october2022 - 40

Signs you might need
an additive
gies. So that's how our chemists go out and find
the best products to use together to create the
best formulations. "
When you get down to it, though, most fleets that
begin using various additives do so in order to
solve an immediate problem. There are certain
warning signs fleets can watch for that might
suggest an additive could help.
" Most fleets are tracking fuel mileage pretty
closely now, " said Clay Parks, VP of strategic
development at Bar's Leaks, a leak-detection
products manufacturer whose
brands include Rislone, a maker of
engine treatments and fuel additives.
" If the fleet is seeing a gradual decline
in fuel economy, there's a pretty good
chance it is fuel related. Black smoke
coming out of the exhaust, especially
on newer vehicles, is a big sign.
Unusual noise in the exhaust is something
else to look for. "
A technician may also notice deposit
» MotorKote's flagship
product, Hyper Lubricant,
coats metal surfaces to
reduce engine friction
and can help lead
to lower operating
temperatures, reduced
vibration, and increased
horsepower. It can also
be used in transmissions,
differentials, and
power steering at
half the dosage.
Photo: MotorKote
issues with the fuel injectors or other
parts of the fuel system, signaling the
potential need for a fuel additive with
cleaning properties.
" For older diesel trucks, there is
also often a need for lubricating
additives, " Parks added. " With a
reduction in the sulfur in fuel, a lot
of the lubrication ability inside of
those systems has been lost. There
are even benefits to some of the
newer diesel models since lubricating
additives can also help with
injector stiction. "
Stiction refers to the sticky residue
on moving engine parts from burnt
oil. While some additives are designed to take
care of one problem, such as stiction, others are
designed to tackle several problems.
Motorkote's Gibbs advised fleets to be skeptical
of products that claim to do too many things.
" With each additive in a final product, you have
to hit on the right percentage of concentration for
it to work, " he explained.
Parks agreed with that sentiment-to a certain
degree. " Nine times out of 10, dedicated products
are a bit stronger, " Parks said. " But when you
look at the claims made on the product data
sheet, users will meet all of the claims with
the additives that are in that product. "
It really comes down to fleets
understanding what a given additive
is capable of doing and whether or not
that performance level will satisfy the
expectation they have.
" We formulate our products to the
» Lucas Oil's Diesel Deep
Clean can reportedly
reduce particulate
matter by up to 32%
when used correctly.
Photo: Lucas Oil
max level, so there aren't any fillers, "
said Steinmetz of Hot Shot's Secret.
" That allows us to do several things
well, together. We've also found that
we get synergies between different
components. For example, lubricity
can be improved with a lubricity
improver, but also some of the other
ingredients in the product. When
you use one additive to do one thing,
you can't benefit from those syner40
Fleet Maintenance | October 2022
Engine oil additives
Lubrizol's Matheson said fleets running the newer
CK-4 and FA-4 engine oils have a need for additives.
Because modern engines are more compact
with less clearance between components, engines
run hotter and require enhanced protection
against oxidation and corrosion.
" Lubrizol's technologies have evolved to include
ingredients like anti-oxidants, friction-reduction
agents, as well as detergents and dispersants to
keep engine components free of deposits and acids
that can build up, " Matheson pointed out.
To get to the optimum formulation, Lubrizol
chemists perform extensive testing. First, standard
API licensing tests are conducted. " Outside of that,
we do extensive field testing in the real world, "
Matheson said. " For the CK-4 and FA-4 products
that are on the market today, we have tested over
75 million miles running up and down the road.
A lot of the testing we do is with our customers.
In many cases, the marketers of the final additive
treatment product have the same data we do. Fleets
should always ask their oil and additive suppliers
about the field-testing data they have. "
Hot Shot's Secret, for example, has compiled
quite a bit of data of its own. In one of their many
third-party field studies, a trucking firm called
Blackrock Logistics tested three standard freight
trucks with two of Hot Shot's Secret additives.
Stiction Eliminator, a blend of synthetic cleaner
and proprietary lubricant, was used in oil systems.
Diesel Extreme, a concentrated injector cleaner
and cetane booster, was added to fuel tanks. By
using both additives, as opposed to just one or
the other, maintenance costs were reduced by
more than half. Drivers also reported a noticeable
increase in power.
To that point, MotorKote's Gibbs said he often
hears from radio show callers that using both an
oil and fuel additive can help improve fuel economy
by as much as 6 mpg.
Fuel additives
The conversation about fuel additives begins with
the fuel they are created to supplement.
" Diesel fuel specs in the U.S. have been relatively
loose when compared to other countries, " said
Kevin Griffith, product manager for diesel fuel
additives at Lubrizol. " The heavier duty equipment
has generally been able to handle that fuel for the
past couple of decades. The big changes have come
with the bigger push for emission reduction and
fuel economy. Now, you're starting to see different
conditions that are happening with these newer
heavy-duty diesel engines. "
As mentioned earlier, new engines tend to run
hotter today. That can lead to an increased level of
deposit formation inside the injectors and on the
injector tips. " A fleet could end up seeing significantly
decreased performance due to a blocked
injector flow, " Griffith explained. " Lower horsepower
and torque output can lead to worse fuel
economy and emissions. "
» Hot Shot's Secret Diesel Extreme is a
fully-formulated, concentrated cleaner that
removes all internal diesel injector deposits.
In addition, this fuel additive contains a toptier
level of cetane booster, lubricity additive,
and fuel stabilizer to provide maximum
performance while cleaning the fuel system.
Photo: Hot Shot's Secret
» Rislone's Hy-per Diesel complete fuel
system treatment was designed to improve
the fuel quality by increasing its cleaning
ability, boosting cetane, adding lubrication,
removing contaminants, fighting corrosion,
and helping to prevent gelling.
Photo: Rislone
For that reason, a fuel additive designed to
clean and prevent deposits can prove to be a
good investment for a fleet, particularly fleets
running higher duty cycles such as vocational or
city delivery.
" Each fleet is unique with its own working load
on its vehicles, " Griffith said. " That's why I always
caution fleets to not completely accept the claims
on an additive bottle as what they can expect.
Explain your situation to the additive supplier
and ask what a realistic expectation is. A lot of
starting, stopping, and idling can lead to deposits
faster which can impact performance and also
create exhaust issues. On the other hand, longhaul
applications will still likely benefit from a
fuel additive, but should maybe set their expectations
a bit lower, perhaps in the few-percent
improvement range. "
In addition to deposit control, Griffith said several
other additives can come into play with fuel.
The most common is a lubricity improver, driven
by the move to a lower-sulfur fuel specification
which has resulted in reduced friction modifier
benefits. " In other words, this fuel is a bit rougher
on metal surfaces which can lead to increased
wear on things like fuel pumps, " Griffith explained.
october2022

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