Hot Shot’s Diesel Additives

Keeping one of our most important hunting tools (our truck) running tip-top

While not exactly new, and not exactly our normal content, we wanted to share couple new-to-us products we were recently turned onto in the quest to keep the 7.3L International turbo diesel in our aging Ford F250 Superduty running tip-top for hunting season—Hot Shot’s Secret Diesel Extreme fuel additive and Stiction Eliminator oil additive. While we’re normally a little skeptical about additives in general, to date, these two products have produced real, tangible results. We understand that a large portion of hunter’s use their diesel trucks to get them to and from their hunting adventures, and that keeping this particular tool in good working order is nearly as important to a successful hunting season as a good running rifle.

The idea with these products is to give both the engine’s lubricating oil system (Stiction Eliminator…added every third oil change after the initial dose) and the entire fuel system (Diesel Extreme…added to the fuel tank twice a year) a thorough cleaning, and in effect, restore cleanliness levels back to their original state, reducing component stiction (the static friction that needs to be overcome to enable relative motion of stationary objects in contact) across the board. With 130,000 miles on the odometer of our F250—with no prior additives ever applied—this truck proved the perfect test bed to see if Hot Shot’s products lived up to their claims.

Given editorial deadlines, we didn’t have the time to test these two additives individually, so into the engine and fuel tank they went simultaneously. Eight to nine hundred miles after the additives were dumped in, quicker starts, a smoother idle and more responsive acceleration (measured by our seat-of-the-pants accelerometer) were all noticeable. This told us two things for sure: our engine’s lubrication and fuel systems (in particular, the fuel injectors) were, in fact, dirty and in need of the T.L.C. these additives were successful in providing.

A few hundred more miles and slight gains in fuel mileage also became apparent; between one and two miles per gallon on average. The way we see it, this result alone will pay for the nominal investment of the additives in no time flat, and based on our favorable results, these additives have earned a permanent on a shelf in our garage. We plan to continue to use them at their specified intervals, and if your truck shows signs of failed injectors, slow/hard starts, excessive black or white exhaust smoke and unresponsive throttle input, we strongly recommend you also give them a try first before diving into expensive repairs and/or parts replacement. Check out these and other diesel-specific Hot Shot’s Secret additives at: Web: www.hotshotsecret.com; Tel.: (800)341-6516.