Gelling again

[zuiko]

I've had constant problems this winter with this. Last time I drained the fuel tank and replaced it with what was supposedly 50/50 but who knows if it really is (the stuff in there before should have been 50/50 as well). I added power service (the white bottle winter additive), but that seems to do absolutely nothing. It's only -5 degrees outside, ran fine for about a half hour, then it gelled up and I can't keep it running long enough to put it away. I also added some red diesel 911 power service to the tank but I still can't get it to run and stay running... I'm guessing ill have to replace the freakin fuel filter and all again to get it going... just to have it gel up again next time it gets below zero.

Any tips on how to avoid this? Is there any way at all to tell what kind of fuel (proportion of kero to #2, or whether it is #1) you are getting out of a diesel pump? Or do you just have to trust the filling station? This has been a really lousy winter so far and we aren't that far into it.

 

[tessiers]

I always buy off road diesel and I treat it with Diesel+ brand anti gel additive, when I pump it. (white bottle with red letters I think)

 

[zuiko]

I'm wondering about just heating the fuel to get around this problem once and for all. Something like a magnetic block heater or a pad heater (mounted on the fuel tank) or even one of those submersible aquarium heaters inside the tank (just when it is in use... they would fit through the filler)... plug it in for a few hours before using it and get the fuel up to a reasonable temp (say 60+ degrees) so I can finish my business without even dealing with the gel point of the fuel. Anybody ever try anything like that?

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

Hey Zuiko,

I'm in the NE of North Dakota, one thing I do is start treating my vehicles in September with Power Service. I change my fuel filters in the fall after this. This year I had about 70 gallons of #2 left over, this was of 200 gallons that had a full half gallon of PS in it when delivered.

I added 130 gallons of #1 with another half gallon bottle of Power Service. No jelling here, I do the same with my PU, it has a 26 gallon fuel tank, I do a double dose of PS in the fall and run that tank down, then a double dose of PS with a winter blend. In November I will fill my tank with 1/3 #2 and 2/3 #1 with a 8 oz bottle of PS in every tank. I carry 911 in both. Tomorrow I'll check my 1066 with a flashlight before I even start her, if the fuel does not look right I'll pour in a bottle of 911 and let her set a while.

That always works for me up here. I've been running tractors and pickups with diesels since 1982. Your bio-diesel blend could be causing some of this problem but I don't know about it, I don't use any yet. Hope this helps.

 

[zuiko]

That is what I am wondering... biodiesel is at 5% now thanks to state law up from 2% last year. (It is supposed to be a 20% mandate in a few years... that should be interesting). I never had any fuel problems before this year. Of course this winter has been a worse than normal, but I'm wondering if it is the biodiesel that is causing the issues. I have read that anti-gel agents like PS don't do anything at all for biodiesel. That's why I'm thinking about just heating the fuel and not having to worry about it, unless I am out using it so long it cools down to ambient temp.

 

[LBrown59]

When I hear these gelling tales.
Makes me wonder why every body hain't havein the problem?

 

[atgreene]

Keep changing the filter, keep adding 911 and power service. It may take 3-4 filter changes to overcome it. Been there done that, if you own a diesel you need 3-4 filters on the shelf just in case. Sometimes it just happens, no direct cause that I can ever find other than a bad batch.

 

[jimmysisson]

If you heat the tank and the fuel in the filter gels, you'll really be rippin!
Treatment sounds better, if you can get it to work before spring.
Jim

 

[number two]

I think you'll be able to take atgreene's advice and get going again.What's been very popular over the years in the trucking business are fuel heaters.Basically the heater is a heat exchanger with warm coolant from the engine circulating through it,as well as the fuel.It's installed so it heats the fuel before entering the fuel filter(s).The fuel then is warm enough not to have wax clog the filter.Since some fuel is usually returned to the tank,that heated return fuel helps warm the fuel in the tank.If the fuel is liquid enough to get running,you can get the engine heat up and start heating the fuel,then everything gets better.Had one on my 1978 GMC Astro-could drive it anywhere with no additive once running.OK,I'm off on a tangent here,sorry.ULSD with biodiesel gells sooner than ULSD.ULSD gells sooner than LSD,which of course gells sooner than the old high sulfur diesel.Good Luck-been there!

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

What you have is a bunch of wax crystals in the tank. You need to melt them or you're going to keep plugging filters. In my experience, bio tends to cloud sooner than petro Diesel.

If Diesel 911 isn't working, then you need to try a different brand of rescue additive. (Remember that almost all "anti-gels" will not melt wax once formed, you have to use a rescue solvent.) Also, if your using bio, you need to make sure it works for bio, not just off road and ULSD. I use Amsoil products so I keep a bottle or 2 of the Diesel Recovery around. Whatever product you use, this is what I do:

1: Put the product in the tank. I put an extra splash in, it's the American way, if a little is good, a little more is better....
2: take the filter off and dump out some diesel, pour some rescue additive in it, put in a warm +60 degrees F place until needed.
3: get a incandescent drop light w/a 75w bulb. Turn it on and place it against or in very close to the fuel tank.
4: cover the tank with a non flammable covering that will act as insulation and retain the heat of the droplight against the tank.
5: After about an hour or 2, Using the priming lever or pump, pull some thawed fuel through the tank line, then put the filter back on and secure the drop light.
6: light the engine off and put it in a +60 degree F heated garage for several hours to complete the rescue.
7: drain the fuel and refill with double dose anti gel and cetaine boost treated fuel from a different seller than what gave you issues and run the engine until it reaches operating temp.

Now I'm not saying this will work in 100% of waxed fuel cases but it is how I have solved this issue several times in the past.

Tom

An almost afterthought, I have found that of the 2 numbers used to rate "anti-gel" the one to pay attention to is the "cloud point" rather than the "pour point". "Gelled" fuel will still flow, right up until the filter plugs with all the wax from "cloud point".