You see all the trouble you started?
Seriously though, you're right when you say,
"Wouldn't you think there would be an absolute right or wrong answer?". There is, but people choose to believe what they want to believe despite ovewhelming evidence to the contrary.
There are three basic definitions of the word "opinion": 1. Belief, 2. Judgement, 3. Formal statement by an expert.
I have tried to be objective, done my homework, and, consequently, have found no logical use for ATF as a fuel additive. But despite all of my research on this, I'm not a certified tech. Personally, I'd like to hear from actual techs like BenzMac, M.B.Doc, and Steve Brotherton on this subject.
And, RT, I'm glad you are using Stanadyne Performance Formula, and have used RedLine in the past. But I don't know why you switched, because from what specs I have seen so far on the two products, Redline is a better overall product. And it is more readily available to the average consumer than Stanadyne.
Now, because RT made such a strong statement about using ATF the past, and added his comments about Stanadyne fuel additives, I did a search for that product on the internet, and came across one of their distributors, D.I.S. (Diesel Injection Service), of Lubbock, TX. When I spoke to a tech there, and told him the particulars of this thread, he told me that we'd all be surprised just how many people are using the straight ATF when changing their fuel filters! Then he said he should know, because they are the people bringing in their pumps and injectors for repair! His final comment to me was that he didn't understand why people insisted on using stuff in their fuel system that wasn't designed to be put there when there are so many excellent quality fuel additives available that are...
There are additives made for the intended purpose, and there are old wive's tales about how some simpler, cheaper "trick" will work just as well, so people just choose to ignore logic, fact, and common sense, and use intuition and hearsay as a basis for validating their choices.
The only way to be sure if any of these opinions are valid, is to start with three identical diesel engines, and run all of them with normal maintenance, and the first one with no fuel additives, the second one with "proper" diesel fuel additives designed as such, and a third run with ATF or the like, and with the fuel filter filled with ATF at every filter change. Then, see which engine fails first, tear down all three, and compare them.
Well, we know that's a utopian fantasy, so how do you know whether or not ATF is actually doing harm or good to your engines? I think the quote from North Coast Oil regarding ATF is clear:
"At elevated operating temperatures, ATF oxidizes, turns brown and takes on a smell like burnt toast. As heat destroys the fluid s lubricating qualities and friction characteristics, varnish begins to form on internal parts..."
[Edited by longston on 02-22-2001 at 02:04 PM]