diesel fuel

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Dec 30, 2009
680
jeanneau 38 gin fizz sloop Summer- Keyport Yacht Club, Raritan Bay, NJ, Winter Viking Marina Verplanck, NY
Hey all, I have a question also wf diesel fuel. I usually buy my diesel in a gas station ,no problems so far. I use the stabil for winter gelling ect, is there anything else I should add. I hear about people adding cetol, whats up is this like using gas with higher octane?? do I need stuff like this. Red
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Three things to consider adding: stabilizer (for fighting microbes), water zorb (obvious) and due to the lower sulfur diesel fuels now coming on the market an added lubricant.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Some models of Yanmar Engines require a CETANE number a couple of points higher than is generally available. That is a measure of how the fuel combusts, kind of like an octane number in gasoline. Some folks add a cetane number improver, but I don't think that is necessary generally speaking.. Stu is right on with an anti-microbe additive and lubricity improver.. The anti microbe stuff generally includes a water scavenger.. There is some stuff available like Diesel Kleen and Seafoam for diesels that have a pretty good cocktail in one dose.. Most are available at WalMart locally.
 
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
If you can keep water our of your diesel fuel, you may not need additives that purport to do that for you. I triple filter all my fuel using a water/crud separator filter from West Marine. Also, make sure the "O" ring on your fuel filler cap is in good shape and that cap itself makes a snug fit. If there is no water in your fuel, you can't have microbes/algae growing in it. My Yanmar 2GM20F requires a cetane rating of 45 and the fuel I buy at a local truck stop only sells diesel with a 40 cetane rating so I add a booster. This helps initial starting and cleaner burning. Finally, I add a lubricity booster like "Pri-D" in small quantiites to offset the low sulphur content of our ULSD fuel. Good idea to change your primary and secondary filters at the 100 hour mark. Clean fresh fuel really minimizes engine problems.
 
Sep 26, 2008
566
- - Noank CT.
I would use the stabil as u are and also some additive to treat for water and prevent fuel batceria. As important as all that is the most important thing you can do is USE the fuel. Don't let it get old, buy what fuel u will use and have a reserve just in case but filling a tank up if u are not going to use it in a reasonable amount of time is not a good idea.
 
Nov 8, 2009
537
Hunter 386LE San Fancisco
Lots of really great comments. I would add: keep diesel tank topped off to mitigate moisture infiltration, turn tank over annually and have a separate primary low micron fuel filter/water separator.

Ultra low sulfur diesel fuel includes a lubricity agent so there should not be a need to add one. If in doubt check your U.S. state on-road specifications. In California a lubricity agent is added at the terminal. I have a diesel truck as well as a diesel-driven sailboat and have not had any issues with either.

Local marine shop recommends Stanadyne diesel additive, albeit I have not tried it. I would be interested in anyone’s experience with this product.
 
Dec 9, 2006
694
Oday 22 Hickory, NC
Trust me here folks, you better believe that the ULSD has plenty of lubricants in it!
I have over a half million miles since it came out, no problems!
What I wonder is this; Since they took out so much of the sulphur, does that mean that we will not have near the sulphuric acid that we once did? Sulphiric acid is one of the biggest enemies of a diesel engine.
Jack
 
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