Diesel additives

C

Charlesdykman

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Jun 12, 2014
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33
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C-24 C
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Century Cardel
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123456789
We are learning about our 2009 R25 that we imported from Galveston this year. But we are still lacking in much information. Today, Wisconsin is doing Fall and Winter ads, and we are wondering what, if any, Diesel fuel additive(s) for when we store the boat (probably in an unheated barn) we should use. Maybe year round? Galveston doesn't Winterize boats. Wisconsin gets COLD in the Winter. We are pretty good on Winterizing the boat, with an owner's manuel, and a blog from a very good Tugnuts comment. And we have a dealer on Lake Michigan. But we don't have anything on additives to the fuel supply. Is STA-BIL Diesel good? Howe's Lubricator Diesel Conditioner and Anti-Gel? We use Sta-Bil's treatment for gasoline, and it works well. Does anyone have the word on this? Thanks. Charles and Bonnie Dykman, Honeybear.
 
Use this product http://www.fppf.com/products-by-name?ta ... duct&id=16
I treat every gallon of fuel I add to the boat during the boating season and have never had a condensation issue. If you do a search on FPPF here on tugnuts you will find that it is the only product Mack Boring, the Yanmar distributor here on the East Coast recommends. If you can't find it locally you can purchase it on Amazon.
 
I am no expert on diesel fuel additives. I have been told by a Volvo-Penta rep that no additives are necessary for the newer engines after about 1990. (However, my experience suggests that if you spoke to another V-P rep or Yanmar rep or other diesel manufacturer you would hear something different). Before that (1990), I have been told that additives with lubricity are needed. Having said that I always use a fuel treatment additive in my Perkins Diesel generator (2010 model) and have used the same additive in the V-P boat engine (2015 model) - to help remove any moisture. No issues in the Perkins after four years of use nor in the V-P after one season. It's too bad we don't know who to believe especially when we are all trying to do the right thing.

More important than additives though is changing your fuel filters religiously.
 
Last year at the Seattle Boat Show, we attended several seminars on Diesel engines and fuel. A number of presenters recommended Biobor products. We use Biobor JF, a biocide, and Biobor MD. Looking at the MSDS for Biobor and FPPF, main ingredients are the same with similar secondary additives. One takeaway from the seminars was that neither gasoline or diesel fuels are as stable now as they once were, so additives are a good idea.
Brad
 
I think you're question is what's the Best "Marine" Diesel Fuel Additive for your Diesel powered Boat throughout the year? I've asked around about that here too and then did some checking up on the subject. A Diesel Boat needs to have a "Marine" Diesel fuel additive that'll give it some extra HP Boost and still get Better MPG. It also needs to have a Biological Cleaner added in to the "Marine" fuel tank for fighting bacteria, moisture/gel, and Algae. That way the fuel injectors, etc will stay clean. Plus, there should be a Diesel Lubricant additive to improve that modern ultra low sulfur "Marine" Diesel fuel. And, a fuel Stabilizer has to be added that is long-lasting - about a year or more. After all that, the Only "Marine" Diesel Fuel Additive that has all these additives & benefits combined, is one product called "ValvTect". They also have a Plus 6 mixture that has more biological stuff in it. I noticed that a small percentage of ValvTect is mixed in some of the Marinas' Diesel gas pump tanks to keep it good. As far as I can tell, after all's said and done, ValvTect works the Best when added to any Diesel Boat fueltank, anytime, anywhere. -Bill+LadyJane
 
The oil companies have your money and my money. They have more money than god :mrgreen:
If one of these cans of foo-foo juice (at an ungodly price) was so magical, they would buy the company, put it in their diesel, and brag about it on every billboard in the country.
They haven't done that - so save your money.

They claim to prevent gelling at zero temperatures (and they do, mostly). How much boating do you do at 0 degrees F ?
And as soon as the temperature goes up the gel dissolves back to liquid. How much boating do you do at 32F?
The only thing an additive "might" help is algae growth. So I would not make cynical cracks about foo-foo juice for that. The question is, which one 'actually' prevents algae? Unknown to me.

I operate a bunch of diesel engines here at the farm. Other than the pickups, they are all seasonal. They work hard from right after the thaw until it is freezing again - and some years we combine corn on frozen ground, you should hear the engines buck and complain when starting on a 20 degree morning.
Then they are parked and ignored until next year. And they start right up. I use no foo-foo juice. I have no fuel problems I am aware of.
 
Denny,
You probably don't fuel your tractors up at marinas or operate them in and on the water. I was always down on using additives. I found on gas engines at least blue marine Stabil eliminated ethanol related problems in the chain saws weed whackers, lawn mowers etc. and the boat and dingy motor. So if the oil companies wanted to tout about their additives I guess the would have scarfed Stabil up. I use the recommended diesel additive mentioned in previous posts. In the grand scheme of things not all that expensive. I would imagine that the newer diesels that have strict emission requirements might be a little more sensitive to water than a tractor of combine engine.I mean after signing up as a boat owner and paying more for everything I don't want to miss out on a chance to spend MO money.
 
