[cheetah4570]

Just curious. Many years ago I had an F-250 with the big diesel, first year they came out. On occasion in the wintertime I would add some kerosene to the fuel tank. The truck ran noticeably smoother and the fuel never gelled up. Has anyone tried this in the F-150 3.0 Powerstroke engine? If this was illegal or something I’m actually asking for a friend.....

 

[Dunrollin]

I used to do the same thing, with excellent results as well. Too afraid to try it on this thing with all it's sensors and stuff.

 

[Blue-jean]

I dont know about Kerosene but i tried #2 furnace oil in a Jetta i had and it did not work, the engine ran rough and started wetting the exhaust. I think that modern high compression Diesels are more particular about what thy burn.

 

[jmperlik]

Kerosene = #1 Fuel Oil = Lighter and less lubricity than #2 (burns cleaner/drier than #2) = slightly less BTU (135,000 BTU per gallon) than #2
Diesel Fuel = #2 Fuel Oil (w/o DOT dye) = same fuel as home heating oil = 139,000 BTU per gallon
Winter Diesel = Mix of #1 Fuel Oil (20%) + #2 Fuel Oil (80%) = in effect what you are creating by adding Kerosene to your diesel fuel tank

Given that Kerosene (#1 Fuel Oil) has less lubricity than normal diesel (#2 Fuel oil), your memory of your engine running smoother might be a placebo effect.

With all of the diesel fuel additives on the market that address both fuel gelling and lubricity, it is unclear to me why you would want to use this old farmer's trick for their tractors on a truck you paid north of $50K for...

I run Stanadyne Performance and Lubricity formulas year round every tankful.

 

[Laytunes]

Yeah don't do it. Winter #1, Summer #2. If you live in canada, the diesel will be formulated automatically for the weather. If you add kerosene, you run the risk of destroying your fuel pump (and the rest of your fuel system), as as @jmperlik mentioned, kerosene has less lubricity. Just use the appropriate fuel additive for the weather, and all will be fine. I always add a little extra lubricity in the winter due to the above mentioned facts, in the summer i don't worry about it as much, as the suppliers up here usually add 5% biodiesel to the mix which has better lubricity. I use stanadyne as well in every tank and have had great success over the years on that.

 

[cheetah4570]

All good advice, thanks!