Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Recommended Fuel Additive

[krtcummins]

I just had to replace the VP44 6 months ago and I did with a Bluechip VP44. A month later and less than 1000 miles later, the pump went. Now this was right after my dad fueled up the truck. Chip just replaced the pump, only took about a week to get the new pump. He has excellent service btw. My question is, what would be the best fuel additive to put in the tank? The fuel has been sitting in the tank for about 3 1/2 months. And the reason the pump went is still in question but a bad batch of fuel is possible. What would be the best additive to ensure that fuel contamination and water are not a problem? Thanks for everyone's help ahead of time.



Brian

 

[krtcummins]

Come on guys. Someone must have a suggestion! This is the old guy and I don't want to put another pump on. By the way, it only took me 2 1/2 hours to R&R the pump this time. The first time is always the hardest.



I do not think fuel contamination caused the pump to die. But to be safe, I put one quart of Power Service silver bottle and one pint of Sea Foam (Product states it eats water) in the 3/4 full tank. With the new Air Dog and it's water and contaminate filters, I don't think much will get by it.



Chip is excellent. I offered to remove the old pump and send it to him for inspection. He said that was too much of a hassle and sent me a new pump with a return label. And a sucker. (His trade mark) This is the kind of service all companies should supply!

 

[Tractorat]

Ive had a couple of well credentialed diesel shops tell me that Stanadyne is the best. I think that is also the concensus of the folks Ive seen posting on the tdr

 

[BigDaddy]

I am a big fan of Howes Lubricator.



I have been using it faithfully since 2000 and never a problem with fuel contamination or gelling.

 

[HBarlow]

I've put 660,000 miles on three Dodge Rams replacing only one VP-44 at around 110k miles on the '01 due to a mistaken diagnosis. I have always used clean #2 diesel, nothing else. No additives ever except PS anti-gel on rare occasions when traveling in extreme cold temps.

I purchased the VP-44 years ago, probably in early 2004 from Cummins. They didn't send me a lollipop but the reman injection pump I bought from them still works great now with close to 360k showing on the odometer.

 

[cerberusiam]

I run a mix of 96 oz's Power Service and 32 oz's of either 10 wt non-detergent engine oil or 2 stroke oil in all my trucks. About 10 oz per fillup of 20-25 gallons. Every 3rd mix I throw in a quart MMO and that much less PS.



FYI, unless you put a better filter on the AD the water seperation is not that great and it will get by.

 

[BILLUA]

Amalgamated

TDR-S : Amalgamated, Inc.





I Run this in my '05 and the wife's Liberty CRD...



Great stuff, comes in a 5 gallon container shipped to the house for around $130. 00

 

[SnoKing]

You might want to read this:



http://www.natbiogroup.com/docs/education/lubricity additive study results.pdf



Snoking

 

[BIGNASTY]

TDR-S : Amalgamated, Inc.





I Run this in my '05 and the wife's Liberty CRD...



Great stuff, comes in a 5 gallon container shipped to the house for around $130. 00

Look at what is written here x2 I dont know how much fuel is in your tank but maybe S can that and get new and add AMALGAMATED TDR S or the winter stuff I have used both and im sold on AMALGAMATED!!!!!!! can you tell I like Amalgamated

 

[BIGNASTY]

You might want to read this:



http://www.natbiogroup.com/docs/education/lubricity additive study results.pdf



Snoking

I have seen this before and Im sure that it is legit. My question to you and ive asked the same on Bio diesel forums and no one wil say. How will the 100 percent bio act in diesel when it gets cold. I know its a very small amout 2 percent but I dont want to F up some injectors at the price they cost. Thats my only concern. I have ran B100 in my DT 466 and love the stuff but I wont when its cold.

 

[SnoKing]

I have seen this before and Im sure that it is legit. My question to you and ive asked the same on Bio diesel forums and no one wil say. How will the 100 percent bio act in diesel when it gets cold. I know its a very small amout 2 percent but I dont want to F up some injectors at the price they cost. Thats my only concern. I have ran B100 in my DT 466 and love the stuff but I wont when its cold.

I have no idea. I run Wally World 2 cycle oil. Quart to 26 gal or so fill ups. I do not trust ULSD, as the lube is not in it until it is loaded on the truck for delivery. Lots of room for errors! I use to drive a tanker truck, so I know mistakes can and will happen. One of our other drivers was always making small deliveries to my stations and telling me to add this much to my delivery invoice. I think half the time it was to emtry product from his truck and the other half to cover a mistake somewhere else. They can not pump it in the pipe lines with the lube added as it screws up jet fuel that has to use the same pipe line.



