicles made prior to 1990 a change in the fuel filter may be necessary due to the detergent/cleaning properties of the additive.

Is this stuff safe to run in my Diesel, is this stuff going to blow up my SD33T?

Is there a preferred brand of Cetane Boost Additive?

For two years I have run no additives, but my red devil has been sitting for many years and I figure It wouldnt hurt to run some kind of additive for the first few tanks.

Thanks

[Matt O'Bryan]

The only additive I use in a diesel is Howe's anti-gel in the winter. Most of the rest is snake-oil

[Sammy]

I believe this means that it will knock old crusty stuff loose in the fuel system and can clog the filter. I ran some stuff in mine about a year ago, supposedly boosted cetane by 6 points but I noticed nothing. I still had the plums of smoke when over half throttle and at start up. This was before I did anything else to it. I haven't put anything but plain old diesel fuel in it since and still runs the same.
Aside from having some water in the fuel system when I first got it, there weren't any other big problems with mine and it had been sitting for the most part of two years.

[azgoldrat]

Go to Napa and ask for a product called SeaFoam It is a Fuel and oil additive and this stuff WORKS I do not belive in snake oil but someone turned me on to this stuff awhile ago and if i didnt see it with my own eye's I would have told them to go take a flying leap It works on 2-stoke's and gas engines as well as diesels
BUT UNLESS you have great big brass ones DO NOT pour it into the intake on the diesel or you will have a RUNAWAY DIESEL on your hands (the engine will over rev and you will runaway)
Works great on a gasser though.....

As a test for Non-believers with diesel engines get one can About 4.99 at napa,fill up your tank and take home leave engine running and pour Seafoam into tank and listen you will hear when it hits the Injection system .....It works great in the engine oil too and brought up my idel pressure a couple of pounds ...........I was skeptical as hell about it till I used it and saw what it did for all my engines the biggest diffrence was noted in my 2-stokes when getting ready to do a carbon scrape ...... It also make an excellent spray type bolt buster/ intake cleaner/engine fogging additive and it works great in the winter for a snort shot on a cold diesel engine (works better the ether I think)......................Hey something to try and to each his own............azgoldrat

[CareyWeber]

The most important thing is to ensure that the additive you use does not contain alcohol. Alcohol will dry out the o-rings in the pump, and that is the say way to needing to have your pump rebulit.

Carey

[John Donnelly]

Hey all,

I noticed that someone mentioned Sea Foam. That is an interesting product, and one I have had good experience with.

I don't know what is in it, and don't care to, but for some strange reason, it seems to work. Try a bottle, and see.

As far as the other stuff goes, the only fuel additive I have ever used in a Diesel with any success is Stanadyne "Fuel Conditioner".

All the other stuff does is drain money from your wallet IMHO.

Standyne's stuff is very good for your engine, designed by injector pump people, and best of all, actually does something!

You will notice that the engine will smoke a bit more for a couple of startups unless you put the stuff in the tank, fill the tank, and drive for a good distance (50 miles+).

But an improvement in engine smoothness is there, it lights off easier, and best of all, it conditions the entire fuel system. I know this sounds like an endorsement, but the stuff works.

Nothing else has ever shown me an improvment like Stanadyne has in the fuel system.

Seafoam in the crankcase works well, but DO NOT use it on a Closed-Crankcase engine like a 6.2 allison, or a 7.3L IH/Ford, it can cause a "runaway" like azgoldrat describes.

Keep on Dieselin',

John Donnelly