Diesel additive, is it a must?

[Max2310]

Before reading on TBN, I had never heard the words fuel and jelling together. Well I guess I was never really exposed to diesel engines either. I heard that diesel engine could be a pain to start in the cold but was not as much of a problem now with glow plugs.

I like the idea of leaving a small amount of diesel in a container outside to see how it reacts. Now I hear that some additive are good to lubricate!? Isn't diesel oil? I'll never get it

Thanks for all your interesting comments!

 

[jpm1]

I honestly can't say about the fuel suppliers in your area, but mine, I can vouch for. I have 2 tractors and 2 tanks @ 275 gallon each which are kept in unheated garages, same goes for my tractors and truck. I don't use any additive or conditioner and in the past 30 years only had to use it once. Fuel supplier sent me a batch of fuel which almost immediately turned to jello. Called them and they came right out put some 911 (well i think that was the name of the stuff) in the tanks and about 30 minutes later. . .Wa-LA, liquid again! Now according to them , if your nervous about the extreme cold weather, just put a little Kero in your tank when you fill your tractor, skidder or what have you. I don't even do that. Guess the best thing to do is have a couple of extra fuel filters on hand, only takes a couple of minutes on my equiptment to change. Change your filters on your equiptment and fuel tanks too BEFORE cold weather sets in and also filter your fuel going into your equiptment.

 

[CurlyDave]

I worked in this area about 30 years ago.

Setting the fuel out in a clear container is the right idea--a fuel laboratory will test diesel by putting it in a freezer with a clear window and a thermometer and watching it as it cools.

There are two temperatures to worry about. The higher one, and one that will do you in is called the "cloud point". This is the temperature at which wax particles start to precipitate out of the fuel, and since they have nearly the same density as the rest of the fuel, they just stay suspended in it. It goes from being a clear liquid to a cloudy liquid. The wax crystals will not pass your fuel filter and will plug it--stopping the engine dead in its tracks.

At a still lower temperature the fuel will gel, and become hard to pour. But your engine stopped running at a higher temperature than the "pour point".

As I recall, it is possible to depress the pour point with additives, but the cloud point is much harder to change.

Your local stations should sell fuel which is blended to be correct for your area, but may not be OK if you have a real cold snap.

Way back then, the lubricity of diesel was always adequate, and the only real reason to use an additive was to prevent algae. Read the label on what you pour into the tank. Unless it says it has an algicide, it doesn't, and it won't do much for you.

P.S. The big fleets of diesel trucks, with tens of thousands of diesel engines, hire engineers to spend their time on issues like this. They don't use additives.

 

[Jay4200]

I've got a 200gal tank of heating oil - surplus after switching to electric heat. Can I burn that in my JD5300?

Heating oil IS diesel fuel, so yes.

I have the same problem - I changed a rental property I own from oil to propane this year, and have 150-200 gallons in the old tank. Oddly, the day I brought cans to start draining the fuel, I had the fuel line cut off, and opened the valve at the tank, but I couldn't get anything to come out. I'm still baffled and haven't tried again since.

I use PS in the white can all year around - I put in twice the recommended amount whenever I fill up a 5 gallon can. The cost is completely insignificant - I think I just finished my second bottle after ~3 years and ~400 hours of tractor use.

JayC

 

[Diamondpilot]

Something some of you guys have not thought of is what if you live in a area like me where the typical lows are 15 or so in the winter so the local supplier sets up the fuel for that. Now a few years ago we had -25 for 4-5 days as lows and I would venture to say 1/2 of the diesel equipment failed to start and move the first day. I can remember no trash service, city buses were still, and school had to be canceled. All this was due to fuel gelling.

Also what about the guy like me who goes south and gets a blend not made for colder weather then travels northeast a bit and the next thing you now you are going into cold temps in the mountains.

I think these product have a place. If I lived in Wisconsin or Canada they probably would not be needed because the cold is something that is dealt with every year and operators do not get surprised by it.

Chris

 

[sw03]

I use ZERO in the fuel (outside of MMO for lube issues in the fuel)..Never had an issue in many years. back in the early 90's I used PS until I was advised to not to by an oil testing house...

 

[Scotty370]

Years ago I had two diesel pick-ups. One a diesel VW rabbit, and the manufacture suggested 1 gal of unleaded gas to a full tank of diesel during the winter! In my Datsun PU, I had to use a 'Diesel Conditioner' or I'd have problems. Nowadays, I just buy at a station that has a lot of fuel turnover, with no problem. I think they're getting better with 'winter formulation', at least in my area. ~Scotty

 

[smfcpacfp]

Sorry I am not a chemist,LOL.I have seen gelling issues with the diesel trucks we have at work in 10 degree weather.As I stated above to each his own if you want to use additives or not is your own choice,I prefer to use them.coobie

You guys must use #2 diesel. #2 diesel has a cloud point of about + 40 F, so gelling at +10 F would be logical. The simple solution is to use #1 diesel with a cloud point of -40 F. Gelling will not occur until the temperature gets below -40 F.

# 1 diesel right now in my area is 50 cents a gallon more than #2, and it has less energy than #2, so it is more cosly to use. I only use a 3 or 4 gallons a week in the winter so we are talking about maybe $3 per week. The cost of gelling is much more than that for me. What a hassle. Anyway I haven't had a gelling problem using #1.

 

[Duffster]

You guys must use #2 diesel. #2 diesel has a cloud point of about + 40 F, so gelling at +10 F would be logical. The simple solution is to use #1 diesel with a cloud point of -40 F. Gelling will not occur until the temperature gets below -40 F.

# 1 diesel right now in my area is 50 cents a gallon more than #2, and it has less energy than #2, so it is more cosly to use. I only use a 3 or 4 gallons a week in the winter so we are talking about maybe $3 per week. The cost of gelling is much more than that for me. What a hassle. Anyway I haven't had a gelling problem using #1.

Or treated #2.

Your power will also suffer with #1.

 

[coobie]

You guys must use #2 diesel. #2 diesel has a cloud point of about + 40 F, so gelling at +10 F would be logical. The simple solution is to use #1 diesel with a cloud point of -40 F. Gelling will not occur until the temperature gets below -40 F.

# 1 diesel right now in my area is 50 cents a gallon more than #2, and it has less energy than #2, so it is more cosly to use. I only use a 3 or 4 gallons a week in the winter so we are talking about maybe $3 per week. The cost of gelling is much more than that for me. What a hassle. Anyway I haven't had a gelling problem using #1.

I use #2 diesel in all of my equipment and schaeffers diesel additives.I work for the local power company and all of our trucks are diesel that are filled with #1 diesel and we still have gelling issues and no starts in cold weather.#2 diesel is about 60 cents cheaper here verses #1 diesel .I use about 10-30 gal a week year around.I will stick with my #2 diesel.coobie