Just picked my truck up from the shop. It was having to spin more and more to start this past year. After that it ran great but the slow starts were starting to worry me. I'd heard that we should use a fuel additive because ULSD has such poor lubrication properties but I blew it off. After all, it always ran great although my mileage has gone down. And how bad could it be with only 108K on it.Boy was that a mistake. Shop said high pressure pump (CP3) was digesting itself and sending metal through the injectors. They told me it was purely a lubrication issue with ULSD.So to go along with my new pump and injectors, I have a case of Stanadyne that I will use religously. In order to get something out of this, I had the shop (DDP Monroe, Wa) install a set of their Honed and flow matched 50 HP tips. We'll see. I don't know if I was down on power before the work but it sure pulls nice now and has tremendous throttle response. It's very quiet too. According to everything other owners have observed, I should see improved fuel efficiency with these tips.I hope new trucks can deal better with ULSD's lousy lube quality.YMMV!

Gov't said USLD was much better for you:) Most fuel out of the pump is filtered at 20 micron. According to brother in law, retired tanker driver. I have additional filtering down to 2 micron. I've got older version than you... VP44 which is junk IMO. I've done a bit of reading on the HFFR or the lubricity of diesel fuel and ULSD doesn't score to good in the lube dept. (ULSD does score high in metal wear dept though) Thought the CP3 system solved much of that problem, even though there injectors are a fortune. DPP injectors I understand are true quality (the in house ones he makes special)

Scott, that's very unusual I think. I don't know anyone who's lost a cp3, ever I think. And we all run the same fuel. Are you certain it was not just injectors?Failing IP wouldn't run strong, low fuel pressure. Hard cold starts but runs fine are classic injector high return rates. IP can't make enough pressure to trigger the injectors with high returns when cold, but once it kicks, the IP can keep up. Well should run like a top again. Did you have lower injection pressure than commanded?

My '04 is still starting and running strong at almost twice your mileage. Still running original lift pump too.

Myself, I'm an Archoil fan. I use their fuel additive and oil additive. My engine runs smoother and quieter and when my wife notices, that tells me it's worth the expense.I'm anti-snake oil usually. In this case, no.

path1 wrote:Gov't said USLD was much better for you:) Most fuel out of the pump is filtered at 20 micron. According to brother in law, retired tanker driver. I have additional filtering down to 2 micron. I've got older version than you... VP44 which is junk IMO. I've done a bit of reading on the HFFR or the lubricity of diesel fuel and ULSD doesn't score to good in the lube dept. (ULSD does score high in metal wear dept though) Thought the CP3 system solved much of that problem, even though there injectors are a fortune. DPP injectors I understand are true quality (the in house ones he makes special)Gummit says a lot of things, most are phooey.

Should have used Fuel additive | Good Sam Community

path1
Explorer
Oct 13, 2017
Gov't said USLD was much better for you:)

Most fuel out of the pump is filtered at 20 micron. According to brother in law, retired tanker driver. I have additional filtering down to 2 micron. I've got older version than you... VP44 which is junk IMO. I've done a bit of reading on the HFFR or the lubricity of diesel fuel and ULSD doesn't score to good in the lube dept. (ULSD does score high in metal wear dept though) Thought the CP3 system solved much of that problem, even though there injectors are a fortune. DPP injectors I understand are true quality (the in house ones he makes special)
Grit_dog
Navigator
Oct 13, 2017
Scott, that's very unusual I think. I don't know anyone who's lost a cp3, ever I think. And we all run the same fuel.
Are you certain it was not just injectors?
Failing IP wouldn't run strong, low fuel pressure. Hard cold starts but runs fine are classic injector high return rates. IP can't make enough pressure to trigger the injectors with high returns when cold, but once it kicks, the IP can keep up.
Well should run like a top again.
Did you have lower injection pressure than commanded?
john_bet
Explorer II
Oct 13, 2017
My '04 is still starting and running strong at almost twice your mileage. Still running original lift pump too.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Oct 13, 2017
Myself, I'm an Archoil fan. I use their fuel additive and oil additive. My engine runs smoother and quieter and when my wife notices, that tells me it's worth the expense.

I'm anti-snake oil usually. In this case, no.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Oct 13, 2017
path1 wrote:
Gov't said USLD was much better for you:)

Most fuel out of the pump is filtered at 20 micron. According to brother in law, retired tanker driver. I have additional filtering down to 2 micron. I've got older version than you... VP44 which is junk IMO. I've done a bit of reading on the HFFR or the lubricity of diesel fuel and ULSD doesn't score to good in the lube dept. (ULSD does score high in metal wear dept though) Thought the CP3 system solved much of that problem, even though there injectors are a fortune. DPP injectors I understand are true quality (the in house ones he makes special)

Gummit says a lot of things, most are phooey.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Oct 13, 2017
I use one of the highest rated fuel additives Opti-Lube XPD, 1/4 oz. per gallon of fuel.
Durb
Explorer
Oct 13, 2017
I bought my Cummins used with 62k miles. It was slow start, noisy and idled rough. I ran a couple of tanks with Optilube XPD and it started immediately with a smooth idle. Still noisy but less so. I'm a believer in the stuff and have been running it ever since. My canister fuel filter is 5 micron.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Oct 13, 2017
I want a fuel additive with biocide in it and Archoil has that. Only one I know of.
Groover
Explorer II
Oct 13, 2017
I own 3 diesels and they are all relatively new but I have heard enough of these stories already to always put fuel additive in the tanks. My Cummins is in a motorhome but fuel additive was recommended by the chassis builder, Freightliner. My other two diesels are Kubotas. I have no real idea as to whether any particular additives are better than the others. I just view it as cheap insurance.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Oct 13, 2017
ScottG wrote:
Just picked my truck up from the shop. It was having to spin more and more to start this past year. After that it ran great but the slow starts were starting to worry me.
I'd heard that we should use a fuel additive because ULSD has such poor lubrication properties but I blew it off. After all, it always ran great although my mileage has gone down. And how bad could it be with only 108K on it.
Boy was that a mistake. Shop said high pressure pump (CP3) was digesting itself and sending metal through the injectors. They told me it was purely a lubrication issue with ULSD.
So to go along with my new pump and injectors, I have a case of Stanadyne that I will use religously.

In order to get something out of this, I had the shop (DDP Monroe, Wa) install a set of their Honed and flow matched 50 HP tips. We'll see. I don't know if I was down on power before the work but it sure pulls nice now and has tremendous throttle response. It's very quiet too. According to everything other owners have observed, I should see improved fuel efficiency with these tips.

I hope new trucks can deal better with ULSD's lousy lube quality.

YMMV!

I would be running 2 stroke oil as the fuel conditioner is NOT what it used to be since they had to reformulate to work with the 07.5 and newer emissions. Are you running the smallest micron filters possible? That is usually the cause for injector failure on the 3rd gen trucks.

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Should have used Fuel additive

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