Fuel additives

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01 Nov 2012 06:01 #1 by dandjcr
dandjcr created the topic: Fuel additives
Forum Home > OKA Maintenance > Fuel additives

Outback Jack
Member
Posts: 381
Hi All,
Just curious to see if people are using fuel additives and if so what type?
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March 1, 2011 at 2:37 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Tony Lee
Member
Posts: 539
That is a question I was going to ask too - but maybe on a different tack to you. I've never thought of using any of the various injector cleaners, sludge removers, injector pump lubricants and the like, but I did wonder about additives for preventing algae when fuel is stored for a long time in fuel tanks. Heading off for 9 months and there is 500 Litres in the bus, 220L in the OKA. In the open a bit south of Taree. Sure hate to have to do something about 700 litres of sludgy diesel
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Tony

picasaweb.google.com/114611728110254134379

March 1, 2011 at 4:41 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Outback Jack
Member
Posts: 381
Well depends on who you talk to or believe. With the low sulphur diesel now days, I have hear,read etc that it can cause problems to seals etc.
I know a lot of truckies who do use chemtec diesel additives.
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March 1, 2011 at 8:02 PM Flag Quote & Reply

deedy
Member
Posts: 18
Run on vegi oil
March 1, 2011 at 8:28 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Outback Jack
Member
Posts: 381
Yes, Biodiesel has its merit, just a lot of effort to make etc.
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March 1, 2011 at 10:11 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Alister McBride
Member
Posts: 97
No, Deedy (Chris) is talking about actual veggie oil... not biodiesel, big difference, no mixing of chemicals etc, very easy to do! I haven't done it YET but a mate has and travels around aus regularly. Just filter it then use it like diesel. There's a few idiosyncrasies but nothing major, actually the OKA is perfect for it having two fuel tanks with a selector switch... Anyway, worth a look as the most i've ever heard of anyone paying for it is 20c/L! Only down side is the exhaust smells like a fish and chips shop.... mmmmm....
March 2, 2011 at 12:31 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Peter & Sandra James Oka 374
Member
Posts: 412
I've used the chemtech stuff for years, never had any algae probs and the vehicles always sat in the shed between trips sometimes for months.
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Oka 374 LT Van

March 2, 2011 at 7:15 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Richard & Beverly House
Member
Posts: 23
We have been using Fuel & Oil additives for over 20 years. FPC Fuel Performance Catalyst keeps the engine very clean and reduces maintance intervals and fuel consumption. We also use Petrotech 2000 engine, gearbox and diff. treatments. This has the effect of reducing friction, fuel consumption and wear of moving parts. The cleaner the fuel & oil the better and for this we have been using the Mil Mac 4M Toilet Roll Filters which remove particles above 0.5 micron thus enabling a doubling in oil change intervals and reducing costs!! Nothings quick about replying! I got all this typed with two fingers and then clicked on seach to check on something, came back here to find everthing had gone so had to write it down for Beverly to retype for me ! Thanks Bev!!!
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Richard and Beverly House Oka 080

March 2, 2011 at 3:24 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Richard & Beverly House
Member
Posts: 23
Following on from previous post. For your info if you are interested in the 4M Mil Mac toilet roll Bi Pass filters they are at 55 Riseley St. Ardross WA 6153. Ph. 08 9364 2047
March 2, 2011 at 6:31 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Dandj
Member
Posts: 367
With a badly leaking rear seal on my injector pump, I was advised to use Flashlube at double strength to rejuvenate the rubber.
It certainly worked and has reduced the leak to acceptable levels when warmed up (a drip every 10 seconds or so), and sure beats the alternative of having the pump overhauled, which I'll have to one day.
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David and Janet Ribbans, Oka 148

March 16, 2011 at 3:44 PM Flag Quote & Reply

oka 098
Member
Posts: 58
a mail dude up north runs his van on vegi oil he reacons the trick is to run it threw copper piping with heater water running around it ,his is about two meters long get it hot and thin but he carries a box of filters with him change at about 1500 km starts on diesel when cold but starts on oil when warm



,
March 16, 2011 at 4:57 PM

David and Janet Ribbans - Oka 148
Oka148 profile here.
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16 Sep 2014 16:53 #2 by Greg 210 and Dean 366
Greg 210 and Dean 366 replied the topic: Fuel additives
Has anyone used a Queensland product called fuel Doctor if is there anything about that is wortha try.
Greg

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16 Sep 2014 20:25 #3 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fuel additives
Hi All,personally I don't think that there is a need for fuel additives since Australia come up to European standards but a good filtering system is advised due to the poor fuel keeping standards of some of the outback fuel suppliers,not their intentional fault just the lack of knowledge of what is required in a modern common rail engine,service stations constantly running out fuel and then re fueling vehicles five minutes after the tanker dumped some fuel and stirred all the crap that was in the tank below the suction pipe and not allowing it to settle before dispensing fuel.
Cheers,Joe

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17 Sep 2014 03:03 #4 by TR
TR replied the topic: Fuel additives
Hi, For over 10 years I have used acetone added to the diesel at 1.5ml per litre. This has not been in my

recently acquired OKA but in my Leyland bus/motorhome with a 6.5 litre straight six diesel, and in a

Daihatsu Rocky diesel. In both vehicles it made cold starting easier, gave about 10% better mileage,

reduced smoke and improved performance. In the case of the bus it was better than and extra gear. It is also

claimed to make the engine run cleaner and hence the oil remain cleaner. I understand it works by reducing

the fuel surface tension resulting in better vaporisation of the injected fuel. Ten years of use tells me it works

and I will be using it in my OKA when I return to OZ next week. Have attached some info I downloaded from the net 9 years ago.


