Diesel Fuel and Acetone

[dieselcruiserhead]

How exactly does acetone offer these benefits on a long term basis? The only difference I can see would be cleaning of the engine but I can't understand the noise and power differences?

 

[KDillard]

I would be very cautious of this since acetone which is a solvent would be both in your fuel oil and your motor oil. Since diesel injection pumps soley depend on the fuel to lubricate them and are much more sensitive to lubricity than gasoline engines. Anyone have old 15w40? I would try doing a poor test of both #2 diesel and 15w40 that have been put into the freezer overnight both with acetone in and a pure sample without acetone. This would show several things such as viscosity breakdown as well as how it thins the oil/ fuel. Now as far as what acetone does beside clean the internals of the cumbustion chamber it also breaks up the surface tension and allows the fuel to theorectically vaporize much better than without.

 

[RailroadJim]

Please keep the thread going

This sharing of information is why i became a TDR member, anything that can improve fuel mileage and power without turning a wrench should be kept at the top, good work to the gentleman who posted it.

 

[hdm48]

OK, being the adventurous sort I dumped some acetone into the tank before leaving for work. Now I already know that it won't hurt my motor or pump because a product that I use once a year in all my vehicles fuel tanks and oil. It is called Jones "Motor Purr". Two of it's contents are Acetone and MEK. It does GOOD things to the motor and fuel system.

So, after driving a couple miles I noticed smoother running and improved throttle responce. Plus, less smoke at idle.

I read it takes up to two weeks to see an improvement, well, it only took two miles for me. But then I listen to my motor with a different ear than most people.

Now what I need to do is burn it all from the tank and do a before and after dyno test to see what, if any, improvements show up there.

Hey, it's all good. Thanks for sharing this RW. Now I've got something else to play with.



Dave

 

[JLEONARD]

OK. So now I have a question for RW... now that you have used the acetone for several weeks... . have you tried now running straight diesel? I would like to see if mileage remains the same or goes back down.

If it remains the same it might be because the acetone has now cleaned everything up and the fuel system is now running really efficiently.

If it goes back down then it must be because the acetone is allowing the fuel to vaporize better, or because it adds btu or something like that.

RW we're not busting your chops... we just have questions.



Now would adding used motor oil bring the lubricity back? That's something I have been playing with recently but I don't do any really consistant driving that will let me document mileage changes.

 

[R C Cola]

Used Motor Oil ?

The big trucks have a system available to add used oil to their fuel from a tank

mounted behind the cab. I don't have any used (dirty) oil available so I use Lucas when I am feeling rich, and use Soy (walmart cooking oil) at $5/gal. when I am feeling poor. The Lucas seems to have the better effect on smoke by the way. The 1st gens especially need the lubrication and uncle sam has taken it out of the fuel. Good Luck R C

 

[KDillard]

I think i will contact a chemist friend and see what he says. He is a college professor and has the equipment to test the btu and solvency effect on the oil and fuel.

 

[MR.K]

Results will be on the twilightzone saturday at 6:00

A friend of mine has been using it in his HR motorhome ... his milage went from 11. 2 to 13 MPG... Acetone works by affecting the surface tension of diesel and gas. . like dish soap in water . It allows the fuel to atomize and burn more completely. Not voodo, just chemistry. . I use it in all my rigs wit about 15 to 25% increase. A friend had a Bronco that wouldn't pass Cal emissions ... he used 3 oz. per 10 gal ... it passed ! ... Caution. . if your gas has methenol in it . . it won't work as the methenol cancels the effect of the acetone... More acetone is not better(will have a negative affect on mpg) so... 3oz. for gas 2oz. for diesel... ... and again... it does work !

 

[csnider]

Hey Dave,

i'm just curious to see how your acetone experiment worked out. . I've tried it myself and it seemed to improve my milage a bit, 1-3 mpg between my diesel and my gasser with a smoother running engine. . I also add Lucas for lube. .

 

[nps]

Pure acetone is about $9/gal at Sally's Beauty Supply. You just have to swallow your pride when you go in (and hope your friends don't see you coming out). :-laf

 

[RWWinslow]

Results on 8,000 miles with the acetone was 10 to 15% increase in mileage and a smoother running engine with less smoke.



Take the acetone away and the mileage drops back.



I have stopped using it in the winter since I am not sure of the affects it will have on the anti-gel additive / blended fuel and gel point and cold filter plugging point.

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

Personally I think this thread has been great.

RWinslow, has there been any oil analysis' done on the engines that have been/are running this additive in the fuel????

I'd be VERY interested in that as well... . One of the things that I am also curious about is whether or not the acetone causes/contributes to "drying out the cylinder walls" and making a potential headache down the road... ??



Any thoughts on these things????





pb...

 

[RWWinslow]

Engine has approximately 380,000 miles and oil analysis has been performed during the entire time frame, since the engine was new. With acetone in use, and less apparent smoke (apparently cleaner combustion), the percent soot level in the used oil did drop by . 1% - which means less potential wear on the engine components and less potential degradation on the engine oil additive package. All other engine oil analysis parameters remained unchanged within analytical accuracy.



With respect to 'drying out the cylinder walls' - this is somewhat of an old diesel engine myth. Older, very slow speed marine diesels burned heavy Bunker C or #6 oil and they were in fact designed to have a wetting of the upper cyclinder by the fuel. These were very slow speed engines (75 to 250 RPM with massive bore and stroke). Some older Detroit 2 cycle diesel were also designed to have the upper cylinder wetted by the fuel.



As a general rule, diesel engines designed and put into service over the past 20 years try to avoid wetting the upper cylinder wall with the fuel for the following reasons:



1) Fuel contacting the cylinder wall will cool the cylinder (and therefore the cylinder volume) and reduce thermal combustion efficiency.



2) Fuel contacting the cylinder wall will oxidize / turn carbonaceous and is subsequently not available for combustion. The carbonaceous material will act as an abrasive agent on the upper piston ring and the cylinder wall.



3) Diesel fuel, in this type of environment is not a good lubricant.



Therefore, if the acetone increases combustion efficiency by changing surface tension between the fuel molecules / oxygen, etc. then the probability of diesel fuel contacting the upper cylinder wall is decreased and the acetone is a benefit, not a headache.



Gasoline engines with 300,000 miles of acetone use have been disassembled and upper cylinder wall wear was 'miked' out at . 004".

 

[JLEONARD]

Any thoughts on these things????

PB is just trying to be a pain in the acetone!!! :-laf :-laf



You just had to ask didn't you?? :-laf :-laf

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

Why me lord... . why me... .