Starting this thread to provide updates as needed for using the ATF/2SO mix (see newbies guide post #1 for details) on the current set of injectors from day 1 at approx 325k miles.
The trucks background...
Truck is a daily driver, does not tow, do not haul anything heavy on a regular basis (dirt & rock when needed), it gets me from point A to point B.
The background story...
Original Injector Set: Owned this truck since 13.5k on the clock, 1st set of injectors showed problems early on and often. Cant say at what mileage it started as I never documented it. What I can say is they were a problem to the point where I swapped them out at 160~165k miles. They lived their life on the Power Service Diesel (white bottle). Along the way I gave MMO a shot to clear out a problem and it worked well. So well that I started adding it to the PSD in small amounts (again cant say how much, its been too long).
Second Injector Set: Installed Industrial Injection 60 hp injectors. Ran them with the same mix I'd been using, PSD & MMO. With that mix they seemed to be doing OK, better than the 1st set overall but, at 120~125k miles I had a problem. On a road trip a rattle occurred that I could not get rid of with any additive I tried. Only one fuel actually made it a tad bit better but ultimately I re-tuned around it. This is where I first started reading about ATF in the fuel.
The ATF fix...
After the 2000+ mile road trip and attempting everything I knew to clear the injectors I had decided to send it off to a shop for diag. Expecting the call stating I need new injectors and feeling like I had nothing to loose I went and got a bottle of ATF type F and dropped in 16 oz to a 1/3 or so of a tank and motored on to work. At work the plan was to call the shop, to truck and send it on its way (rental car place was next to work). Before the phone calls I took it for one last spin to verify rattle was still there (very nasty rattle) and put the truck back to stock.
The next day around noon I get a call from the shop (Dynomite Diesel Performance) and they state there is no problem found. "Say what???!!!" and they ask me to come over and go for a drive with the tech. When I get there I'm told they fired it up and let it idle for 30ish minutes until it was warmed up and then took it for a test drive. They found no rattle and suggested a ride with the tech so he can hear what I hear. On the drive I got it up to temp and sure enough, no rattle. WTH!!!! I told him the background story as to why the truck was there and he commented that the ATF may have cleared the injectors. He suggested a valve adjust as the only action at that time. On the way back to work and still in disbelief the truck was clearly running better than it had been before the bandaid tune I stuffed in there. The more miles I put on it the better it performed. Did the valve adjustment to the then preferred specs of 0.010/0.020 I/E and then went back and re-adjusted to a 0.012/0.022 I/E spec and have been with that ever since. Not long after (30~45 days) is where I started running the mix in a 12oz/20oz dose (ATF/2SO)
Fast forward 30~35k more miles and at 160~165k miles on this set, more injector problems popping up so off to the same shop again for diag. This time they told me they were done (return flow failure iirc) and knowing the problems I had on them I OK'd their 50 hp injectors to be installed (no BBI remans at that time). Miles on the clock = 325k. From day one, they lived on the 8oz/24oz mix on every tank up until around 100k miles where it became every other tank. I have had zero issues with the injectors up to this point. In comes the bet... During the 11 yr makeover of the truck I got into a bet with a co-worker. That bet was for if I could get my 5 best tanks to average 23.0 mpg or better. During that time I stopped using the mix to keep things consistent. What I found was the performance started dropping off and timing rattle started coming back on the best tune I had at the time. This occurred after he lost the bet. Dumped in the mix and within 200~300 miles, rattle gone and performance restored. This is the only time there has been any issue where I point to the injectors and even then, it was my fault for not continuing with the mix.
Today, the mix gets used regularly and generally every other tank if not back to back tanks. Sitting now at 470k miles with approx 145k on these injectors and they are running awesome... Zero complaints and zero problems while using the mix. In approx 3-4 months I should be passing the 160~165k mark and going farther on a set of injectors then ever before. New territory for my truck & injectors, will be keeping an eye on them for sure.
While plenty of others have had success well beyond 200k, I have not and I believe it is because the truck never sees a load for any sustained amount of time.
