LMTV Caterpillar Diesel Fuel Additives

[Keith Knight]

I was talking with a good friend that goes way above on his research and he recommended using a diesel fuel additive because the newer diesel fuel doesn’t have all the lubricants that it used to.

Looking for opinions and or recommendations on what you use and why.

 

[swbradley1]

2-cycle oil was recommended to me.

 

[BKubu]

I add a good diesel conditioner (usually either Power Service or Howes) with every fueling.

 

[hike]

Reviewing the CAT documentation I have located so far states that in North America Low Sulfur Diesel and Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel grades 1 and 2 meet CAT's specifications and to buy from reputable fuel suppliers. The operation manual for your engine has more specific information, (available for a fee from CAT).

I also never buy from the 'cheapest' fuel place in town, unless it is the only place in town—

 

[Keith Knight]

I add a good diesel conditioner (usually either Power Service or Howes) with every fueling.

I’ve heard Howes is good.

 

[GeneralDisorder]

I think the fuel system is the least of your worries. The 3126b HEUI pump is a much, much bigger concern and when it fails (not if), you will be replacing the fuel transfer pump on the back of it (really simple plunger pump run by an eccentric skateboard bearing on the HEUI), and you may be replacing the injectors as well since often a HEUI failure results in them being contaminated.

At which point you have spent a bunch of money on fuel additives that resulted in no benefit at all.

The 3126 and C7 are both designed for ULSD and as such have no requirement for additional lubrication. In our engines this is purely snake oil and wallet flushing. And having injectors that last 1,000,000 miles but have to be swapped at 150,000 miles (or sooner) due to a HEUI pump failure really makes zero sense.

Get the IFS filter kit to protect the injectors. Pull the oil cooler and have it decked 0.020" and get the updated gaskets for it. Get a bypass oil filtration system. Run high quality synthetic oil. Change it every 5,000 miles. Cross fingers.

I've now been party to two 3126b HEUI failures and on this last one (literally last week) I got to keep the HEUI pump off the engine and disassembled it. Not impressed to say the least. The pistons are TINY and the cylinders are brass. It's no wonder they don't suffer dirty oil.

 

[Keith Knight]

So why wait for a ticking time bomb? Is there an upgrade or something to prevent it?

I’ve got the IFS kit on order.

 

[hike]

So why wait for a ticking time bomb? Is there an upgrade or something to prevent it?

I’ve got the IFS kit on order.

Are you waiting on the CAT system or one like IFSkit.com?

 

[BKubu]

I think the fuel system is the least of your worries. The 3126b HEUI pump is a much, much bigger concern and when it fails (not if), you will be replacing the fuel transfer pump on the back of it (really simple plunger pump run by an eccentric skateboard bearing on the HEUI), and you may be replacing the injectors as well since often a HEUI failure results in them being contaminated.

At which point you have spent a bunch of money on fuel additives that resulted in no benefit at all.

The 3126 and C7 are both designed for ULSD and as such have no requirement for additional lubrication. In our engines this is purely snake oil and wallet flushing. And having injectors that last 1,000,000 miles but have to be swapped at 150,000 miles (or sooner) due to a HEUI pump failure really makes zero sense.

Get the IFS filter kit to protect the injectors. Pull the oil cooler and have it decked 0.020" and get the updated gaskets for it. Get a bypass oil filtration system. Run high quality synthetic oil. Change it every 5,000 miles. Cross fingers.

I've now been party to two 3126b HEUI failures and on this last one (literally last week) I got to keep the HEUI pump off the engine and disassembled it. Not impressed to say the least. The pistons are TINY and the cylinders are brass. It's no wonder they don't suffer dirty oil.

I have no doubt you are correct in your post (entire post, but specifically the part about not needing additional lubrication), but I add conditioner for other reasons...mainly to remove water that accumulates throughout the year and to prevent fuel gelling in the cold. Whether it works or not, the products also say they help to keep injectors clean.

