Fuel Systems Question

[dorkweed]

I've got a serious question here. All these diesel "fuel system cleaners" out there. You know, PS, Lucas, Howes, etc. What are they actually cleaning???? What needs to be "cleaned" on the INSIDE of our fuel systems???? Diesel is unlike gas in that is doesn't evaporate readily and leave varnish type deposits. Diesel is oil. When I did my fuel tank vent mod, I had to drop the fuel tank. It was pristine on the inside!!! When I added my GDP Walbro lift pump system, looked inside the lines I didn't need, and didn't see any deposits. Occasionally I find some "remnants" in the bottom of the fuel filter canister, but isn't that what my 2 fuel filters are for???? Do these "cleaners" dissolve those remnants??? I don't think so; but maybe I'm wrong. In my 3rd gen the pressures are much higher than in the previous generation trucks, so "clean" fuel is a must. Hence, I run 2 fuel filters. The second one filters down to 2 microns. Inside and after the CP3 on my truck, the pressures can see 25,000psi at WOT in the common rail, high pressure injector lines and the injectors themselves. I don't see how any deposits can stick to the inside of the fuel system at those pressures. Am I making sense???? :smart Now if your injectors are carboned up because you don't work your truck, that's another matter. Our Cummins are designed to be worked hard!! IMHO, many of the guys with problems don't work their trucks very hard!!

[Mopar1973Man]

Just like my fuel tank it was spotless inside till I drilled the hole for the drawstraw...

I've got both the stock filter and the AD 150 filters... Funny part is the factory filter is still clean after 10K miles now... So why would I need a injecotr cleaner if the fuel is clean???

[cummins2k]

My tank looked the same, after 215k miles of mostly ULSD. :thumbsup My 1994 Dodge Dakota V6 gasoline pickup doesn't have any varnish in the tank. But then again the fuel gets used fairly quickly also. A lot of the varnish problems i have seen with cars is when they are stored for long periods of time. All that being said i did start adding the 2-stroke so hopefully there wont be a VP44 in my future lol.

[ISX]

Now I am wondering why everyone says there fuel filter clogs with all the crap that the biodiesel cleans out of the tank.. I been running B20 every now and then to get it lubed up a bit. It is about 15 cents more a gallon than regular diesel but ahhh crap. I just figured and putting 2 stroke in WOULD be cheaper. Dont get as good of mileage on B20 either. I will pick up a gallon of 2 stroke today!

[Mopar1973Man]

Now I am wondering why everyone says there fuel filter clogs with all the crap that the biodiesel cleans out of the tank.. I been running B20 every now and then to get it lubed up a bit. It is about 15 cents more a gallon than regular diesel but ahhh crap. I just figured and putting 2 stroke in WOULD be cheaper. Dont get as good of mileage on B20 either. I will pick up a gallon of 2 stroke today!

Firts there has to be some trash in the tank to clean out...I've been running solely petroluem diesel now for the life of my truck and never had any trash in my tank or fuel lines..

[Vulcan]

Most of the tanks we pull are for the most part clean but weve seen a few that have a real dark green sludge in them. On older models say 94-99 the steel components inside the module can be quite rusted.

[cummins2k]

Running the engine hard down the highway and getting the EGT's up this will help clear out any soot build up. If it ever comes to a point where contaminated fuel has been used I would suggest getting them professionally cleaned on a test bench.

[keydl]

I have picked up a load of fuel that included about 20 gallons of water for 200 gallons of fuel, I fueled will the delivery truck was dumping and the rain was a frog strangler. I did not make it out of the truck stop, they serviced my tanks and their tanks and gave me 3 fuel filters and a couple of quarts of ATF.Running stale fuel that has already lost most of the lighter parts of the fuel mixture is the current risk that system cleaner would be used for, it smells as bad as rotten gas - just takes longer.So, yes there is a use for the stuff but not any where what is advertised for it and never 'regular maintinance'.The current fuels will probably still have a clean tank at a million miles, some of the changes are good The old tern plated tanks were a problem with just a little water and some were formed to hold water on top.keydl