6.7L Cummins Forum

There are alot of unknowns about premium diesel and where you get it. I'm taking this on as a project to provide more information. I know by my own testing that there is a big difference in diesel fuels. Diesel fuels from big rig bays do not perform as well as diesel fuels purchased from stations that cater only to cars and small trucks. Most of these stations and not towing friendly. I've been buying my Diesel at a local Texaco station and have seen my mpg go up and regens go down. The Texaco fuel does not have premium diesel listed on the pump but I've realized the difference.
Premium Diesel is big in Europe and other countries. See the link below;
BP's new 'ultimate' premium diesel touts higher cetane - Around The World Of Diesel - Brief Article | Diesel Fuel News | Find Articles at BNET.com
In 2004, the premium diesel standard was issued for the USA.
It seems to me that the 6.7 CTD certainly qualifies for the need to use premium diesel and I expect to see a great deal of activity around this subject as 2010 emissions standards move other manufactures to the same level as the 6.7.
Here is the standard
Premium Diesel Fuel
National Council on Weights and Measures (NCWM) approved a Premium Diesel Fuel Specification effective Jan. 1, 2004
· Cetane Number (47 minimum)
· Low Temperature Operability
· Thermal Stability
· Lubricity (520 HFRR)
Note, a refiner or distributor can call it premium if the fuel meets 2 of the 5 above….So, if you buy the fuel in winter months, you have the potential of only getting one.
__________________

__________________

7.5 3500QC 6.7CTD 68RFE Build date June 2007
Superchips tuner 3808, Boost/EGT Laser Gauge, Airaid cold intake

Here is MFA's premium diesel fuel;
MFA Oil Company
The big problem in using additives to enhance #2 diesel fuel is that you do not know what is already in the blend. Using premium diesel should insure more consistency. I'm still looking

Here is what Chevron says about premium diesel;
http://www.chevron.com/products/ourf...ech_Review.pdf

PREMIUM DIESEL
In recent years, environmental regulations have significantly affected diesel fuel formulation
and specification limits. The introduction of tighter limits, coupled with rapid changes in
engine design to meet new emission regulations, created the need to address several fuel
properties to ensure proper performance while minimizing engine maintenance problems.
Some fuel users believe that, under certain circumstances, they can benefit from diesel fuel
with properties modified beyond the minimum ASTM D 975 specifications. A number of fuel
suppliers offer these specially formulated fuels in addition to normal diesel fuel. Diesel fuel
with these modifications is often called premium diesel, although other names are also used.
The premium diesel concept differs from that of premium gasoline. Gasoline engines of
certain types and compression ratios require a higher octane number fuel to avoid knocking.
Therefore, all fuel suppliers offer a higher octane level of premium gasoline for these vehicles.
Conversely, premium diesel is typically related to varying multiple fuel properties. Some
of the more commonly modified fuel properties are: cetane number, low-temperature
operability, stability, lubricity, detergency, and heating value. The premium diesel fuel
suppliers tailor the specific properties of their premium diesel to match the various performance
demands in different marketing regions. The level of improvement in each property
usually varies from one supplier to another and may also vary from region to region.
Several organizations have proposed meaningful standards for premium diesel. The intent
of these standards is to ensure that all diesel fuel carrying the “premium” classification
provides significant functional benefits when compared to normal diesel fuel. Currently,
the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM), the Engine Manufacturers’
Association (EMA), and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) have made the
three most complete proposals. The NCWM’s premium diesel proposal has received the
most widespread support to date.

__________________

7.5 3500QC 6.7CTD 68RFE Build date June 2007
Superchips tuner 3808, Boost/EGT Laser Gauge, Airaid cold intake

Pretty cool info. I drove around last night across 3 counties and I couldn't find premium diesel anywhere. I wonder if this something only offered by select companies in only certain parts of the country?

__________________

2007.5 Dodge Ram 3500 HD,QC, 6.7L Cummins, 6speed Auto, 4X4, Bighorn Edition.
Click for installs: Carr Steps PML Diff Cover Edge Juice with Attitude Volant Intake Hankook ATM RF10

I'm not sure that you'll see anything marked premium diesel. I've been buying Texaco for the last 2 weeks from a station that only sells to cars and small trucks. The price is also higher than truck stops. I've seen a noticealbe difference in mpg and fewer regens. I'll keep on looking for some specific information abound different diesel brands and their specifications. QT calls their diesel top tier.
One thing for sure, there is a big difference in diesel fuels from brand to brand or refiner to refiner. If I fuel up at top stops that label their diesel min.40 cetane, my mpg goes down and regens up.
So, I'll keep on looking

__________________

7.5 3500QC 6.7CTD 68RFE Build date June 2007
Superchips tuner 3808, Boost/EGT Laser Gauge, Airaid cold intake

I think I'll send an email to QT, Dillon's and Kwik shop. That's where I get my diesel most of the time and maybe they can shed some light. The pumps around here only tell you if it's ultra low sulpher, low sulpher or off road diesel.

