White Smoke Continues ?

[oldharry]

Whats your share holding in this stuff Depsol? Modern fuels are carefully balanced to give the best possible results in an incredibly wide range of engines. Similarly lubricating oils. Additives will only detract from engine performance UNLESS the specific engine requires a specific alteration in fuel - the best known example being the differenc between leaded and unleaded - which is not just the different tax rates in UK!

Look at the chemical composition of diesel or petrol or lubricating oils, then at the so called 'additives' and I guarantee that most of the chemicals are already present in the fuel, and in the optimum proportions. Those that are not already present, are almost certainly undesirable and adversely affecting the engine in some way, even if they seem to offer short term benefits!

The only fuel addtive that should be used is 2 stroke oil in a 2T outboard - and then be careful to use the correct marine grade, not motorcycle oil which may actually cause damage, and will certainly stop the average marine outboard dead quite quickly with a fouled or whiskered plug - because of the different formulation and additives!

And worn or faulty injectors will remain worn or faulty until replaced, injecting too much fuel in a poor spray pattern, possibly even releasing raw unatomised fuel into the cylinder.

Additives may reduce the smoke output resulting from incorrect carburation, but will NOT, repeat NOT do anything for the engine, its injectors, or the increased level of pollution in the exhaust. And I really dont care about the difference between any manufacturers claim for an additive that can 'help' or fix' worn or damaged engines. There is only one FIX or HELP possible - replace the worn parts, and bring the engine back to the designers specs so that it runs properly.

Also additives may well affect the lubrication and operation of your expensive injector pump which depends entirely on the fuel for efficient lubrication.

 

[DepSol]

Dont even know why I am dignifying this with a reply but you obviously have read some bull that the fuel you get is absolutely brilliant. If their fuel is so good why do they add chemicals to it. Some of these chemicals are to imrove storage quality which do not improve fuel quality and some of the gums in fuel are actually bad for your engine.

Dont try to kid yourself and others that what comes out of the nozzle is perfect, the amount of rubbish these fuels pick up in transit is unbeleivable. If these fuels are so perfect why do so many peole pick up bugs, sludge, sand, water and all other forms of rubbish.

Actually I am not going to waste my time with someone who thinks we are living in a perfect world. I have tested more fuels than you have had hot dinners, I have seen the best quality 350 cs fuels down to the worst jellified bug riidden crap that you would not believe. I have seen fresh fuel from a tanker poured into a clean tank that was full of the bug and then seen that same fuel comany deny it was their fuel. Dont give me this airy fairy rubbish look after your engine and look after your fuel, both combined will ensure long life and minimum wear. Try and burn crap fuel in your engine and see how it likes it. There are over 50 additives on the market at the moment, have you tested them all to see if what you are saying is true. No.

If the fuel you have today is perfect then why are the companies changing the formula all the time? A word of advice, dont try and pick up your perfect fuel from a dutch barge, you may be dissapointed.

 

[DepSol]

My shareholding in this stuff.....NIL. I benefit in no way shape or form from recommending this product to these forums nor have I sold one centilitre to anyone on this forum. just advice nothing more to try and save a guy a few quid.

I see peole easily criticising others advice but not helping to resolve the issue here. SO what do you recoomend he does to solve the roblem then seeing as you know so much?

You say "Additives may reduce the smoke output resulting from incorrect carburation, but will NOT, repeat NOT do anything for the engine, its injectors, or the increased level of pollution in the exhaust." I say BULL, why not???

 

[oldharry]

Glad to hear you are not upsetting Kim by covert advertising, Depsol.... I have to say it looked a bit like it!

And if you look at my earlier post I did suggest he checked for a specific cause of white smoke which had not been suggested - doubling of the injector sealing washers. Dead easy to miss that one, and produces lots of white smoke.

And yes I agree we are not in a perfect world - thats why I dont trust claims for after market fuel additives - none of which have yet seen make a worthwhile difference to any engine I ever workled on. Rather the opposite in fact, where unwise use of additives has apparently been the cause of valve damage for example.

But then I've only been dealing with marine and auto diesels for the last 20 years or so, and petrol for about twice that time, so I dont really know much about it. Except that the only way to fix a duff engine is to replace the damaged or worn bits, rather than put expensive additives in the fuel.

Now if we are talking about fuel in other parts of the world - of which i have little experience, my understanding is there that a) double or triple filtration is half the battle, and b) if you know enough about fuels to know how the local supply is deficient, then you can start adding your own chemicals to improve the cetane rating or whatever to help your engine.

But the only additive that I know that will 'help to fix engines', is the mechanics toolkit and spares box.

 

[DepSol]

Absolutely, Soltron will not FIX engines just eliminate some of the items that lead to excessive wear and tear. Filtration does help but can be expensive and not ideal in some circumstances. As I always say prevention is better than a cure so by preventing any build up of foreign materials degradation of fuel and carbon build up in the engine you wll avoid half the nasties that go wrong with your engine.

Sticking valves, blow by gasses entering sump oil and breaking it down causing wear and tear, carbon build up creating different tolerances to the original spec and excessive wear and tear along with excessive vibration are just a few of the problems with the poor quality fuel not combusting at its correct calorific value.

I wouldnt use Soltron or recommend it to my customers if it didnt work and I dont think someone like Alan Priddy who is currently circumnavigating the globe in a single engined 33ft RIB would use it if it was going to cause problems and not give him any advantages. I know what you are saying as their are over 50 additives on the market and its not worth trying them all to find one that works.

Try this link, http://www.spirit-of-cardiff.com/news/20010627.htm

Dom