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2021 Silverado 3.0 L - Diesel Fuel Additive Facts or Fiction?

rbdjr
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rbdjr Enthusiast

rbdjr

Posted
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Any recamedations? facts, or fiction, Can 4oz to 20gals raise Cetane  5#s? Increase Lubricity? 

Is there a definate best one? Just in winter? Or all year long? 

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CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

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Posted

We use a diesel additive in the winter for our work trucks to help prevent fuel gelling but otherwise we don't use anything at all in the summer. It gets to -20F or colder every winter so that is why.

 

If I was to use a cleaner or extra stuff for lubrication every once in a while it would probably be something from Amsoil or Archoil products. A very well known Ford Powerstroke shop swears by archoil stuff on those trucks to help with those style injectors and I don't doubt his results.

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customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, rbdjr said:

Any recamedations? facts, or fiction, Can 4oz to 20gals raise Cetane  5#s? Increase Lubricity? 

Is there a definate best one? Just in winter? Or all year long? 

The problem with adding ( top treating ) fuel is that it doesn't properly mechanically mix in the tank. So you get blobs of additive not equally distributed in the cylinder at any given time.

 

Lubrications Engineers Full Torque , has a cetane booster that I was able to test a few years back independently and see it chemically mix to a degree top treated.  It comes in winter and summer blends. 

 

Ideally run a fully formulated racked in fuel and appropriate additives. If you live in a colder area like Cameron up in MN your pump fuel is going to be cut with flow improvers AND #1 diesel before it gets too cold. However most pump fuels use as little enhancers as possible because its expensive to treat right.  

 

In MN and even down here in Colorado we can get CENEX fuels from our CO-OP's and CENEX ROADMASTER XL is a higher cetane,  highly additized diesel that has show superb cleaning effect, excellent lubricity, excellent flow, and resists gelling or blocking filters etc. It costs 2 cents a gallon more than the regular #2 diesel around here. 

 

In Canada CO-OP fuels are exceptional for same reasons but not made by CHS/CENEX up north here. 

 

I ran Cummins R&D chem lab in Columbus Indiana and I retired in 2014.  However Cummins is recommending Power Service products now but you have the same miscibility issues top treating unless there is some chemical mechanism to mix in tank.

 

Some of the readers here are on west coast where synthetic diesel might be offered. It could be used for optimum performance and probably mixed to cut cost of that expensive fuel. 

 

Ideally get a fully formulated fuel out of the pump before top treating but I understand reality for the operator. 

 

 

customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
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Archoil is a great additive system based on borate esters in nano scale but miscibility still an issue.  Their oil additives work very well. I prefer a fully formulated product in oil and fuel if possible.  If you use oil additives make sure its not negatively reacting with your chosen lubricant.  Miscibility in a heated and oil pumped engine works to mix. 

SVG Enthusiast

SVG

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I know my 12V Cummins has a fuel return line back to the tank so that surely helps the mixing issue.

 

Do our 3.0's have a return line as well?

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newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted (edited)
16 hours ago, rbdjr said:

Any recamedations? facts, or fiction, Can 4oz to 20gals raise Cetane  5#s? Increase Lubricity? 

Is there a definate best one? Just in winter? Or all year long? 

 

Here's what GM has to say:

 

Diesel Fuel Additives – TechLink (gm-techlink.com)

 

Quote

Any fuel additives used must not contain any metal-based additives, alcohol or other water emulsifiers that may compromise the water removal effectiveness of the fuel filtering system.

 

 

Typically, a good source of diesel will have good quality diesel.  Top Tier diesel is your best bet for being treated good right from the pump.  

Edited by newdude
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rbdjr Enthusiast

rbdjr

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Here where I live in NJ no Top Tier Diesel with in 100 miles? maybe one day?

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OliverDennis52 Enthusiast

OliverDennis52

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14 hours ago, rbdjr said:

Here where I live in NJ no Top Tier Diesel with in 100 miles? maybe one day?

Yeah, top tier Diesel is a unicorn in PA as well.  Based on the website, it's either Costco or Kirkland, and neither offer it in PA at all.  

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mjonesjr84 Enthusiast

mjonesjr84

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 2/5/2022 at 12:08 PM, customboss said:

The problem with adding ( top treating ) fuel is that it doesn't properly mechanically mix in the tank. So you get blobs of additive not equally distributed in the cylinder at any given time.

 

I ran Cummins R&D chem lab in Columbus Indiana and I retired in 2014.  However Cummins is recommending Power Service products now but you have the same miscibility issues top treating unless there is some chemical mechanism to mix in tank.

 

When I had a '01 LB7 Duramax I would run additives since that engines injectors were designed to have the Sulphur in the diesel fuel. The ULSD was hard on the injectors. I would put the additive in before filling. I assumed the filling would mix the additive in. I had the same thought that just adding it to the top wouldn't mix it well enough.

 

With my 3.0 I don't run any additive in the fuel. My brother doesn't either with his 6.6 LML or his 6.6 L5P either. This is my second 3.0 and I've not had any issues not running an additive. I keep the tank full in the winter and always get fuel at a station that has a high turnover rate. Keeping the tank full will help eliminate the condensation inside the tank.

 

Cool you worked for Cummins in Columbus. I'm about 50 minutes from there and have several family members who worked/retired from there.

 

Edited by mjonesjr84
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jlong1984 Enthusiast

jlong1984

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, OliverDennis52 said:

Yeah, top tier Diesel is a unicorn in PA as well.  Based on the website, it's either Costco or Kirkland, and neither offer it in PA at all.  

Same thing in NC. Not a top tier diesel station to be found. 

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customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
On 2/5/2022 at 10:40 AM, SVG said:

I know my 12V Cummins has a fuel return line back to the tank so that surely helps the mixing issue.

 

Do our 3.0's have a return line as well?

Might assist but it doesn't heat or blend chemicals from refinery. Not just mechanical mixing issue. 

customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, mjonesjr84 said:

 

When I had a '01 LB7 Duramax I would run additives since that engines injectors were designed to have the Sulphur in the diesel fuel. The ULSD was hard on the injectors. I would put the additive in before filling. I assumed the filling would mix the additive in. I had the same thought that just adding it to the top wouldn't mix it well enough.

 

With my 3.0 I don't run any additive in the fuel. My brother doesn't either with his 6.6 LML or his 6.6 L5P either. This is my second 3.0 and I've not had any issues not running an additive. I keep the tank full in the winter and always get fuel at a station that has a high turnover rate. Keeping the tank full will help eliminate the condensation inside the tank.

 

Cool you worked for Cummins in Columbus. I'm about 50 minutes from there and have several family members who worked/retired from there.

 

Indeed and I had in laws in that area not to mention one of the fastest sprint car tracks back in the 60's-70's there in Salem. 

 

I grew up a farm boy in Harrodsburg. 

 

You and Newdude are explaining why I prefer to get the fuel mix from the rack not add anything.  In your market in southern Indiana, CountryMark is my goto fuel, diesel and gasoline.  

 

 

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customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, jlong1984 said:

Same thing in NC. Not a top tier diesel station to be found. 

If you can find CO-OP or whatever COOP's are using for their fuel I would lean that direction.  

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