Fuel additive recommendation by Cummins

path1 wrote:
We spent time with a retired Cummins engineer. Good guy with tons of good stories. His theory ..... OEMS's stretch maintenance schedules for as long as they can for sales reasons. (And bean counters always win, but really have no idea about the mechanics of a product and only think about cost of ownership compared to other OEM's) And consumers have no idea how long something has sat around or what conditions fluids or filters were stored in.

His advice...follow maintenance schedule but back up 10 percent. Example...if something is due at 10,000 miles to it at 9,000 (10,000 minus 10 percent) He loved fleetguard filters and Cummins anti-freeze but other fluids he said Ford fluids were as good as Cummins and more available on the road. The extras he did was...oil analysis (I forget how often) and he did an alternator "ripple" test every oil change. He packed elec connections with die-elec grease every couple years. He had a binder set up by component with the standard requirement and in front of binder he had a chart of when everything was due to his minus 10 percent method.

He showed me how to do the alt "ripple" test with volt meter. Which I now do. I really don't know if newer stuff needs it or not but my old one does. Pretty interesting these electronic machines on wheels:)

Several years ago I had several discussions with a Navstar engineer which revolved around my Ford/Navstar 6.0. As a result I now use Archoil for injector "Sticktion", and a cetane booster because cetane ratings aren't commonly shown at the pump so you don't know if you are meeting the manufacture's minimum requirement and, for the 6.0 anyway, that is important. I also use a cold weather additive in the winter.