Have IP failures increased w/latest fuels?

[DA BIG ONE]

Wondering if IP failures have increased using the low sulfer fuels, or?

[Robyn]

I was talking to the Owner of the Pump shop here locally when I did the over haul on my 94 back early summer.
He said that he cant see any changes in things since the days of the good old high sulfur.
Biggest failure issue is dirty fuel and water. The manufactures dont provide anywhere near the size and quality of fuel filter needed to keep the dirt out let alone the small amounts of water that get through.
I had a power stroke in 97 and the fuel filter was hardly bigger than a dixie cup that thing was a pain.
A set of real truck filters with real small micron filters is the best insurance you can buy for your diesel dollar.
After seeing the inside of my pump that had been taken good care of filter wise ( so I thought) I am even more sour on the size and qaulity of the factory stuff.
The amount of crud needed to ruin a pump is very small indeed especially when it comes in the form of a constant stream every day.
I buy all my fuel at pacific pride and they have two huge filters on each pump.
I have looked at the filters in my rigs after only a few thousand miles and they are filthy with loads of rust and water and all sorts of nasty junk.
I know for sure on the Big truck that the tanks dont produce any rust because they are aluminum.
The sulfur issue I thnk is a moot point on the new pumps.
Heck I have run the green low sulfur stuff in a 1941 Caterpillar dozer and it did not seem to care.
If you are concerned toss in a half pint of tranny oil every tank full of fuel.
Keeps things happy. Stanadyne sells some fancy skunk piss for a bunch of $$$$$$$$$$ at the pump shops. The owner of the pump shop I use just smiled and told me quietly that the tranny oil is just as good for little $$$$ compared. He also told me that the Little GM pumps will run JP8 if need be and do it well. I dont know anything about that stuff but I assume its jet fuel of some sort.

[gmctd]

Dr Lee recommended two-stroke motor oil, along with Stanadyne\equiv additives, which usually have cetane-boosters and water-handling additives, very good when traveling and fuel quality is unknown, station-to-station.

Tapping the water-drain assumes increased importance when traveling.

The Stanadyne DB\DS series and the Bosch VP44 require lubricant in the fuel, as the fuel is the primary lubricant.

The Bosch P7100 and equiv pumps are lubricated with pressurized engine oil, so added lubricity is not as important.

The common-rail jobs don't even care.

[jspringator]

Robyn, what do you think about a 30 micron filter before the lift pump, with the standard filter as a finishing filter?

[Robyn]

Every little bit helps.
The lift pump will love it for sure.
My humvee kit rig is getting a set of primary and secondary filters from a detroit 60 series that I got at the freightliner overstock warehouse for $10 each with the filter and the housing. These are large units and would be tight in most pickups or Burbs but could be done.
The biggest issue is whats sifting out the water and how good the final filter is. The small size of the factory filters reduces their ability to work over time.
I have a friend with a 6.5 that changes air and fuel filters when he does the oil and filter (3000 miles)
The smaller the filter the more fuel per square inch of filter area resulting in a much shorter life span of the filter.
Another sore spot with me is the water in fuel sensor. I have seen these thing trip with no more than a few drops of water which is very anoying.
Just my take on things.
Just like why not put a BIG oil filter on the rig??
Well space limits it but one can do a remote mount.

Robyn

[MJEasly]

Dr Lee recommended two-stroke motor oil, along with Stanadyne\equiv additives, which usually have cetane-boosters and water-handling additives, very good when traveling and fuel quality is unknown, station-to-station.

I couldn't get the search to turn up that post. Could you post a link to that discussion?

Thanks.

[gmctd]

Was in the Ask Dr Lee forum.....................

[DmaxMaverick]

Was in the Ask Dr Lee forum.....................

Most of Dr. Lee's threads are still in the 6.2/6.5 Tech Forum. Let us know if you need to have one unlocked for a reply.

[MJEasly]

Thanks, I should have expanded my search to include that forum.

[tommac95]

Concerning fuel--
In 15K miles on LI in NY, i netted about 1 ounce of clay(?) which i think was catalyst... no visible water, or sludge/sediment/'dirt'. So it pays to keep track , and drain, and also to have a series of filters in the line. One rarely knows what one pumps, until after it has been injested.

[TurboDiverArt]

Concerning fuel--
In 15K miles on LI in NY, i netted about 1 ounce of clay(?) which i think was catalyst... no visible water, or sludge/sediment/'dirt'. So it pays to keep track , and drain, and also to have a series of filters in the line. One rarely knows what one pumps, until after it has been injested.
Clay where? I thought the new fuels were supposed to be cleaner. Do you think the clay was in the new fuel or just crappy fuel from a recent fill-up?

My pumps still say 500 PPM.

Art.

[More Power]

Back some months ago I posted a comment here saying rotary fuel injection pumps like the Stanadyne DB/DS and the Bosch VP44 were more sensitive to a lack of lubricity than the P7100 or the newest high-pressure common rail systems.

I still believe that statement is more or less accurate, but it resulted in a series of emails sent to me by Bosch. In addition to a "clarification" they also sent me a couple of lubricity studies they've conducted that showed "all" diesel fuel injection systems are in-fact "fuel-lubricated" and that all can be negatively impacted by ULSD if the lubricity standards are not met. Included in the study were photos of common-rail components that failed as a result of a lack of lubricity (untreated ULSD).

As a result, what I say about this subject has evolved..... :)

Jim

PS. The recent article appearing here about Clean Diesel - CLean Air (http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/dtforumMT.htm) discusses the most recent thinking about ULSD and what we as GM diesel owners need to know.