Oil & Fuel Cold rookie mistake

[mike peyerl]

My track steer ( ASV RT-50 ) still has summer diesel and would not run more than 5 secons after starting. Been -14 F for several days.
What's my remedy?
Many thanks,
GGK 87 yo rookie

Blankets and a heater and bring it up to temperature might take a day to get everything warm and then run it until you can refill more than half of the tank with winter cut fuel

 

[Bobrown14]

Warmed up to the high 50s today and my diesel melted back to normal thanks God - thought I blew up my engine in the arctic freeze.

 

[MKEmech]

My track steer ( ASV RT-50 ) still has summer diesel and would not run more than 5 secons after starting. Been -14 F for several days.
What's my remedy?
Many thanks,
GGK 87 yo rookie

Project farm on YouTube has a great video on winter fuel additives for lowering gel point. Pull the filter get it warmed and refill with hot shot, add a bunch to the tank. Start unit it will be sputtering but run on the additive as it clears the line. Top the tank with winter fuel.

 

[KNate]

As stated: Tarp and heat till fuel is no longer gelled. Add fuel treatment and run tractor till all the gelling is gone. Then add proper fuel.
Note: additives containing alcohol are Hard on fuel pump.

I gelled up this past week, too. We dipped to -25F (NW Montana). The tractor got tarped and it got a propane based space heater spa to liquify the lines and filter. I put in some combo treatment and alcohol in. The store only had it available in gallons so that is what I had to purchase. I used a total of 4 ozs, and now I wonder if I should junk the rest because it has alcohol?

 

[Egon]

I gelled up this past week, too. We dipped to -25F (NW Montana). The tractor got tarped and it got a propane based space heater spa to liquify the lines and filter. I put in some combo treatment and alcohol in. The store only had it available in gallons so that is what I had to purchase. I used a total of 4 ozs, and now I wonder if I should junk the rest because it has alcohol?

That is question I’m not qualified to answer. A lot will depend on individual engine configuration.

For smaller amount you should be okay but???

 

[aircommuter]

Something I always wondered about when it comes to adding/mixing additives or #1 fuel into a tractor’s tank:

What’s the gallons per minute (GPM) of the return line from the pump, or rail, back into the tank? That is, how much self mixing and circulation through the lines is going on once tractor is started?
Minuscule? In the 2-3 gallons per hour range instead of minutes?

The return amount is a always a variable. Engine speed and load are the main variables.

 

[hube2]

Something I always wondered about when it comes to adding/mixing additives or #1 fuel into a tractor’s tank:

What’s the gallons per minute (GPM) of the return line from the pump, or rail, back into the tank? That is, how much self mixing and circulation through the lines is going on once tractor is started?
Minuscule? In the 2-3 gallons per hour range instead of minutes?

The return amount is a always a variable. Engine speed and load are the main variables.

I was curious. The fuel pump on my tractor lists that it pumps 0.1 GPM continuously. That works out to 6 GPH. My fuel consumption is in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 GPH. That means 5 to 5.5 GPH is going back to the tank. That's more than 90% being circulated back to the tank. On my tractor the capacity of the tank (6.6 gal) is circulated every 75 to 90 minutes.

 

[aircommuter]

I was curious. The fuel pump on my tractor lists that it pumps 0.1 GPM continuously. That works out to 6 GPH. My fuel consumption is in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 GPH. That means 5 to 5.5 GPH is going back to the tank. That's more than 90% being circulated back to the tank. On my tractor the capacity of the tank (6.6 gal) is circulated every 75 to 90 minutes.

That’s about average. The pump rating is at rated engine RPM as a rule. So say 60 hp @ 1600, the pump would likely be at that RPM also and likely less when turning slower.

 

[Creamer]

I was curious. The fuel pump on my tractor lists that it pumps 0.1 GPM continuously. That works out to 6 GPH. My fuel consumption is in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 GPH. That means 5 to 5.5 GPH is going back to the tank. That's more than 90% being circulated back to the tank. On my tractor the capacity of the tank (6.6 gal) is circulated every 75 to 90 minutes.

Which should be enough to keep the fuel from gelling as going through the system heats the fuel.

 

[canucklehead]

funny, my brother worked in refinery and said winter diesel had more off their off products from refining blended in like propane so it was cheaper fuel for them but I guess those things help stop the gelling.