Michaelh_2006
Member
Has anyone else used ATF in fuel filter before??
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Using ATF in fuel filter
- Thread starter Michaelh_2006
- Start date
walkerv
Senior Member
If it is for an on road commercial vehicle I wouldn't do it the fines for colored diesel is high. Personal vehicle not so much a big deal. I have had good luck with the power service injector cleaner it is about the only product of theres I like but I won't use it all the time. Couple times a year in my old mercedes cars seems to keep them running smooth
Michaelh_2006
Member
The times I have used it. Has been in construction equipment is excavators dozers mini excavator skidsteers etc. I don't do it every time just ever now and then,bout 6month mark. Then again I also the one that will hold up air filter to sunlight and look for the light
quackattak
Well-Known Member
You have a 300 or 240?
walkerv
Senior Member
I have an 82 240D and a 83 300SD
theironoracle
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Mechanic fuel injection systems love a filter full of aft. It super lubes the internals of the pumps and injectors. However I tried it on a 3406e and guess what, wouldn't fire at all. My conclusion is electronic engines don't like it. TIO
quackattak
Well-Known Member
Nice, I also have a 82 240d.
PJ The Kid
Well-Known Member
I do it when changing filters, and not calling you out TIO but i just did it last week on a 2012 3406 and it worked fine. I also put a quart in every tank on older diesels. I had an old IDI 7.3l I ran ATF instead of diesel fuel when I was working at a dealer selling alot of flushes. in the winter I would mix it 50/50 with diesel.
The fuel can be tested to determine if its dye or ATF. I have been down that road and resulted in the fine being dismissed.. Just my $.02
I just had an issue with my dump and a plugged fuel filter. I picked a new filter up at my NAPA and the guy that runs it asked if I wanted a quart of atf. He said fill the filter full and it will fire right off. I had my service truck with a full transfer tank so I declined. That was the first I heard of this and now I see this thread. I have added cheap 2 stroke oil in fuel before but never atf. So does filling a filter full of atf work?
PJ The Kid
Well-Known Member
I've always had good luck with it. Like i said, i add a quart to every tank on our older diesels meant to run the old (pre ulsd) diesel. A few guys around here run 2 stroke oil but cheap atf is cheaper that cheap 2 stroke oil.
theironoracle
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Hmmmmmmm, I will give this another try and let you know what I find. I will be putting filters on a c6.6 next week.......TIO
walkerv
Senior Member
There is a diesel truck forum that gathered up some money to do an independent 3 Rd party test of name brand popular fuel additives and the common atf and 2 stroke oil that people try if I can get a chance to look for it I will post a link here alot of result s are not what you think they will be. This test was done as a result of the low sulphur fuel causing stiction in newer engines. To get the sulphur low it strips the lubrication qualities from the diesel fuel. Sulphur in the fuel was never for ep lubricity like everyone thinks it was a contaminate.
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PJ The Kid
Well-Known Member
Not trying to argue, just throwing in my knowledge, but I was always taught that the sulfur helped lubricate the injection pumps. You can also feel the difference in diesel fuel now. It used to feel almost like baby oil, now it almost feels more like a parts solvent.
kshansen
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I think this may have some similarities to the argument I heard in relation to them taking the lead out of gas. Some argued that if lead was added to the gas then why does leaving it out make it cost more as they were not using it so it should cost less. Problem with that thinking was that the lead was a cheap way to increase octane. So to keep the octane up high enough for at least some engines more expensive stuff or refining had to be done.
Where with the sulfur in the diesel it was not ,as I understand it, an additive but just something "natural" that in the right amount did have some positive effects. I'm not sure if the loss of the sulfur alone is what caused the "problems" or if some other factors related to the methods used caused the problems. Maybe something else happened to the chemistry of the fuel in the removal process.
"Diesel fuel lubricity study" search will find you the lubricity additives study with some interesting results. ATF was not included in the study, but used motor oil, 2 cycle oil and Marvel mystery oil were and all failed. The test was a lubricity improvement only, not detergent or any other claimed benefit of MMO or ATF.
RZucker
Senior Member
Just my 2 cents, I still run 2 97-98 Chevy 6.5L one tons. For the last year I've been using Stanadyne Performance additive and it makes a big difference in the way they run, eliminates the snarl and rattle in cold mode, hardly any white smoke on start up, and I gain 1 to 1.5 mpg using 8 oz. every other fill up. For grins I went without it for a month and the one I drive every day regressed to its old noisy self. One tank treatment brought it back. My old 94 Dodge Cummins likes it too. However, My bigger trucks don't show much change, The F-800 has the 7.8 and it does idle a bit cleaner when it's cold. That's about it.
I use it often to fill filters especially away from the shop on those harder to prime ones not for any magical cleaning purposes its just a lot cleaner than the nozzle on my tank
When I worked at an auto shop the only thing my older diesels ran on was used aft from the flush machine poured though paint filter and ran 100 percent aft for years
When I worked at an auto shop the only thing my older diesels ran on was used aft from the flush machine poured though paint filter and ran 100 percent aft for years