Lucas Fuel Treatment

[chuntag95]

Has anyone used it in there DMAX? I was talking with a guy about his Cummins HO while fueling. He was on his 3rd injector pump with 34K on it. He put some of the Lucus in and stated it made a 2 mpg difference for him. Anyone confirm of deny?

[Burner]

I use the stuff but I don't run it in the tank. The new fuel filter is "filled" with the stuff. It does take a while for it to permeate the pleats. You'll know it's in there when you first start it. I do not run it in the tank because I do not know if it has "Anything" in it that could hurt the fuel pump. The book says to not add any fuel treatment to the tank. Fuel treatment has three uses: water, long term stability and cleaning the system and/or injectors. My concern was of the injectors, hence the fuel filter fill up. However, if you truly have concerns about your fuel, get the MeGaFueL from JK.


Burner------->

[chuntag95]

Burner,
Got one, and it goes on Saturday at 10 am.
Fill the fuel filter huh? That is an interesting way to do it. Wouldn't you be giving the injectors a hefty shot and mixing the rest in when the other returns to the tank? If it was like an old carb that had no return, I would agree, but here you have a return line. I'm sure some portion, if not most of it returns to the tank. Also, our pump is post filter, right? If the stuff is supposed to add lubricity, then it should not hurt the injector pump, but help. Someone please speak up if I am out in left on how this works.

[a64pilot]

Chris,
I wouldn't fill the fuel filter for just the reasons you state. Most of us seem to use an additive. I use it mostly to lubricate the pump/injectors. It seems that the decrease in sulfer in Diesel has led to a corrosponding decrease in lubricity. Think I said that correctly. Anyway a good additive should add life to the pump, not decrease it. BTW the filter is pre-pump as you know. The post regarding using 2-stroke oil as an additive is intersting, the logic is there. I just don't know enough to comment on it though.

[george morrison]

This comment is not relative to the Lucas fuel additive but to the comment "filling the filter" with the additive. Never, never pre-fill a fuel filter. Unlike our oil filters, fuel filters should never be pre-filled. Install the fuel filter then purge the system using the hand pump. If we 'pre-fill' a filter, we can give our injector pump and injectors a shot of unfiltered fuel; even a small amount of typically dirty diesel fuel can cause damage.. This is what the hand fuel pump is all about; to minimize/eliminate fuel system damage during fuel filter changeouts.
George

[chuntag95]

I did meet a guy that put regular gas in his DMAX (an accident). He put in 2 quarts of transmission fluid and ran it out. He said he had lots of blue smoke and had to play with the throttle sometimes, but it ran. I would assume the 2 stroke comment is along those lines. I use Stanadyne now, and will try the stuff from JK when I run out of this case. Just wondered if anyone regularly used this stuff and how it compared.

[Burner]

George, I don't know if it makes a difference but I do not pour the "additive" into the center hole. I pour it in the tan part and let it perk in the small holes. I use about 4 or 5 ounces to fill it. Once I have it connected I do purge the system with the pump until it comes out of the air screw thing. Good or bad, that's what I have been doing. If am doing something that could dammage the system, I'll stop.

Thanks

Burner----->

[Burner]

I just read what I posted. What I should have said was, Tell me if I am doing something wrong "so" that I will stop.


Burner---->

[george morrison]

Well, Burner, okay, if one is very, very careful about pouring the fuel in the intake side only I will turn my head as tho it did not happen.. However, one cannot just pour the fuel or additive into the filter as one would an oil filter.. It is so very important to make certain that no 'unfiltered' fuel would enter the system. That is what that hand pump is all about; to ensure that every drop of diesel fuel is filtered prior to entering the pump and injector system. CAT, for one, is so against pre-filling that they have put blocks to prevent pre-filling on some of its filters.
George

[mackin]

I don't, but for a novice were to read 'Service instructions' on the Racor replacement element and Pay particular attention to #7 .... Not for nuttin Sure is a lot of conflicting testimony here, how much could one filter full of fuel really do ?? This filter is solely used for the Duramax application, No ??
Again no "need" to pre fill as the primer does the job quite rapidly nevertheless ......


MAC

[ 04-24-2003: Message edited by: mackin ]</p>

[a64pilot]

Question, how healthy can a "pure" slug of fuel treatment be for the engine when it is designed to be diluted hundreds to one. What would be the advantage to giving the injection sys. a pure slug of fuel treatment every few thousand miles or so?

[george morrison]

Regarding pure 'slug'. Excellent point... Some fuel additives are so diluted that it would be of little consequence. However, with industrial strength additives such as Primrose 405 or FPPF with treat rates of one ounce per 15 gallons of fuel, definately not recommended!
Moreover, back to point; it is not recommended to put *anything* into the fuel filter prior to installation, keeping the filter covered until the last moment of replacement.
This fuel filter filling has been going on for years with everything from ATF to diesel fuel treatments, with the intent of a system cleaning and conditioning. With forgiving fuel systems such as Cummins Big Cam IV's, with 3,000 psi pressures, there was little or no harm from the practice. As the Raven saith, "no more"...
The regular use of a high quality fuel additive is the way to treat fuel and the fuel system. Not a 'slug'... And certainly not a pre-fill.
George

[Kennedy]

I keep going back to the Lucas "The Prince of Darkness" joke...

Why do the British drink warm beer?

"because Lucas makes the refrigerators..."

I see a lot of this where guys are finding odd brand oil filters, oil, treatments, and things that promise the stars the moon and all up above at 1/2 the price. I'll stick with the known quality. No Lucas (now part of Delphi) glow plugs or injectors for me...

[a64pilot]

Some body has ridden old Brit bikes before. John, your age is showing

[FirstDiesel]

My favorite Lucas joke.

What is the motto at the Lucas factory???

A good days work and get home before dark!!

Rimshot!

[BobW]

George Morrison, you said, in part "...Unlike our oil filters, fuel filters should never be pre-filled...." Does this mean we SHOULD prefill our oil filter?

[chuntag95]

BobW,

You can only fill it about 1/2 way or you pour oil in your face. I put a dual remote bypass on and can now prefill w/o a mess.

Now to actually answer your question. Two schools of thought exist. One is that you should fill to reduce the amount of time it takes to get the oil flowing in the system. The extreme side of the is the preluber systems that you turn on and pump oil for a few seconds so you never "dry" start. The other side of the fence is you have a very short time the system is without flow and you never remove all of the oil from the surfaces. You actually only need to prelube on intial engine assembly.

Now that I have shown both sides of the fence, I shall sit on it. I prefill and would like to put in a prelube system, but believe that the actual damage reduction would be minimal. I use systhetic oil as insurance. It honestly saved an engine for me once when a failure occured. With a $10,000 long block (per dmaxalli tech), I will continue to pour that money into the best fluids I can find, all of them. I did not buy the cheapest truck that would just get me by and I have always felt you get what you pay for in most cases.

Does that kind of answer your question or at least give you enough to chew on to make up your own mind?