using atf in your diesel fuel or fuel filters

I worked for 2 trucking outfits then and never heard of that.

Lot of folks round here run either "Howes", or Power Service products in the older equipment but again two stroke oils are popular too.

Last fall a friend of mine has a D21 he wanted to send to the big D21 get together. He hadnt started it in a good while and when he did some injectors had stuck. He called and asked what he could try short of having them repaired
I told him to try running a good dose of atf through it. It worked. He sent the tractor to the show without having to pull the injectors and have them fixed

I have an R72 with M11 - the unit would go to idle at times and not rev up until I hit the header "up" button. We checked everything - Cummins said a new gov was needed ECM.I was about to order the multi thousand unit when we had a delphi pump on a Massey a customer had doing the same thing  even dieing when idled down. I was talking to an service rep who told me "whatever you do do not add about a gallon of ATF to the tank and run it under light varying load for a tank full .  This is not legal under emmission so what ever you do do not do this - are you hearing me ?"  We did and it fixed the sticking metering valve - I added 2.5 gals to about 80 gals on the R72 - after about 4 hours have not had the issue again .  The reason the unit went back to working was the alternator kicked in when the two solenoids were engaged and the extra voltage - pressure - would activate the stuck 'throttle' valve.    After investigation - one should run something in all old systems designed for sulphur fuels at times.  (Sulphur looks like small ball bearings under a microscope we are told and was the lubricating agent in old fuel.)   God bless Al Gore and his minions.. 

Edited by tbran - 17 Mar 2024 at 3:08pm

Every time I put fuel in a diesel I add Standyne fuel treatment at the recommended dosage. Half of the injection pumps here are Roosa's, Bosch pumps probably benefit from it too. 

40+ years as mechanic/ fleet Mgr. around trucks, heavy equipment and some Ag. Never used any ATF or gasoline in a diesel fuel system. Have heard of it being done  though! 

I think what he meant was that diesel fuel was the (Rosa Master) pump's sole source of lubrication and interrupting that lubrication process was not good for the pump. 

Edited by WF owner - 19 Mar 2024 at 11:11am

Adding unleaded gas to diesel that will not go through filters helps and have used it a few times ,use to add ATF into fuel container way back when I kept 100 gal tank in back of pickup to fuel equipment . 
 Had the highway patrol follow me into my drive when was running a diesel dump truck , asked to stick the tank - no red in fuel - asked him about ATF coloring and he mentioned most fuels if there is a question they use a fluorescent black light to pick up died fuel mix if their is a question on it . 
  Loading Diesel or fuel oil at refinery the fuel is clear , a metering system adds the die as it flows into tanker , depending on destination different colors can be added .