We think of ourselves as sailors, but we all depend on reliable power to propel us in and out of harbor, through calms and often to assist in storms. A good diesel can provide 10,000 hours or more of faithful power, but this depends, more than anything, on good clean fuel of the right spec. Can additives help? Yes … and at the same time not with everything. They claim to improve lubricity, increase cetane, kill bugs, reduce corrosion, eliminate water and reduce sludge. Some of this can be true and as often it isn’t. They can’t fix engine problems. They are no substitute for good fuel storage practices. But they can bridge minor gaps in fuel quality and are an important part of any fuel management program.
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I just received the last printed issue. it will be missed, no computer on boat, and reading on the phone is too small.
Al Halpern,
For years I have been using a product called Marine Dee-Zol by Bell performance. This stuff was highly recommended by my diesel mechanic and seems to work on keeping the tank clean and eliminating most of the exhaust smoke. I was suppressed to not see it discussed in the recent article and was just wondering why.
Drew any recommendations for how long the biocides you recommend will last on the shelf?
Re. Shelf life. The advice we have received on biocides and additives in general is that 2-3 years opened and 10 years unopened is OK. This squares with our experience; we’ve re-tested opened bottles stored in cool locations as old as 15 years and noted only minimal changes. So if it takes you a few seasons to use it up, that’s fine.
Thank you SO MUCH for addressing both types of diesel performance additives. Excellent report!