Cetane do you use it ?

[Turbo Terry]

No general diesel so it’s going under second gen I guess.  Have you ever used cetane Amsoil  and a couple other brands.  My truck seems to like it.  Mileage I really don’t know.  Cost etc 1999 24 v 275 rv and edge,    What about the new trucks and the ones in the middle   Good-bad or ugly.  Let  the Good discussions begin I really want to know

[Mopar1973Man]

Higher the cetane the lower the BTU's. 

 

Summer fuel is dark green and light green is winter fuel. 

 

 

As stated by the ASTM Lab documents...

 

There is no benefit to using a higher cetane number fuel than is specified by the engine's manufacturer. The ASTM Standard Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils (D-975) states, "The cetane number requirements depend on engine design, size, nature of speed and load variations, and on starting and atmospheric conditions. Increase in cetane number over values actually required does not materially improve engine performance. Accordingly, the cetane number specified should be as low as possible to insure maximum fuel availability." This quote underscores the importance of matching engine cetane requirements with fuel cetane number!!!

 

This why in the summer time the MPG go up and during the winter the MPG's go down. Adding more cetane will just make the fuel faster or quicker to ignite but makes the BTU energy lower. Less push during the power stroke. 

 

Most peopel start using cetane because of weak injecotr or wore out injectors and always says its does better. This is because the injectors being wore out will produce large droplets at lower pop pressure. Now it takes more time to light the fuel off. Now the cetane will bring it back to burning easier but after the tank is done the problem returns. You would be better off having your injectors pop tested or replaced if there is over 100k miles on them. (This includes 12V, 24V and common rail).

 

As for use I DO NOT use any cetane booster or anti-gel all year round. I DO use 2 cycle oil. It a natural BTU enhancer, injector cleaner and cetane reducer. 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Mopar1973Man

[SilverMoose]

 but we typically don't need any additives in Florida. I always use TCW3. I did try cetane a few times when I first got the truck and mileage is definitely lower.

 

Later

D

[Turbo Terry]

So 2 cycle oil won’t hurt the vp44 pump  makes btu go up  cleans injectors.  I  need to still use antigel.  So how much 2 cycle to 15 gallons fuel the half way on my gauge. Top half of the tank is for driving.  Bottom half is to keep me warm in a raging blizzard. And what kind of anti gel would go good with the 2cycle oil

[Stubilly]

2 stroke oil mix ratio is:

 

1 ounce to 1 gallon

 

Cant speak on the anit-gel as i am in Alabama, not really cold enough to need it here.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Stubilly
added more info

[Mopar1973Man]

For every gallon pumped you add 1 ounce of oil.

 

Never use anti-gel I just switch to snowmobile oil which has a pour point to -50F. I see -20 to -30 every winter

[Turbo Terry]

Maybe it would have help with my dieing  when putting it in gear. One time I was on a 2000 mile trip. With my wife and slide in camper  in the Yukon. I stopped at a  3 bears.  In delta junction Ak about 300 miles from home. Bought 10 diesel  to fill up    Green pump green nozzle said diesel. Said diesel on receipt.  Wife is my witness   No bathroom so I drove around back.  In that short of time the sound of my diesel changed.  I almost knew what had happened.  Gasoline.  I had always carried a quart of 2 Stroke  oil. To build fires etc. behind the seat.  I dumped the whole quart in trying to save my vp 44.  Not much of a town. I drove on next place I added another 10 gallons of #2  trying to delute the mix Another 100 miles I was starting to loose fuel pressure I stopped you could smell the gas when you opened the filter drain a bit on your fingers.  Well we made it the 300 miles home. Unloaded the camper pulled in my garage. Dumped the oil new filer   New fuel filter    You could smell the gas in the filter.  I called 3 bears and talked to the owner   He said his dad had filled the tanks and was very careful   A day later the vp44 died. Had a good rebuilt $2 k put in.  I sent the owner the fuel filter and the receipt He never offered to pay anything.  That was the first 3 bears in alaska now there are several all owned by the same man.  When I filled up there was 40 foot motor homes  like covered wagons  going thru town. Wonder how many pumps dad killed.  At least I think the 2 stroke did help me get home 

 

Snowmobile oil.  What a great idea 

And no waxing when you change the filter  ? Interesting but the #2 doesn’t gel by itself ?

 

[Dieselfuture]

5 hours ago, Turbo Terry said:

I sent the owner the fuel filter and the receipt He never offered to pay anything.

That's why I never fill up at small stations, maybe hard for you to do being in the middle of nowhere

[Mopar1973Man]

I change fuel filters every 60k miles. When I change at 30k it's still white media for the AirDog filter. 