__________________

2007.5 Dodge Ram 3500 HD,QC, 6.7L Cummins, 6speed Auto, 4X4, Bighorn Edition.
Click for installs: Carr Steps PML Diff Cover Edge Juice with Attitude Volant Intake Hankook ATM RF10

I 'm glad that you all are looking in to this. I did have a question. When I leave Ca. am I going to have to watch what and where I get my fuel from? Here in Ca. all you are going to get is Ultra Low Sulphur fuel, it doesn't matter if it is red, yellow, green, or clear it is all Ultra Low. As in the quality of fuel I will have to ask if there is a differance. I haven't had the experiance to tell the differance between other stations.

__________________

Winger
2008 2500 Silver 4x4 6 Speed Auto Big Horn Edition Volant CAI Magnaflow Muff Edge w/ Attitude
1990 Honda GL 1500 Wineberry 125,000 Miles
2005 Honda GL 1800 Candy Blackcherry 50,000 Miles

I can tell you around here, (Midwest) you have to be careful because there's still a lot of stations selling the low sulpher and out in the country you can pull up to a pump in a small town and they'll have off road diesel.

__________________

2007.5 Dodge Ram 3500 HD,QC, 6.7L Cummins, 6speed Auto, 4X4, Bighorn Edition.
Click for installs: Carr Steps PML Diff Cover Edge Juice with Attitude Volant Intake Hankook ATM RF10

Stay with the major brands and you should be ok. Be careful when fueling up with the big boys. Like squid says, they tend to cater to big rigs and you may not get ulsf...

__________________

7.5 3500QC 6.7CTD 68RFE Build date June 2007
Superchips tuner 3808, Boost/EGT Laser Gauge, Airaid cold intake

In a Ford Truck Form Site, this is what was discussed;
Here is my $.02. there are only a few pipe lines in the country. EVery company shares these few pipelines to move their fuel from one part of the country to the other. it all gets mixed together. I am sure they keep gas, diesel and kerosene separate but Exxon's diesel is mixed with texaco's diesel. I heard of this on the history channel a couple months ago i wish i had paid more attention. Maybe someone else saw it and can add onto what i have said.
So, it appears that all diesel comes from the same pipeline...BUT!

From what I remember hearing, the oil companies dump a certain number of gallons of fuel in at one end, and then they're free to tap that much out at the other end. It's at that point that additives are added to make Texaco, Flying J, etc., have their own characteristics. What alanscott said about Flying J and their additives makes sense. I recently took a trip that took me in the opposite direction from my favorite Flying J, and I filled one of my tanks at a Shell truck stop along the way. I ran on that fuel first during the trip, and noticed how weak the truck seemed, and how lousy the mpg was. Once I remembered that I was running the Shell fuel, I switched tanks, and within a few miles, the truck was her old self again. Another wrinkle to this puzzle, is some Flying J's are company owned, like the one where I like the fuel, and some are not. There's one of those on the way to the truck stop with the good fuel, and the fuel isn't the same, and is about $.06 more per gallon.

This is exactly what I've been saying about diesel fuel and performance relative to mpg and lower regens....
I'm taking a trip at the end of March and will try Flying J...

__________________

7.5 3500QC 6.7CTD 68RFE Build date June 2007
Superchips tuner 3808, Boost/EGT Laser Gauge, Airaid cold intake

I use Flying-J most all of the time now. It's 1/4 mile from the house and for the most part the price is $0.10 lower than the other stations in the area.In the last week the Flying-J has been at or slightly above the rest of the high use diesel carriers here in Albuquerque. I do notice a difference when I use fuel from another part of town or one that caters to Cars and light trucks. I have not seen a station here in the area that carries 'premium' diesel in a bunch of years. The Loves truck stop is now blending thier fuel with Bio at 20%.

__________________
07.5 3500 Quad, SRW, 4X4, Laramie, Leathered, Dark Metallic Gray, 6.7, 68RFE, 20K Reese, Ride Rite's, 2 Viair air compressors, Bully steps, Kleinn Locomotive air horns (5 in all), Billet polished locking fuel door, 'A' pillar mount Auto Meter Pryo, PML X-deep trans pan
06 Durango 285 RL 5'er Lifted by KZ