Adding a small amount of Gasoline to Diesel Fuel to Improve Quality??

To improve fuel economy in a diesel, you want to slow the burn rate. Gasoline will increase the burn rate, dramatically decreasing your fuel economy. Diesel engines get better fuel economy than gas engines because the fuel burns more throughout the stroke.
There is an additive from FPPF called something like Cetane Plus 8 which is supposed to increase the cetane up 8 points in diesel and it's the centane that determines a lot of fuel economy.
Also propane injection will increase fuel economy by slowing the burn rate

 

KW went diesel in the '30's.
http://www.kenworth.com/7100_ken.asp
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Country's First Diesel Truck—1933-1936
Good fortune came to Kenworth in 1933 when it became the first American truck manufacturer to install diesel engines as standard equipment. It was a major development that allowed Kenworth to develop a powerful and durable line of diesel trucks.[/FONT]

GMC in '39
http://history.gmheritagecenter.com...ine_of_the_First_Century_of_GMC_Truck_History
1939 - The first Detroit Diesel 3-71 and 4-71 engines were available in heavier models

Mack in 1938
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_Trucks
1938: Mack trucks is the first company to produce its own heavy-duty diesel engines.

Cummins diesel engines started in 1919
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cummins
Founded in Columbus, Indiana, in 1919 as Cummins Engine Company, for its namesake Clessie Lyle Cummins, the fledgling firm was among the first to see the commercial potential of the engine technology invented two decades earlier by Rudolf Diesel.

I had one of those old gas start tractors a while back,they'd start on gas and switch to "tractor fuel" which was pretty much just kerosene or diesel.
This is my old CAT 22,it was a 1937 model with hand-crank start.

'

 

Yea, go ahead and put gas in there. Then when your injectors are toast, and your cylinder walls are scored, and its eating two gallons of oil a day, you can look back and say #### no good rotten cheap good for nothing diesel fuel.

 

Seriously, some of you guys need to quit listening to ads on xm radio from people who don't care one way or the other if their crap products work, they only want your money. There is no additive, bolt on device or otherwise that is less than $500 or more that is going to net you better fuel mileage.

Think about this: if there was such a device or additive you wouldn't be able to buy it, it wouldn't be on anybody shelves. All the manufactures would have the devices to put on new trucks, and all the additives would be going to big company's.

There is nothing wrong with the fuel we have today. The only way to increase fuel mileage is with your right foot, in your ecm, and or bolting on hard parts that cost real money.

 

I got to disagree with you on part of your statement. There are many cheap parts that can increase MPG and performance. Many are the normal simple ones. Take the ACERT engine for example...simple upgrades to the boost (hump) hoses and clamps will take care of the normal boost leaks, a brass washer costing less than $1 will bring the fuel pressure up to where it is needed, and even a air filter on single filter unti trucks can make a difference. Oh and lets not forget swapping to a aftermarket high flow muffler and its benefits. Now onto higher priced parts that the OEM's don't use...FASS/Airdog for better filtration, Spinner 2 or another bypass oil system to keep the IVA system clean and MicroBlue bearing. These are all aftermarket parts that can be used and still not harm the EPA ratings of the ACERT (and many other engines)...but yet the OEM's don't use them. All of these parts have added to my profits by improving MPG and reliability.

As for the fuel additives. There have been many blind tests with many different additives. The results are out there on the web if you want to look and cut through the BS. Matter of fact I have posted a link a few times one here for the best test I have found. The test and results were posted on The Diesel Garage in the parking lot forum. It shows that many of the normal additives actually made the fuel less effective in lubrication and burn. There are additives out there to increase MPG, but are they actually worth the cost? That depends on you and your operation.

Oh yeah, one more part that the OEM's don't use, but will help MPGs...water/meth injection systems. The lasted test reults I have seen was in February issue of Diesel World magazine. They tested a '08 Chevy with a Duramax engine. The fuel and water/meth mixture was carefully measured by tanks mounted in the bed and the truck was run on back to back dyno, empty, and towing runs. The results speak for them selves. The dyno showed a 245HP/556 lb/ft of torque stock compared to 297HP/674 lb/ft of torque with the system. Fuel gains showed a $15 savings over 500 miles while towing (this savings already had the pricwe of the water/meth subtracted) over the stock truck. Empty the tesst showed a $10 savings over the same 500 miles. To me this could equal a decent money savings over the course of a year for a smart O/O.

 

Jet fuel does not lubricate fuel pumps, injector units so well as diesel fuel so do not add too much ore add some syntetic oil.

Yep, Jet fuel is Kerosine. I saw jet engine burning diesel (TV-3 from Mi-8, some smoke))) but runs))))

 

(PullingTrucker)
I'd have to agree with you. I wanted to say about the same but didn't want to add fuel to his argument.
I'm looking forward to putting propane injection on my truck in the spring.
Also different tires have different rolling resistance which effects fuel economy also.

 

I've used gasoline on a rag draped over the intake many times to help start an older diesel engine over the years, but to put it in the tank...? No, I would'nt, but thats just me. We bought a new T-300 in 2000, 1 of our workers accidentally pumped about 10 gals of gas in the tank before realizing what he had done, instead of having it pumped out he just went on....cost us an injector pump and a set of injectors. And as far as the ( water injection ) goes, it's nothing new. Some of the displayers that come to my show "Vintage Pride" have hit-miss engines from the early 1900"s that start on gas then switch to kerosene and water mixed....water raises the btu's of kerosene.

 

What specific fuel problem are you having Dice?

Most cold weather problems are corrected by a fuel heater and then you can leave the fuel unadulterated.

Bad fuel can be cured by finding a new fuel retailer.

If you are worried about filters plugging from wax crystals put a pressure gauge on your filter head.

You find most of the perceived trouble is all in your head.

 

Cue the Foghorn Leghorn voice:

I say, I say there, boy! There's a whole lot of misconception goin' on 'round he-yah!

Diesels are more efficient than gas because of their high compression ratios, the greater expansion during the power stroke allows more of the heat generated during combustion to be used to generate work. Diesel fuel also has a higher energy content per unit of volume.

As far as cetane and burn rates, you're arguing out of both sides of your mouth. Cetane doesn't measure burn rate directly, but rather the delay between injection and pressure rise, with higher numbers indicating shorter delay, i.e., a faster burn rate. And higher speed diesels, (which our truck engines are considered,) are more efficient with higher cetane numbers as it helps ensure complete combustion before the end of the power stroke. This is the opposite of a slower flame front.

Also, propane, which starts to combust at around 12:1 compression ratio, is unlikely to slow the burn rate when it is already burning before the diesel injection event. This would increase the temperature in the chamber which would allow the diesel to burn faster, rather than slower.

I'm not sure on the reasoning of using the water/kerosene mix, but I'll guarantee you it's not increasing the btu's. It takes a lot of energy to vaporize water, so much of the btu content of the kerosene would be used to that end, and not to producing work.




As a couple guys have alluded to, the biggest issue with modern ULSD is lubricity. Adding gas to the fuel will only exacerbate this issue, to the detriment of your injectors, which have much tighter tolerances, and thus lubrication needs, than injectors of old.