Snoking

 

[BIGNASTY]

Wow things must be different in WA than CA I just retired from being a tanker yanker. And what you got was on the BOL or you didnt take the load out of the rack. The BOL gave the brake down on every drop of what that was in the load. If you got caught with an Improper BOL my the AQMD of the Department of weights and measures the fine was astronomical to the driver for not checking and the company got even more. I think you are 100 percent correct on USLD being the worst diesel of all time. The lube that the companies are MADE to put in are im quite sure the cheapest stuff they can find. and there isnt a whole lot put in. In less its changed in the last 6 mo you cant pump JET in the pipe line anyway. To big a risk for contam allways a dedacated truck no other product could be ran unless a full wash out and dry.

 

[SnoKing]

Wow things must be different in WA than CA I just retired from being a tanker yanker. And what you got was on the BOL or you didnt take the load out of the rack. The BOL gave the brake down on every drop of what that was in the load. If you got caught with an Improper BOL my the AQMD of the Department of weights and measures the fine was astronomical to the driver for not checking and the company got even more. I think you are 100 percent correct on USLD being the worst diesel of all time. The lube that the companies are MADE to put in are im quite sure the cheapest stuff they can find. and there isnt a whole lot put in. In less its changed in the last 6 mo you cant pump JET in the pipe line anyway. To big a risk for contam allways a dedacated truck no other product could be ran unless a full wash out and dry.

We are talking in the late 70's before things were automated and a small town in a remote location, and a distributorship with our own tanks and loading platform.



Snoking

 

[BIGNASTY]

A few years ago I went up to WA to help out when you guys had some major flooding we pumped out a S load of stations took it to the rack in Tacoma. Reload and took it to a station to refill. Out of bounds hours of work and so was the paychecks.

 

[krtcummins]

You might want to read this:



http://www.natbiogroup.com/docs/education/lubricity additive study results.pdf



Snoking

VERY interesting read! I'm surprised how the Lucas product tested. People talk up that stuff a lot. Looks like a guy could put a quart of two stroke oil in a tank of fuel and do fairly well as far as lubricity is concerned. Reading all of this makes me wonder if I should not just go back to a gasoline engine.



I know that Power Service silver bottle must make the Cetane rating go up, as the engine gets quieter once installed in the fuel. I usually put one quart of PS in a full tank of fuel. Way more than the label calls for. But what the heck, if a little is good, a lot must be better.

 

[bheiting]

I just had to replace the VP44 6 months ago and I did with a Bluechip VP44. A month later and less than 1000 miles later, the pump went. Now this was right after my dad fueled up the truck. Chip just replaced the pump, only took about a week to get the new pump. He has excellent service btw. My question is, what would be the best fuel additive to put in the tank? The fuel has been sitting in the tank for about 3 1/2 months. And the reason the pump went is still in question but a bad batch of fuel is possible. What would be the best additive to ensure that fuel contamination and water are not a problem? Thanks for everyone's help ahead of time.



Brian

Search the forums for fuel additives. A couple years ago someone did a fuel additive lubricity study. Bio diesel was actually the best.

 

[SnoKing]

" if a little is good, a lot must be better" Not necessarily! SNOKING

 

[SnoKing]

Search the forums for fuel additives. A couple years ago someone did a fuel additive lubricity study. Bio diesel was actually the best.

Hello, I linked it on page one! Post number 8!



SNOKING

 

[krtcummins]

"We are talking in the late 70's before things were automated and a small town in a remote location, and a distributorship with our own tanks and loading platform"



I would think the way they handle fuel now, compared to back then, would be like night and day. Surly the quality control has improved since then.



I used to hear horror stories about guys traveling in Mexico and getting the high Sulfur fuel there back in the 80's when Ford came out with the International diesel in their pick ups. It would ruin injection pumps, due to the high Sulfur content.

 

[BIGNASTY]

" if a little is good, a lot must be better" Not necessarily! SNOKING

I have read the same thing that these injectors are so tight that forcing thicker (if you could do that ) fuel thru the injector is pretty bad. I dont know how much thicker you could make it, but a 25 millionths of an inch it wouldnt take much I suspect