Star*Tron

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Oct 31, 2005
21
Catalina 350 Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, GA
Has anybody been using Star*Tron,a Star Brite product for fuel treatment? It uses enzyme technology. If the product is as good as claimed, i do not know why anyone would use anything else, especially a biocide based product. I have reviewed their web site testimonials and they are obviously good. I have Catalina 350 with a Universal M 35B diesel, about year old. I have only used Stabil for winter storage to date. Is there anyone that that does not treat their fuel, at all?
 
E

elliot

soltron/startron

Soltron has reduced my engine smoke to almost nil, I get better fuel mileage and the engine runs better. It is all the rage in the canneries in Alaska. Soltron has licensed Starbright to sell it also under the Startron name.
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,203
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
I Use It

but I'm not sure it is that much better than the other additives I have used. It does seem to reduce smoking quite a bit. I know the gas dock guys thought it was the best there is, which is why I used it to begin with. Rick D.
 
Sep 14, 2004
204
Hunter 42 Deltaville VA
I use it too

It seems to do everything it claim, and I have no idea how. Smoke is almost nil. Kills growth; our water in fuel problems seem to be completely gone; engine and generator sound much better, smoother running. Fuel economy has improved, but that is also because our average RMPs motoring are reduced because we are not as concerned with soot buildup because Startron works on that too. We are finishing out second season with Startron now. I will always use it along with Cetane and Lubricity additives. We have a 1997 P42.
 
Jun 4, 2004
255
Hunter 376 Annapolis MD
star*tron = naphtha ?

I looked at the government mandated safety sheet on star*tron and found it is naphtha with more or less a trace of what the mfg calls proprietary organics. Star brite's web site says its enzymes that do wonderful things for an engine. As a scientist, I found that interesting (enzymes are proteins - chains of amino acids that in interaction with water fold in particular configuations). I didn't see how they would work in naphtha. I called star brite and asked for a technical person. I asked him to send me the reports of their tests that are the basis of their claims. He got evasive and would not give me a direct yes or no as to whether they had test data to support the claims. I have no information to indicate that putting star*tron in the fuel would do anything that an equal amount of generic naphtha would not do. Allan
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,203
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Thanks, Allan.

That's helpful. Rick D.
 
Sep 15, 2006
202
Oday 27 Nova Scotia
Fuel conditioners

This may not have much applicability to marine diesels right now, but the new breed of diesels with electronic/electric actuated injectors are very intolerant of most of the so-called diesel fuel conditioners on the market. Ford apparently only approves the use of 2 products, made by Stanadyne & Racor, for the new 6 liter truck turbo-diesel : some of the other "conditioners" cause the tips of the injectors to burn or deteriorate. Kudos to Allan Frey : most folks don't have the credentials to challenge the claims made by the after-market producers of "miracle" products who make claims that are not subject to any rigorous scientific scrutiny. Like patent medicines of old, the benefits of many of these "miracle" products is more psychological than actual. Having said that, I'll stick my foot in my mouth & admit to using Sta-Bil in any engine that sits for half the year.
 
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