Well if additive road in oilville is anywhere near Urichsville , you could visit George Morrison at AV Lubricants and get an even more detailed explanation of additives and diesel fuel. He's a great guy with over 20 years of diesel fuel and lube tech experience - that's all he does.

 

Thanks anyway , But diesel additive really are not my bag.

I'll leave it up to members like you to fill me in with the details.

Now if your intrested in " icp " just ask ?

If you dont know what that is then your not interested .

 

I read on the bottle that PowerService has methanol in it as a deicer and water emulsifier. Is this a good thing or bad? After reading several additive posts, I am now confused. Winter is coming fast and I still haven't decided on what winter fuel conditioner to use. I do not have a warranty on my truck and am interested in keeping the VP44 running strong. If the injectors go I will upgrade for a little more power (275's or Mach 1.5 - 2's), but I don't have the coin for an injection pump!! I have not found a dealer for Redline in my area and HATE shipping charges! Any suggestions?

 

You must have a very old bottle of powerservice. Their newer(as of a few years ago) Diesel fuel supplement +cetane boost, and diesel kleen contain no alcohols or emulsifiers. I would highly recommend against using that bottle you have, as alcohols can damage the injection system. Get yourself some redline at your local pep boys or autozone. Or if you prefer go to walmart and get a newer version of powerservice.

 

This appears to be a GM bulletin on additives, where it specifically states that alcohol or other emulsifiers should not be used. Other makes seem to make similar recommendations, which is apparently why Stanadyne seems to have the most OEM approvals for use. I recall reading somewhere that Stanadyne makes the Ford additive.

Bulletin No.: 03-06-04-017

Date: March, 2003

INFORMATION
Subject:
Information on Diesel Fuel Additives

Models:
1994-1996 Chevrolet Chevy G-Van, Sport Van
[many models deleted for brevity] etc., etc.
2000-2003 Isuzu FRR Model Medium Duty Tilt Cab
with 6.5L, 6.6L, 7.2L or 7.8L Diesel Engine (VINs F, P, S, Y, 1, B, 3 - RPOs L65, L49, L56, L57, LB7, LC8, LG4)

The use of diesel fuel additives is not required or recommended for the 6.5L diesel or the 6.6L Duramax(R) Diesel engine under normal conditions. The filtering system is designed to block water and contaminants without the use of additives. However, some customers may desire to use fuel additives to improve the characteristics of available diesel fuels.

Water Emulsifiers and Demulsifiers

If the customer desires to use a fuel additive, care must be taken in its selection. There are two common methods that fuel additives use to cope with water in the fuel. One method is through demulsification of water in the fuel. This method causes water particles to combine together to form larger particles, which drop out of suspension. This allows the fuel filter/water separator to separate the water from the fuel as it is designed to. The other method of coping with water in the fuel is through emulsification. This method, often using alcohol as the emulsifier, keeps water particles suspended in the fuel. Emulsification of water in the fuel can allow water to get past the fuel filter/water separator, in most cases causing damage to the fuel system.

Only alcohol free water demulsifiers should be used in General Motors diesel engines. Both *Racor(R) and *Stanadyne(R) diesel fuel additives are alcohol free and utilize water demulsifiers to cope with water in the fuel. Other brands may be available in different areas; be sure that they clearly state that they are alcohol free demulsifiers before use.

*We believe these sources and their products to be reliable. General Motors does not endorse, indicate any preference for or assume any responsibility for the products from these firms or for any such items which may be available from other sources.

COMMON DIESEL FUEL CONCERNS Fuel Waxing/Icing

Fuel distributors blend # 1 and # 2 diesel fuels for seasonal requirements in a particular region. No other blending of fuels is recommended. However, a customer may desire to use a winter fuel additive to prevent fuel waxing or icing during extreme cold snaps. If a winter fuel additive is to be used, it should not contain alcohol or other water emulsifiers that may compromise the water removal effectiveness of the fuel filtering system.

Bacteria and Fungi Growth

Bacteria and fungi growth can occur in diesel fuel when there is water present, especially during warmer weather. The best prevention against bacteria and fungi growth is to use clean fuel that is free of water. There are diesel fuel biocides available which are designed to kill bacterial growth in the fuel system. However, the dead bacteria can still cause blockages throughout the fuel system. If bacterial growth is found in the fuel system, the proper method of removal is to flush the fuel system using Service Manual procedures, replace the fuel filter element, and refill the tank with clean diesel fuel. If a customer desires to use a biocide after flushing the fuel system, it should not contain alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

Low Cetane Number

The cetane number is one indicator of a diesel fuel's ability to ignite. There are many indicators of overall fuel quality such as cleanliness, specific gravity, volatility, viscosity, detergency, corrosion inhibiting abilities, and lubricity. Increasing the celane number alone is not a fix for poor quality fuel. Additionally, increasing the cetane number beyond the engine's requirements will not increase performance. However, the cetane number of diesel fuel is not always consistent and some customers may desire to use a cetane improver to ensure full performance of their engine. If such an additive is to be used, it must not contain alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

Poor Lubricity

The 6.5L diesel and the 6.6L Duramax(R) Diesel engines are designed to operate on today's low sulfur fuel without the use of additives. A fuel additive designed to increase lubricity is not a fix for poor quality or contaminated fuel, but some customers may desire to use a lubricity additive to aid in the longevity of their fuel system components. If such an additive is to be used, it must not contain alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

FUEL SOURCE ISSUES

If a vehicle is properly maintained but has fuel contamination issues, consider obtaining fuel from a different source. Purchasing fuel from a high volume fuel retailer increases the chance that the fuel is fresh and of good quality.

 

1st truck, the key line in that article was the one that said demulsification allows the water separators to work as they are designed to. This is exactly it, they are in theory designed to separate, therefore they endorse their use. The reality is that they do not separate. Tell me this - knowing that there is water present in all diesel fuel, and that you use stanadyne - why is it then that there is never any water when you drain your fuel filter housing into a clear glass? Answer- because they don't work unless you have a HUGE slug of FREE water. The water that is suspended in all fuel is much smaller in size than the free water clumps. Even when you demulsify it, it's not nearly as large as a slug of free water, and it passes right through your factory water separator. Therefore it's preferable to use an alcohol free emulsifier, to make the currently suspended water even smaller and safer , as it will inevitably pass through the system anyway. Once there is enough water to be free water and fall out, you are going to have problems no matter which additive you use, and your WIF light will come on.