I'm going to take my Cummins turbo-diesel powered trawler on the Great
Loop next summer, meaning I will be in some warm places where things
might grow in my tanks. I also read all sorts of ads indicating I need
stuff in my fuel to clean injectors, increase cetane, clean carbon,
reduce wear, increase mileage, etc.

Is any of this true? What do I really need to add to my fuel?

Capt. Jeff

Tamaroak wrote:
I'm going to take my Cummins turbo-diesel powered trawler on the Great
Loop next summer, meaning I will be in some warm places where things
might grow in my tanks. I also read all sorts of ads indicating I need
stuff in my fuel to clean injectors, increase cetane, clean carbon,
reduce wear, increase mileage, etc.

Is any of this true? What do I really need to add to my fuel?


The best guys to ask would be the engineers at Cummins. A turbo diesel
is a little more sensitive than the old fashioned heavy haulers.

My own theory (and experience so far bears this out) that good storage
practice & good filtering prevent any problems. One of the key
differences between diesel & gasoline is that gas is a solvent, diesel
is a lubricant. If you add biocide, you're just negating some of the
natural properties of the fuel and putting crud in it that your engine
won't like.

If you add other magic potions that "break up" impurities in the fuel so
that it goes thru youor filters, then it goes thru your injector pump &
injectors... and they won't like it. Sur eit saves the work of changing
the filters, but which is more work & money, changing filters or
rebuilding injector pumps & replacing injectors?

We're plannning on doing the Loop in a few years. Should be a lot of fun!

Fair Skies
Doug King

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 07:44:48 -0700, Tamaroak
wrote:

I'm going to take my Cummins turbo-diesel powered trawler on the Great
Loop next summer, meaning I will be in some warm places where things
might grow in my tanks. I also read all sorts of ads indicating I need
stuff in my fuel to clean injectors, increase cetane, clean carbon,
reduce wear, increase mileage, etc.

Is any of this true? What do I really need to add to my fuel?

Capt. Jeff

My 2cts: I don't use additions. I even heared of people getting their
tank infected as a result of an addition. I believe in keeping my
diesel-fuel completely free of water. Every pumpstation delivers fuel
with a bit of water due to condensation in it's tanks. Bacteria live
in this water in the dieseltank. On the border of water/diesel they
feed on the diesel-oil. So, when I remove all water, bacteria can't
live in my tank.

I fitted an extra fuel-hose on the very lowest point of my tank. This
hose is connected to a 12-v automobile fuel pump, after that a Racall
fuelfilter, connected backwards, so the fuel comes in the water-
separator first. That way I can see (if any) the contamination in the
glass bowl, even before it cloggs up the fine x-micron fuel filter and
remains invisible.

From the exit of the fuel filter the hose goes back in the top of the
tank. What did I accomplish for 45 euro's: a means to filter
circularly the contents of my tank resulting in: a water free contents
where bacteria can't even start to grow. I don't filter constantly. I
filter a few hours a month, a bit more often in fall and winter cause
that's when condensation is heavy in my aluminum tank and room for
humid air is expanding due to the use of diesel-oil for my central
heating.

Len
S/v Present

2 micron filter elements in the Racor, changed every 100 hours. No
additives, no problems. Cheers, Dick B. M/V "Annie" (with 150 Turbo
Cummins).


"Tamaroak" wrote in message
...
I'm going to take my Cummins turbo-diesel powered trawler on the Great
Loop next summer, meaning I will be in some warm places where things might
grow in my tanks. I also read all sorts of ads indicating I need stuff in
my fuel to clean injectors, increase cetane, clean carbon, reduce wear,
increase mileage, etc.

Is any of this true? What do I really need to add to my fuel?

Capt. Jeff

A trawler will probably burn the fuel fast enough for it to not be a
problem. However, on my sailboat, here in N. FL, leaving diesel in the
tank without a biocide has caused me some problems. The fuel will soon
look like ink. So, I would only go with a biocide if it was going to
sit for any length of time.

If your tanks are clean to begin with, you have a good water
separation/filtration system, and you are using the boat frequently,
you probably do not need any additives. On the other hand they don't
really hurt anything if used as recommended. The biggest risk you face
is that your tanks already have diesel bugs growing on the sides or
bottom of the tank and you do not yet know it. The crisis point occurs
when you go out in rough seas for the first time and suddenly your
filters start clogging up at a very inopportune time as fuel sloshes
around and knocks the tank slime loose. Older boats/older tanks are
particularly prone to this issue but any boat which sits around a lot
and/or never gets run in rough conditions may be suspect.

If you do not already have dual Racors with selector valves and a
vacuum guage, I highly recommend that you make that investment,
particularly on a single engine boat. The vacuum guage will allow you
to monitor the status of your working filter and swap to a new one
before any problems develop. It is worth its weight in gold. A vacuum
guage reading of 5 inches or more is generally regarded as the right
time to change filters.

The other issue you face with a turbo engine is running too slow. You
must run the engine at near maximum cruising speed for at least 20 to
30 minutes a day to prevent carbon accumulation in the turbo. If not,
expensive, premature overhauls will result.

I still use Soltron®. See: http://www.solpower.com/soltron/soltronmain.asp

Hanz


wrote:

If your tanks are clean to begin with, you have a good water
separation/filtration system, and you are using the boat frequently,
you probably do not need any additives. On the other hand they don't
really hurt anything if used as recommended. The biggest risk you face
is that your tanks already have diesel bugs growing on the sides or
bottom of the tank and you do not yet know it. The crisis point occurs
when you go out in rough seas for the first time and suddenly your
filters start clogging up at a very inopportune time as fuel sloshes
around and knocks the tank slime loose. Older boats/older tanks are
particularly prone to this issue but any boat which sits around a lot
and/or never gets run in rough conditions may be suspect.

If you do not already have dual Racors with selector valves and a
vacuum guage, I highly recommend that you make that investment,
particularly on a single engine boat. The vacuum guage will allow you
to monitor the status of your working filter and swap to a new one
before any problems develop. It is worth its weight in gold. A vacuum
guage reading of 5 inches or more is generally regarded as the right
time to change filters.

The other issue you face with a turbo engine is running too slow. You
must run the engine at near maximum cruising speed for at least 20 to
30 minutes a day to prevent carbon accumulation in the turbo. If not,
expensive, premature overhauls will result.

Its all mostly snake oil sold by the same type of charlatans who
invented and hocked slick 50 to all you putzes who bought it. just a
bit of marvel mystery oil will lick any problem diesel may have, it
even slicks your hair back nicely in a pinch.
Meye, friend to capt. neal and like minded
fellows of the sea.

Just be cautious with adding oil to diesel fuel in
turbo-diesel engines as the higher energy content of the
added oil may increase your EGTs. As a previous poster
stated, one quart per 100 gallons would be a good ratio. It
will help with the lubricity for the high-pressure injection
pump, injectors and, to a small degree, the fuel-lift pump,
but that would be it, pretty much. It won't help with
top-cylinder lubrication because it's not spray injected
with the fuel into the cylinder during the intake cycle,
like a gasoline engine. Too much and you may also affect
the cetane rating and do damage to the top of your pistons
and cylinder walls (that is, for direct-injected diesels
versus pre-combustion chamber diesels).

Franko

"Meye5" wrote in message
ups.com...
Its all mostly snake oil sold by the same type of
charlatans who
invented and hocked slick 50 to all you putzes who bought
it. just a
bit of marvel mystery oil will lick any problem diesel may
have, it
even slicks your hair back nicely in a pinch.
Meye, friend to capt. neal and like
minded
fellows of the sea.