Petrol additive
#1
02-18-2017, 12:02 PM
#2
02-18-2017, 04:34 PM
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Hi andyXJR,
You'll likely get various opinions of which fuel additive is most effective, but my personal opinion is that none of them makes a significant difference after just one use, so they must be used on a periodic basis over the life of the vehicle.
When you think about the typical can or bottle of 11 ounces of additive being diluted in 20 gallons of petrol, the resulting additive dilution is 0.004%. And when you consider that most additives are composed primarily of common mild solvents like kerosene, mineral spirits and naptha, it's easy to understand that a single use will not make much difference in the cleanliness of your engine's internal components.
In my opinion, it is far more important to keep your engine in good tune, with fresh fluids at the correct levels (including the differential oil and supercharger oil), clean filters (air, engine oil, fuel, transmission oil), correct spark plugs (Champion RC12YC), correct and healthy ignition coils (Made in Japan), a properly-operating coolant thermostat, clean air intake and crankcase breather plumbing with no cracks or leaks, a clean throttle body and Idle Air Control Valve, clean electrical connectors and ground points, good drive belts properly tensioned, proper tire inflation, etc.
Keep your car in good tune and a fuel additive may help keep your engine at its best, but no fuel additive is going to do enough for a neglected engine.
I'm not devoted to any particular brand of additive, but at oil changes or tuneups I'll often add a container of BG44K, Techron Concentrate Plus, Lucas Fuel Treatement, Marvel Mystery Oil, Seafoam, Berryman's, Royal Purple, STP, Prestone, or whatever I've been able to purchase cheap on sale. The truth is that most of them are very similar in chemical composition, and you could even make your own by studying the Material Data Safety Sheets for the most popular products.
For some fuel additive tests with before and after borescope views, check out YouTube videos by ChrisFix and others.
Cheers,
Don
You'll likely get various opinions of which fuel additive is most effective, but my personal opinion is that none of them makes a significant difference after just one use, so they must be used on a periodic basis over the life of the vehicle.
When you think about the typical can or bottle of 11 ounces of additive being diluted in 20 gallons of petrol, the resulting additive dilution is 0.004%. And when you consider that most additives are composed primarily of common mild solvents like kerosene, mineral spirits and naptha, it's easy to understand that a single use will not make much difference in the cleanliness of your engine's internal components.
In my opinion, it is far more important to keep your engine in good tune, with fresh fluids at the correct levels (including the differential oil and supercharger oil), clean filters (air, engine oil, fuel, transmission oil), correct spark plugs (Champion RC12YC), correct and healthy ignition coils (Made in Japan), a properly-operating coolant thermostat, clean air intake and crankcase breather plumbing with no cracks or leaks, a clean throttle body and Idle Air Control Valve, clean electrical connectors and ground points, good drive belts properly tensioned, proper tire inflation, etc.
Keep your car in good tune and a fuel additive may help keep your engine at its best, but no fuel additive is going to do enough for a neglected engine.
I'm not devoted to any particular brand of additive, but at oil changes or tuneups I'll often add a container of BG44K, Techron Concentrate Plus, Lucas Fuel Treatement, Marvel Mystery Oil, Seafoam, Berryman's, Royal Purple, STP, Prestone, or whatever I've been able to purchase cheap on sale. The truth is that most of them are very similar in chemical composition, and you could even make your own by studying the Material Data Safety Sheets for the most popular products.
For some fuel additive tests with before and after borescope views, check out YouTube videos by ChrisFix and others.
Cheers,
Don
Last edited by Don B; 02-19-2017 at 09:36 AM.
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