Tim
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18 Sep 2014 07:53 #5 by Tony Lee
Tony Lee replied the topic: Fuel additives
April 1 is it - already!

Tony

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18 Sep 2014 19:37 #6 by Dean and Kaye Howells
Dean and Kaye Howells replied the topic: Fuel additives
Isn't it interesting that new diesel engines don't require these 'additives', perhaps there's a message here ?. As engine / injectors / injector pumps age/wear perhaps they need replacing / adjusting / re calibration ?

Diesel additives are IMO a great product for making money for their manufacturers but really do little else. The exception being the very expensive 'winter additives' used in the snow season. These thin the diesel and stop it 'waxing' so that diesel can work in low temperatures. The same result is gained by the fuel company's mixing normal unleaded with diesel in winter to achieve the same end. For an engine as basic as the OKA 10 - 25 % unleaded to diesel does the job no worries.

As for the rest, a waste of time and money, acetone like metho absorbs water and will thin the mixture, no probs with the OKA but I'd be real careful about mixing stuff in diesel in high pressure common rail applications. It could have very expensive side effects.

Injectors should be re calibrated and rebuilt if necessary every 100 K Km as should the injector pump, fuel filters and sedimenters changed and cleaned regularly and air cleaner elements changed as well. You can't keep blowing out the air cleaner and expect it to last forever.

Additives are not an alternative to good maintenance. There's no reason why a well maintained engine needs any of these additives, they are aimed at the maintenance guilty to extract maximum revenue for the unscrupulous vendor and have little real value.


Deano :)

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19 Sep 2014 04:16 #7 by TR
TR replied the topic: Fuel additives
Hi, Sorry Tony you still have a little over six month to wait for an April fools post. Here in Ecuador I have often

been called "el gringo loco". However back home I am an engineer with over 40 years of professional

experience and not given to misrepresentation. The observations given above are from my experience of

56,000 km in my 15.5 ton bus/motor home rig and 185,000 km in the 1.6 ton Rocky. I also accept that any

improvements, if any, may be much less in modern computer, optimally controlled, injection systems. Sugest

you try it and then comment

Tim

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19 Sep 2014 07:18 #8 by PeteFox
PeteFox replied the topic: Fuel additives
It's hard to argue with science and physics, though there are some who will.
The linked article at least has some objectivity and some fairly terse maths, all backed up by experimentation and research and was published in the International Refereed Journal of Engineering and Science (IRJES) just a couple of years ago. If maths isn't your thing just read the Abstract, Introduction, and the Results and Conclusions sections of the paper to get the important bits

Combustion Analysis Of A Diesel Engine Operating With Performance Improvement Additives

End result? Yes it does work, with a few provisos.

Pete

Pete Fox OKA266 MultiCab
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19 Sep 2014 07:44 #9 by John and Bronwyn
John and Bronwyn replied the topic: Fuel additives
Hi, fuel additives are a good topic to create some debate! There is a huge amount of info on the Web - but much of it unsubstantiated with measurements or, even then, usually only over a tank or two of fuel. And lots of snake oil.....
Here is my experience with one particular product (BTW, no connection at all to manufacturer, retailers, etc).
The vehicle: 2001 Landcruiser 100 series, 1HZ engine (4.2l 6 cyl, naturally aspirated, mechanical injection system, indirect injection).
I have owned the vehicle since new and, because it was on a novated lease, had comprehensive odometer / fuel consumption records, which I plotted in Excel. At the time, I was doing a fair number of km each year - I was always over the 40,000k FBT threshold while I had the lease.
A mate suggested I try Morey's Diesel Smoke Killer, so I started using it when the vehicle had about 85,000 km. Morey's claim it "is designed to reduce diesel smoke, improve fuel injection, provide anti-wear, enhance fuel economy and ensure engine cleanliness". It is also claimed to kill diesel bugs.
Nothing noticeable happened immediately, but over the next 20,000 km or so there was a slow, steady reduction in fuel consumption before it levelled out. I don't think this was a "running in" issue - the fuel consumption did drop a bit over the first 30-odd thousand but was then steady.
The gain? Just under 10% improvement in fuel consumption, which stayed at that level until I stopped keeping records at over 200,000 km. I have kept using the product.
The vehicle has now done about 380,000 km and has had no work on the injectors or pump. (It has had regular scheduled maintenance with the usual hoses / belts / filters).
My conclusion is that it does seem to give improved fuel economy, and the symptoms would suggest it cleaned up the system, but took some time to do so. With no injector maintenance to date it is likely that they have stayed clean, and also likely they and the pump have not worn excessively. (There are no signs of injector trouble at the moment.)
The product is reasonably expensive and adds about 2 - 3% to the fuel cost. I decided it was worth it, and am now using it in the OKA. However I don't have the detailed fuel records for the OKA to prove it one way or another.
As always, your experience may be different......

Regards, John
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