Diesel fuel lubrication

[FrankLescanec]

I am wondering what I should add for diesel lubrication in the ultra low sulpher diesel that runs in the new 6. 7 litre.



I was told that you could add canola oil or cooking oil to the diesel fuel to give it lubrication. I have not tried it because it sounds odd.



What is your position on this?

 

[Moose Truck]

Don't

I am wondering what I should add for diesel lubrication in the ultra low sulpher diesel that runs in the new 6. 7 litre.



I was told that you could add canola oil or cooking oil to the diesel fuel to give it lubrication. I have not tried it because it sounds odd.



What is your position on this?

Don't! According to Dodge, Cummins and TDR, it's not neccassary for the 6. 7. You have an expensive Engine with a warranty, and Dodge will do anything they can to get out of fixing it under warranty they can, Like having "Contaminated Fuel" .



If you feel the need to "Lube" your fuel, use an additive like "Power Service", available at any Wally Mart like store, or any "ULSD" type additives like Howes, available at most Truck Stops. Hope this helps, MooseOo.



PS Welcome to the TDR!

 

[Coalsmoke]

I use redline's 85+ every tank. With ULSD, using a lubricator is much more important than it used to be.

 

[jelag]

We use a chemical to prevent gelling and it also has a product to improve cetane as well a add lubricity to the fuel... .

We've been doing this for the past 15 years after we had one gel up on us 500 miles from the shop... we use it year around... .

Read the label on Howes and the other brands... I'm sure that you'd be happy with any of them... . from reading the content they seem to 95% the same chemicals in the bottles... .

The only difference I've see is the strength and how much you add to treat the fuel... .

 

[JohnBower]

I read a post somewhere that the 5% Biodiesel is a very good lubricant and is allowed per Dodge. I wish I could remember where the post was.

 

[JimB1]

John, Bio-diesel is excellent lubricity even at 5%.



For more reading try SEARCH on this site, searchword bio-diesel then next box down select, search titles only.



Also, National Biodiesel Board - www.biodiesel.org - www.nbb.org is National Bio-diesel website.



I always run B-50 and Power Service Cetane Booster Plus.



Once I started using Power Service I don't get even the briefest white smoke puff on first cold start of the day.

 

[Coalsmoke]

I agree on the bio diesel. If it were available here I'd run it.

 

[CUMMINZ]

Some folks are using automatic transmission fluid.

 

[HBarlow]

I am wondering what I should add for diesel lubrication in the ultra low sulpher diesel that runs in the new 6. 7 litre.

I was told that you could add canola oil or cooking oil to the diesel fuel to give it lubrication. I have not tried it because it sounds odd.

What is your position on this?

Have you read your owner's manual?

If you own a Cummins engine long enough and read this forum often enough eventually someone will recommend you add horse manure to your diesel fuel.

The only thing I would add to mine is Power Service anti-gel formulated for the 6. 7L engine when temps are expected to drop below about 15*.

 

[Doubleclutch]

Thanks Harvey! That "horse manure" comment is a breath of fresh air.



As a petroleum expert (not!) I added some cetane enhancement to a tank of regular #2 to explore the added HP on the dyno. Result: not enough to warrant the expense for me. That was on my '96... on my '04. 5, it was enough to stick an injector. From that I learned that adding cetane "dries out" the fuel, necessitating more lubricity. Since I'm a smart guy... bottom line... I decided that perhaps adding stuff to the #2 diesel wasn't for hacks.



Also note, I'm in a warm environment.



Greg

 

[Coalsmoke]

Look, back to the topic of the post. It still stands that ULSD is lacking a lot of lubricity that the regular LSD had in pre-08 production. If you want your engine to last to its maximum interval before rebuild, get a good lubricator from a company that's been around long enough to know what they're doing and use it. ATF and detergent oils are not a reliable substitute, neither is horse crap.

 

[BrianJ]

Some folks are using automatic transmission fluid.

I myself am not an expert at all on this, but I have read enough from experts answering this question to say that is a MAJOR NO-NO on modern common rail engines with modern ATF. The additives in the ATF are very bad for the fuel system, etc.



As others have said a small bio blend is perfect for added lube, and it is meant to be burned in an engine. I buy B100 in 5 gallon fuel jugs and add at the ratio of 1 gal per full fill (and adj accordingly), which gives me a blend of B3-B5, which is plenty for the added lube.

 

[Jim W]

I just got back from my dealer went in for Turbo Cleaning TSB 11-002-08 and 11-001-08 under warranty. I asked for the tech who did the work and in discussing the cleaning issue I asked about using Howe's winter blend for the diesel fuel. He stated and I quote that he called Dodge and spoke to there tech who stated this is OK but under no circumstance should you use alcohol in the fuel. So when I am at 10 Deg F and lower I will use Howe's from now under.

 

[AABEN]

We have used Howe;s for years. Wr will not use any thing else.

 

[DieselLady]

If your not sure what to use, try reading this double blind study. Bio diesel came in first for lubricity, Opti Lube second. Very interesting and well done study for those who are trying to move away from Horse Manure!:-laf



Diesel Place

 

[jelag]

Gentlemen.....

LSD and ULSD have nothing to do with the life of the engine per say... . that is the block and other moving parts...

Lubricity is the key to life of the fuel delivery system...

While in college and studying fuel systems, we found that the very tight tolerances of the diesel delivery system can't tolerate dirt, water, gasoline or other chemicals that wash away the oil film of the diesel fuel and whats in it... . once you wash away that oil film, the very tight tolerances can gall and than leak... . or not seal... causing excessive fueling and holes in pistons and other related damage... .

We run a fuel conditioner in all our trucks, CAT and Cummins engines to insure that we have that lubricity that's needed... we do it year around... We've also added extra filters on our trucks... a 10 micron course filter and a 2 micron fine filter to stop the dirt...

We have to have at least 500K on the small trucks and close to 1 M miles on the bigger trucks to reduce the cost of ownership, and the 4 cents a gallon we've added to the cost of the fuel is a very cheep price to pay in relationship to the tow bills, and cost to thaw one out if it gels on the road... . or the cost of a set of injectors and/or pump... .

That's how I see it... .

 

[Coalsmoke]

Gentlemen.....



LSD and ULSD have nothing to do with the life of the engine per say... . that is the block and other moving parts...



Lubricity is the key to life of the fuel delivery system...



While in college and studying fuel systems, we found that the very tight tolerances of the diesel delivery system can't tolerate dirt, water, gasoline or other chemicals that wash away the oil film of the diesel fuel and whats in it... . once you wash away that oil film, the very tight tolerances can gall and than leak... . or not seal... causing excessive fueling and holes in pistons and other related damage... .



We run a fuel conditioner in all our trucks, CAT and Cummins engines to insure that we have that lubricity that's needed... we do it year around... We've also added extra filters on our trucks... a 10 micron course filter and a 2 micron fine filter to stop the dirt...



We have to have at least 500K on the small trucks and close to 1 M miles on the bigger trucks to reduce the cost of ownership, and the 4 cents a gallon we've added to the cost of the fuel is a very cheep price to pay in relationship to the tow bills, and cost to thaw one out if it gels on the road... . or the cost of a set of injectors and/or pump... .



That's how I see it... .

I agree. If these injectors weren't around $400 a piece I would be a little less concerned, but preventative maintenance is cheap, especially if you start looking at it in the collateral sense. For example, if it prevents a sticking injector that could take out a cylinder, it will be really cheap, especially if I'm 100kms from cell coverage and its -20.