[Silverwolf2691]

@Mopar1973Man, what's the reasoning behind the lack of gelling with 2 stroke? I run either Gulf 2 stroke or Amsoil Dominator and never had a problem with gelling. Granted -5°f is normally uncommon around here, but we've had a couple -10°f mornings since I've had my Cummins.    

[Mopar1973Man]

2 hours ago, Silverwolf2691 said:

what's the reasoning behind the lack of gelling with 2 stroke?

 

PPD (Pour Point Depressants). The snowmobile 2 cycle oil sold up here had more PPD added to keep the oil liquid till -50*F. So now take the local fuel of -20*F Pour Point and add more oil on top that has -50*F Pour Point it will inch the pour point of the diesel down (how much I'm not sure). The second part is I kept my stock fuel filter which absorbs heat from the manifold. My winter time fuel temp doesn't drop below +20*F ever. So I have ZERO need for any anti-gel products and in 19 years and 432k miles I've never use any anti-gel or had any gelling problems ever! Typical winter in New Meadows can range from -20*F to -40*F.

[Turbo Terry]

I’m still not real certain about the lack of use of anti gel in the winter yet to be honest with you.  The 2stroke not cetane is I think a winner.  What about the new trucks. 2 stroke or cetane anti gel ?  I just got back from a up and down hill road trip.   I think you might be right about the 2 stroke   I dumped 32 ounces in a full tank.  I really do think it likes it.  Pulls hard sounds good. There’s nothing like pulling hard up a grade with a 24 v 

2 cylinder jd tractors  harleys Cummins  and hemi sign me up 

[Dieselfuture]

Mine always sounds and performs good with 2 stroke but around here most diesel is bio now so I quit using the oil

[Turbo Terry]

You like the bio diesel in your 24 v then I’m original from Nebraska  a very long time ago  .  Is bio made from corn then. I really don’t understand

And how’s your truck run on it  is it cheaper to buy ?

Is it like ethanol in gas ?  10 percent.  I know nothing about it I guess 

[Mopar1973Man]

I tend to avoid bio in the winter. Bio tends to gel quicker and tougher to un-gel.

[Doubletrouble]

 I don't know for sure if the diesel around here is bio or not. The pump don't say it is. Are they required to state if it is or not? I run the 2 stroke oil anyway just to help lube the pump. They're expensive and I'd rather not chance it. Sooner or later I'm sure it will wear out but I'd like to make it last as long as I can.

[Mopar1973Man]

Between bio diesel and 2 cycle oil I've seen most VP44's make at least 250k miles. 

[Dieselfuture]

13 hours ago, Turbo Terry said:

You like the bio diesel in your 24 v then I’m original from Nebraska  a very long time ago  .  Is bio made from corn then. I really don’t understand

And how’s your truck run on it  is it cheaper to buy ?

Is it like ethanol in gas ?  10 percent.  I know nothing about it I guess 

It seems to run good on it my last tank I got just over 20mpg hand calculated. It's a bit cheaper but not always .10 maybe if that. Personally I'd run regular with 2 cycle but only few stations around here still offer it and most are not on my way. Like Hy-Vee still supposedly has regular as their pumps don't say anything and asking people inside they have no clue, but by law I believe they should have a sticker that says biodiesel like Casey's where I fill up most of the time.

[Turbo Terry]

So what is bio mass I understand low sulfur I guess.  Bio mass to a Alaskan is like the crabs they catch in alaska bio mass ?

We have low sulfur fuel here also.  Really doesn’t seem to affect the running of my 99

[Silverwolf2691]

Biomass is plant matter, in the case of bio diesel, I don't know exactly what it is but I'm guessing it's corn oil, soybean oil or similar. I haven't seen any biodiesel out here in the north east, but I don't travel much.

 

The sulfur is an extreme pressure lubricating element I believe. Unfortunately, it technically isn't backwards compatible with the older injection pumps. I say technically because while as you and everyone else running an older diesel have experienced, it runs perfectly fine, the pumps were designed with a higher amount of lubrication inherent to the fuel. Since that is gone now, there is a higher chance of accelerated wear on the pump internals. Caveat to this is the engine oil lubed pumps, like a p7100 pump in the 12 valves. not as affected by the loss of lubrication. I can also guarantee that its ultra low sulfur diesel. Low sulfur diesel was the hold over I think until the ULSD came out. and all of this was driven by emissions, otherwise known as CARB and EPA. Difference was 500 PPM (could have been 50 PPM) in low sulfur vs 15 PPM in ULSD.    

 

This is how I understood it, I could be wrong. I'm also unsure on the low sulfur part. PPM is parts per million.