 

[Keith Knight]

Are you waiting on the CAT system or one like IFSkit.com?

The IFSKit.com

 

[Skyhawk13205]

I use stanadyne, living in Alaska the fuel is blended with #1 and #2 depending on the expected temp. If you forget to add an antigell additive and you still have your summer blend in the tank you will start to get gelling.

 

[Ronmar]

I just run my used motor and hydraulic oil thru it... Oh Wait, thats how I heat my shop

 

[GeneralDisorder]

So why wait for a ticking time bomb? Is there an upgrade or something to prevent it?

I’ve got the IFS kit on order.

Not as far as I can tell for the 3126. I can't even find any disassembly videos of one. There are tool kits and rebuild kits out there as well as videos for the C7/C9 pump but they are COMPLETELY different in design. I have wondered if it would be possible to use the C7 HEUI pump on the 3126 but it looks like the mounting bolt pattern is different (solvable I think), and I have no clue if the 3126 computer can control the C7 pump, or if the C7 computer can control the 3126 injectors......

CAT did develop a C7 HEUI pump pre-filter kit that can be added and comes with the HEUI kits for them, but it does not fit the 3126 and it doesn't appear that CAT will ever bother to do the same for the (long out of production) 3126 at this point. Between the warped oil cooler (yes - yours is warped I guarantee it) that lets oil bypass the main filter, the main filter having a bypass valve in the filter head that has known seat problems, the main oil pump relief valve and idler gear problems..... in my estimation there's no preventing at least the first failure. If you are lucky and thourough with addressing the first failure you may not have a repeat issue but it's virtually a guarantee the original pump will fail and the parts alone will probably run north of $5,000. More like north of $10,000 if you need injectors. And when the pump does start to go - head home since you have a short window of probably less than 1000 miles before the truck won't climb hills at more than 40 mph. The failure tends to come on pretty quick and you lose power in a hurry. The one last week barely made it to my shop and was pulling mild freeway grades at 45 mph toward the end. Did not need injectors thankfully. 2002 M1088 chassis with ~16k miles.

@ckouba was the first one I was involved with. He documented the situation here. The second one last week was virtually identical.

HEUI Troubleshooting - Injection Pressure Desired and Actual Mismatch

Anyone have any experience with this? I have a 2000 M1088A1. The CEL light came on the other day and with CAT ET hooked up, it showed code 164-11 and/or 164-2. Looking them up reveals a somewhat generic trigger of mismatch between desired and actual injection activation pressure on the HEUI...

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[Keith Knight]

Is there a thread that discuses the oil cooler redecking more in depth?
would it be easier or cheaper to purchase a new oil cooler and gasket?

 

[GeneralDisorder]

Is there a thread that discuses the oil cooler redecking more in depth?
would it be easier or cheaper to purchase a new oil cooler and gasket?

Adept Ape talked about them when he still worked for CAT and lamented that he kept getting reman coolers that were warped out of the box. We checked pricing and they are ~$628 plus a $298 core. Seems like a lot of money to potentially accomplish nothing. Decking the cooler at the machine shop was $110. It's no different than doing a cylinder head just need a machinist that can figure out how to fixture it in the machine and keep any cutting debris out of the cooler ports. Not rocket science really.

 

[Keith Knight]

I'm not an automotive engine machinist but I am a machinist with a mill. Isn't it just a matter of fly cutting it minimally till it's flat with a good finish? I've never seen them do a head before.

 

[Ronmar]

For a one-off i would probably set up guides and draw-file it(dont have a mill or a local machine shop that i trust anymore), but a mill with enough travel could do it. Maybe with a light hone on a glass sheet to finish it off after the mill…

 

[Keith Knight]

What not the Milwaukee orbital sander?

 

[Ronmar]

If i could build a reliable fixture for it…. I do have a large delta fixed belt-sander that could work. Last head resurface i saw the machine was basically a large grinder wheel on rails…

 

[Keith Knight]

Interesting I figured actually machining it.