Gelled Fuel

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I had a confused understanding of diesel gelling. The past week the night time temperatures have been in the mid 20's. The paranoids were after me all week.

Al

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...I had a confused understanding of diesel gelling...</font color=blue>

<A HREF="http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=oil&Number=82263&Search=true&Forum=All_Forums&Words=vasoline&Match=Entire Phrase&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=81646" target="_new">
Diesel Gel Experiment</A>

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Thanks John,
I'm going to try that./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The temperatures are in the low 40's now. I guess I can use my beer frig in the barn. One more experiment won't hurt a bit. I have had a jar full of diesel with a piece of vinyl hose soaking for about 3 months now. So far no deterioration, discolorization or brittleness. I have never had much to do with diesel rigs and know nothing about them.
Al

 

[hayden]

In my case the fuel was not gelled initially. My tractor started fine but as it ran, gel/wax started accumulating in the filter bowl and eventually plugged the fuel flow. I took it apart, scrapped out the wax, added kerosene to the fuel, and was off and running again. The wax sat in a coffee can in my heated basement for several weeks and never changed state. By the way, I'm saying "wax", but really don't know what the substance was.

It would appear that running the chilled (but not gelled) fuel through the filter caused the extraction and accumulation of the "wax".

It sounds like your experience is with fuel that's jelly before you ever get a chance to start the rig and that under those circumstances it thaws and reliquifies without a problem.

Anyone else had the same experience I did?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...scrapped out the wax...</font color=blue>

Peter,

Is it possible after the fuel "separated" from its natural state... you only took the "paraffin" part and when the temps went back down to normal... the rest of the "parts" were missing to return to its original state...?

 

[Youare]

I am glad you asked this question this is my first diesel winter also, didn't have to worry about gelling with the 8N. I started adding Power Service in October when the temps. started getting below freezing.

The question I have is: One quart of Power Service is good for 100 gallons of fuel, I buy 5 gallons at a time. If I did the math right that means I need to add 1.6 ounces of Power Service to my container before I go to the service station. Are there any bad side effects if I don't get the measurement just right and put in an extra ounce of Power Service, I would be prone to think that a little more is far better than not enough??

I also wonder if this additive is effective in gas fired engines too? I did put a little in my old 1978 Chevy pickup last month when it was running a little rough, didn't have any dry gas, it seemed to do the trick.

Randy

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Are there any bad side effects if I don't get the measurement just right and put in an extra ounce of Power Service</font color=blue>

No. Randy, you might want to do some reading at http://www.powerservice.com and if you go to "Products - by name", then page down to the "directions" you'll find they actually mention using twice as much for maximum cetane boost and injector cleaning.

 

[Paul_in_CT]

Randy,
If you are getting your fuel 5 gallons at a time then I assume that you are purchasing from a gas station. It was my understanding that the fuel there already has an additive to prevent gelling. Because I do the same (5 galllon at a time) I havent worried about it. But now I`m wondering if I`m doing the wrong thing /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

Paul,
Yes you are right they SHOULD have this done but I have purchased fuel on the road where they didn't do this or it was warm and then got cold or you traveled from someplace warm to someplace cold. Anyway even if you are treating it again you have nothing to worry about. It only raises the cetane with more additive and more cleaners for your injectors. It doesn't hurt the tractor at all to run extra additive or extra anti-gelling formula.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...I assume that you are purchasing from a gas station...</font color=blue>

Paul,
Over here in NY, the pumps are posted showing you are purchasing a "Winterized Mix"... On a smaller dealer that doesn't move much product... you may run into a problem... but at the large truck stops... they normally get a fuel drop every other day or so...