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Old 31-03-2015, 17:13   #46
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

No I am not saying all additives are just for cleaning injectors and the md3 atf is good for cleaning injectors and the 2cycle oil is for lubricity and raising cetane levels and to answer your question ulsd was required at the pump in he united states as of December 1of 2010. However in looking at all things like you stated between 60 and 100 gallons a year in all honesty for a diesel engine is not really much fuel I used an average of 75 gallons a day when I was still driving for a living.
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Old 31-03-2015, 17:40   #47
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

Thanks, much appreciated.

Are your observations regarding your 75 gallons a day transferable to an essentially comparatively lightly used boat diesel?


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No I am not saying all additives are just for cleaning injectors and the md3 atf is good for cleaning injectors and the 2cycle oil is for lubricity and raising cetane levels and to answer your question ulsd was required at the pump in he united states as of December 1of 2010. However in looking at all things like you stated between 60 and 100 gallons a year in all honesty for a diesel engine is not really much fuel I used an average of 75 gallons a day when I was still driving for a living.
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Old 31-03-2015, 17:50   #48
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

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Whenever I suggest to someone with a problem they can't fix to "hire a pro", I get dozens of replies as to how bad pros are, they don't know what they are doing, they screwed up my boat, etc., but now all of a sudden, they are Gods and know everything there is to know.

"Professional mechanics" are simply people who are paid to repair engines. Some are factory trained, receive the latest technical bulletins, and know what they are doing, some are just people who fooled around with engines until they learned the basics and then started charging for their services.

They did not design, build or test the engines. Any knowledge they have on the effects of fuel additives on engine performance and longevity are purely anecdotal. Also, they have no stake in the longevity of your engine.

The engineers who designed and built the engines are the ones to look for when it comes to fuel quality and the possible need for additives. If your engine manufacturer recommends adding automatic transmission fluid to the fuel, by all means, you should do that. If they recommend Marvel Mystery Oil, by all means do that. I doubt you will find recommendations for either of these products.

Your engine manufacturer probably designed your engine to run on standard diesel fuel without any additives. They may suggest an additive if you think you may be getting substandard fuel or have a problem with water or biological matter in the fuel. They will probably have a list of approved additives that you can choose from.
What you posted makes sense, logically. Who better than the engineers?

However...

the smartest programmer often doesn't work for McAfee or Microsoft, but actually writes viruses, that's why they need to update virus definitions on a daily basis - to keep up with the bored 16 yr old kids. The best technician often doesn't work for the dealership, but owns his own independent business, and so it goes with my experience with diesel mechanics.

The original service procedure for replacing the Duramax injection pumps that had eaten themselves (due to lack of librucity, oddly enough) simply stated to replace the pump and test run the engine.

A brilliant independent mechanic (also a friend of mine) emailed GM and told them that when the IP destroys itself, the shrapnel has nowhere to go except downstream, to the injectors. The only thing between the $4,000 injectors and the pump was a coarse screen. He recommended flushing the injection lines and backflushing the injectors to remove all of the debris. They checked, and sure enough, many of the replaced injection pumps were followed by replacement of all 8 injectors, due to debris. They eventually changed their repair procedures to reflect his recommendation.

That's just one of 3 different suggestions he made to GM repair procedures where they neglected to take into consideration physics, their own design (actually Bosch's design) and common sense. It just goes to prove, just because someone is paid the big bucks, doesn't make him the smartest guy in the room. I've always told myself, "Never assume you're the smartest guy in the room."

But sometimes, after asking a deeply thought provoking question, the blank stares I see give me the unsettling impression that perhaps either I'm the only one who missed the bong getting passed around, or I mistakenly walked into a special ed classroom.



As far as ATF, it's an ancient tradition. It doesn't hurt anything, and is actually more of a detergent than a lubricant. I personally prefer the diesel additives, they were specifically formulated for lubricity, as opposed to ATF, which isn't really a lubricant. Most automatic trannies have wet clutches in them, and you don't want them to slip, especially under load.

I've even added a bit of filtered vegetable oil, talk about lubricity! My Duramax got so quiet, you'd have thought it was a gas turbine! Of course I wouldn't try that in a cold or marine environment.
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Old 31-03-2015, 17:58   #49
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

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Originally Posted by Stu Jackson View Post
Thanks, much appreciated.

Are your observations regarding your 75 gallons a day transferable to an essentially comparatively lightly used boat diesel?
Yes I see no difference between an engine that burns 75 gallons a day and one that burns 75 gallons a year just put a cup or so of atf in your fuel filter when you change it and add the 2 cycle oil to the fuel
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Old 31-03-2015, 18:00   #50
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

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It's my understanding that the sulfur in diesel fuel does not provide lubricity per se, but that the process of removing sulfur degrades the lubricity.

That's an excellent explanation of it.

When they switched to LSD in the early 1990s in CA, my injection pump went out on my Toyota Corolla and the pump repair shop was swamped with units they needed to repair before mine. They even mentioned that there was a program in place where CA would reimburse you for a portion of the repair bill because they recognized that the diesel injection systems designed up to that point in time counted on a certain level of lubricity and it was no longer in the fuel. They were willing to reimburse for damages they caused, and the repair guy recommended using diesel additives from then on.

I'm sure it got even worse with ULSD.
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Old 31-03-2015, 18:07   #51
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

Or the oil companies to meet standards improved their additives.

From what I have read, that was one of the reasons for the large jump in the price of diesel 10 or so years ago.
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Old 06-04-2015, 18:13   #52
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

http://www.jatonkam35s.com/DeuceTech...itive_test.pdf here is a good read
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Old 06-04-2015, 18:56   #53
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

That study showed Marvel Mistery Oil decreasing lubricity!
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Old 06-04-2015, 19:30   #54
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Re: Automatic transmission fluid in diesel fuel

sartorst, thanks for posting that link. Very eye opening.
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