Will keep this thread updated when I approach the 165k mark and beyond...
The trucks background...
Truck is a daily driver, does not tow, do not haul anything heavy on a regular basis (dirt & rock when needed), it gets me from point A to point B.
The background story...
Original Injector Set: Owned this truck since 13.5k on the clock, 1st set of injectors showed problems early on and often. Cant say at what mileage it started as I never documented it. What I can say is they were a problem to the point where I swapped them out at 160~165k miles. They lived their life on the Power Service Diesel (white bottle). Along the way I gave MMO a shot to clear out a problem and it worked well. So well that I started adding it to the PSD in small amounts (again cant say how much, its been too long).
Second Injector Set: Installed Industrial Injection 60 hp injectors. Ran them with the same mix I'd been using, PSD & MMO. With that mix they seemed to be doing OK, better than the 1st set overall but, at 120~125k miles I had a problem. On a road trip a rattle occurred that I could not get rid of with any additive I tried. Only one fuel actually made it a tad bit better but ultimately I re-tuned around it. This is where I first started reading about ATF in the fuel.
The ATF fix...
After the 2000+ mile road trip and attempting everything I knew to clear the injectors I had decided to send it off to a shop for diag. Expecting the call stating I need new injectors and feeling like I had nothing to loose I went and got a bottle of ATF type F and dropped in 16 oz to a 1/3 or so of a tank and motored on to work. At work the plan was to call the shop, to truck and send it on its way (rental car place was next to work). Before the phone calls I took it for one last spin to verify rattle was still there (very nasty rattle) and put the truck back to stock.
The next day around noon I get a call from the shop (Dynomite Diesel Performance) and they state there is no problem found. "Say what???!!!" and they ask me to come over and go for a drive with the tech. When I get there I'm told they fired it up and let it idle for 30ish minutes until it was warmed up and then took it for a test drive. They found no rattle and suggested a ride with the tech so he can hear what I hear. On the drive I got it up to temp and sure enough, no rattle. WTH!!!! I told him the background story as to why the truck was there and he commented that the ATF may have cleared the injectors. He suggested a valve adjust as the only action at that time. On the way back to work and still in disbelief the truck was clearly running better than it had been before the bandaid tune I stuffed in there. The more miles I put on it the better it performed. Did the valve adjustment to the then preferred specs of 0.010/0.020 I/E and then went back and re-adjusted to a 0.012/0.022 I/E spec and have been with that ever since. Not long after (30~45 days) is where I started running the mix in a 12oz/20oz dose (ATF/2SO)
Fast forward 30~35k more miles and at 160~165k miles on this set, more injector problems popping up so off to the same shop again for diag. This time they told me they were done (return flow failure iirc) and knowing the problems I had on them I OK'd their 50 hp injectors to be installed (no BBI remans at that time). Miles on the clock = 325k. From day one, they lived on the 8oz/24oz mix on every tank up until around 100k miles where it became every other tank. I have had zero issues with the injectors up to this point. In comes the bet... During the 11 yr makeover of the truck I got into a bet with a co-worker. That bet was for if I could get my 5 best tanks to average 23.0 mpg or better. During that time I stopped using the mix to keep things consistent. What I found was the performance started dropping off and timing rattle started coming back on the best tune I had at the time. This occurred after he lost the bet. Dumped in the mix and within 200~300 miles, rattle gone and performance restored. This is the only time there has been any issue where I point to the injectors and even then, it was my fault for not continuing with the mix.
Today, the mix gets used regularly and generally every other tank if not back to back tanks. Sitting now at 470k miles with approx 145k on these injectors and they are running awesome... Zero complaints and zero problems while using the mix. In approx 3-4 months I should be passing the 160~165k mark and going farther on a set of injectors then ever before. New territory for my truck & injectors, will be keeping an eye on them for sure.
While plenty of others have had success well beyond 200k, I have not and I believe it is because the truck never sees a load for any sustained amount of time.
Will keep this thread updated when I approach the 165k mark and beyond...
