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Low sulfer fuel causing seals to go bad?

2.1K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  Idle_Chatter  
#1 ·
I was talking to a couple of guys the other day who own Ford PSDs. All of them had to their neoprene seals all replaced because the new fuel was breaking them down causing the trucks to leak fuel everywhere. I believe they said valve seals but i could be wrong. It wasn't 6.0 or 7.3 specific.

Is anyone having trouble with this fuel in their LB7s causing any similar problems? I don't seem to be.
 
#2 ·
been having some problems at work on cat and detroit engines that I'm wanting to blame on this fuel just cuz I don't like it, but nothing actually proving that the USLD is causing anything yet.
 
#4 ·
I know everyone heard that the companies are/should be adding some type of lube additive to this new fuel. BUT, to be safe, in my opinion we should be adding some type of fuel additive to be safe. I do and many others out here do. Take a look at all the reading in the Fuel Discussion sections.

Once again, this is just my opinion.
 
#5 ·
No Additives

I don't believe that anyone should have to add a fuel additive to their tank just because the government changes fuels. If an additive was needed, then it should already be in the fuel. The fuel was tested and deemed ok for older trucks.

Fuel additives are snake oils sold by companies using headline grabbing statements. I talk with people who put a bottle of the stuff into their tank each fill. I have never used it, have driven my diesels over 314K miles, have never used it in my gassers and put 247K miles on my 91 Chevy 350 V-8 alone. The engine valve cover were never removed in those miles, and the engine ran like a top. Just a waste of money.

And my injectors are great.
 
#6 ·
alleghenyrose;1509304; said:
I don't believe that anyone should have to add a fuel additive to their tank just because the government changes fuels. If an additive was needed, then it should already be in the fuel. The fuel was tested and deemed ok for older trucks.

Fuel additives are snake oils sold by companies using headline grabbing statements. I talk with people who put a bottle of the stuff into their tank each fill. I have never used it, have driven my diesels over 314K miles, have never used it in my gassers and put 247K miles on my 91 Chevy 350 V-8 alone. The engine valve cover were never removed in those miles, and the engine ran like a top. Just a waste of money.

And my injectors are great.
As you do, I once believed that there was no great benefit to additives.
Then I got a way to document my balance rates.

I'll never run straight diesel again.

Besides, I like the quietness it provides. I didn't get a Stroke or a Cummins.
 
#8 ·
I have been putting "TURBINE OIL" in my tank 2 quarts to a full tank, for a about a month and a half, all i can say is WOW!!!! my truck is as quiet as a new one, and my cold start ups are quieter than my fully temp idol before i used oil, also checked my balance rates, all were .02, except for #3 it was .01, Thats perfect in my opinion, i have used many fuel additves, but none of them made my motor run the way it does w/oil.
 
#9 ·
03LB-7dmax;1509658; said:
I have been putting "TURBINE OIL" in my tank 2 quarts to a full tank, for a about a month and a half, all i can say is WOW!!!! my truck is as quiet as a new one, and my cold start ups are quieter than my fully temp idol before i used oil, also checked my balance rates, all were .02, except for #3 it was .01, Thats perfect in my opinion, i have used many fuel additves, but none of them made my motor run the way it does w/oil.
Where do you buy that stuff? Is it the same thing as hydraulic oil?
 
#10 ·
http://http://www.factsonfuel.org/diesel/index.html Clears up most of the confusion. The http://http://epa.gov/oms/hwy.htm EPA has much to say, but it's written in governmenteese. From everything I've researched on the internet, biodiesel is doing more harm than S15 fuel. Bio-diesel is being used to increase the lubricity of S15 diesel fuel. GM recommends a maximum of 10% bio-diesel blend for my truck. I've already replaced ($758) all the seals in the left bank fuel delivery system(leaking), and now I'm waiting for the right bank to leak, and the 5yr warranty is expired. I'm told the problem is the copper seals and bio-diesel reacting.
The rubber seal failures are on older vehicles. Buna-N is the replacement material.
 
#11 ·
Chevron, Chrysler and John Deere have all issued tech bulletins warning about viscous seal shrinkage with ULSD due to lower aromatics in the fuel. It's my understanding that this is most prevalent in older mechanical injection systems that have been running higher sulfur (i.e., higher aromatic) fuel and the seals will leak when shrunken by ULSD. That would explain the issues with tractors and construction equipment. It's my understanding that most newer light diesel equipment shouldn't be adversely affected, but apparently Chrysler is seeing IP seal leaks on the Rams prior to the Bosch HPCR systems.
 
#13 ·
Hydraulic oil seems to be a catch-all for any light petroleum product from ATF to the turbine oil.

That's good to know, because I've been looking for a cheaper alternative to the non-detergent 30w I've been using.
 
#14 ·