I use Stanadyne Performance additive for Cetane boost and added lubricity. It also helps separate and water in the fuel so the water separators function more efficiently. For biocides I add Biobor JF once a season.
 
I have a 2012 boat that was purchased in 2013. I hold 180 gallons of fuel. I always fuel at places that fuel the mega yachts. I just had to have my fuel polished as somehow water and alge became a problem setting off my water alarm on the racor. I had a bi layer of fuel and gel when I drained the racor about every 125 gallons. I have no leaks for water to enter the fuel supply.

According to the fellow who polished the fuel and several other people this could have been prevented if I had used a fuel treatment product. For what it cost to polish the fuel many many gallons of additive could have been purchased. In the future I will be adding biocide and water dispersent with my fuel. There are two things a diesel needs to run, fuel and air. Water and alge are not on the list. I will gladly put a little snake oil in the tank to prevent this problem in the marine environment. Lesson learned.
 
Thanks, everyone. It seems that there are a lot of views, but that nobody is saying that additives harm Diesel engines. I'll try the Sta-Bil Diesel fuel stabilizer stuff until just before Winter storage. I have it, and that seems ok. Then, for Winter, something that deters algae. I really appreciate everyone's view. Though I have boated for many years, a 2009 R-25 is my first experience with Diesel, and my wife and I are loving the experience. When we are through learning all the boat's systems on our 3000 acre inland lake, we will try Door County, WI, the Apostle Islands and Lake Michigan. This is a great boat. Like nothing we have ever had before. The folks on our lake are amazed, and very complimentary. Tugnuts is also invaluable, as we learn a lot by asking a question. Chuck & Bonnie Dykman, Honeybear. Madison, WI.
 
I also made it a habit to fill the tank before storage. You will hear different views on that, but so far I never had an issue.
 
I deliberately made no mention of the devil's juice - gasohol - in my soliloquy.
The stuff is straight from satan.
Add anything you want to it - with my blessings

If you are getting water in the fuel you are buying at marinas and you have a water-fuel-algae tide line in the tank, I doubt that foo-foo juice is an answer. Pumping, rinsing, and starting over would be my response. But hey, whatever floats your boat, eh. . . . . :mrgreen:
If you suspect a contaminated supply would recommend a water separating funnel be used every time you fill. We use one here for fueling our lone gasoline tractor. Our diesel storage tanks have separating filters right at the pump.
Lacking a water separating filter a chamois (a real one) inside of a plain funnel will reject water.
And we do try to have all tanks full when parked for the winter - the scotsman in me shudders at the thought of some 700 or 800 dollars for fuel just to park them, though .
 
Critters actually live and propagate in any untreated diesel fuel tank. Also, water and diesel fuel don't mix, they separate. The water sinks to the bottom of all fuel tanks. Water separators help. A Diesel gas sta.fuel tank that's almost empty will deliver water and critters into your boat's fuel tank. Most of the water that accumulates in any diesel tank comes from condensation on the tank inner walls. It's always a good idea to keep your marine diesel tank full of treated diesel fuel. When it comes to which marine diesel additives to use, it's important to know why you'll need it and how much of what types, etc. BB+
 
Thanks again, everyone. After some research, including your comments, we settled on ValvTect Biogard plus 6, which the Wisconsin Ranger dealer recommended. I also was educated by your remarks on Diesel fuel. We don't have an accessible marina with diesel anywhere close. So, when we pull the boat in late October, we plan to visit a truck stop on our interstate, if our continued research tells us that this is a good idea. The wonderful problem is that our Cummins drinks so little Diesel that we will not come close to emptying our tank by the time we pull the boat for Winter storage. In a above freezing storage we found! Still having lots of fun. We towed a bunch of becalmed sailboats back to dock yesterday. RPM and fuel usage matched when we weren't towing 8 sailboats. We could have towed the whole fleet. Next, I'm trying an anchoring problem. Charles Dykman, Honeybear.
 
Ditto, as per Brian B above on every gallon. Never an issue with fuel.
 
I use a product called "Sea Foam" readily available at any NAPA store ( Canada or USA) or many other places. I was adding a different product at the marina one day a few years ago and a man stopped and talked to me, we discussed additives. He told me he had been a marine mechanic for 30 years and he highly recommended Sea Foam. I use only half the recommended amount except for storage. I have had zero condensation or algae problems since using this product, sounds like I'm a rep for Sea Foam, but I'm very impressed with this product.
 
"Sea Foam" is actually a Marine Diesel Engine Treatment Product to clean the Injectors. It was designed to be directly added into the Engine Vacuum System and is Highly Rated (#1) when doing so. It sounds like a hassle to most folks, so "Sea Foam" just gets poured into the fuel tank. A product designed to be directly added to the Vacuum System will work Best when added to the Vacuum System. BB+
 
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