Just a reminder-It's that time of the year.

[Jerry/MT]

Thanks for the info, Jerry. I use the Power Service White. Probably before the real cold hits, I'll drain some of the bottom of the tank to be sure there's not a lot of water there too. Will also mix my remaining No. 2 with the winter stuff.. And for good measure, I'll keep some diesel 911 around just in case. It's no fun fooling with the filter when it's 10 degrees and snowing..

Dirtball, I don't have a block heater and have never had any problems starting in the cold weather (My battery is now 5+ years old, so there could be some any time) but have had adventures after running a bit. It would seem that there should be a way for that filter to scavenge some heat from the engine to keep from freezing up. The filter on the little 26hp engine is very small, too, and I think that plays into it.

MOF you appear to live in a cold climate and even though your engine is an easy starter, a block heater helps make life a bit easier on the battery and the engine for those cold winter starte up. It' a realitively cheap device, usually easy to install and sure helps during real cold snaps. Ayway it's something to think about.

I picked up a used tractor ('07 NH TD95D) with under 100 hrs on it in NM last fall and while I was going out to clean snow off the feed ground it ran down on me. The rpm slowly dropped from 1200 to 500 and then it stoppped. I opened the drain on the water separator and got a little drip of fuel. Likewise with the fuel filter. Fortunately I was near the shop and so I got a heat gun and the extension cord and thawed the water separator and the fuel filter out and ran for another hour. I got quite a bit of water out of the sepreator and some out of the filter but had no warning light. The next day before start up I drained both the fuel filter and the water separator and got more water and while I was out in the pasture working it ran down on me again. No current bush out there! I pulled the water seprator and thawed it out with the heat gun in the shop and reinstalled it. I got about three tablespoons of water out of the separator. It was obvious to me that I had water contaminated fuel. I figure the original owner must have had a contaminated tank because that part of NM is pretty dry and warm. I started up and got the tractor back in the shop and called the NH dealer and ordered a new water separator element and filter. I also picked up a siphon pump at HF and pumped fuel out of the tank. All told, there i got a half a cup of water that settled in the pumped out fuel and I didn't get all of it out. I decanted the clean fuel off, filled the tank and treated it with PS-White and replaced the water separator and fuel filter and had no more problems. I drained the separator every day before I started it and was still getting water but not much.

Water in the fuel from condensation, etc and cold weather is the Achillles heel of diesel powered equipment and that's why I started this thread. You have to get pretty meticulous about changing filters and keep fuel clean and water free if you want to have reliable running with your diesel in cold weather.
Some folks say condensation isn't much of cause of contaminated fuel but an empty tank breathes moist air in and out as the pressure and temperature change during the day, and as the temperture drops water condenses out and over time you can accumulate a lot of water in the fuel tank and more so if the tank is almost empty. Keeping the tank full minimizes this condensation but doesn't eliminate it.Your filter and separator have to deal with that.

As far as the fuel being contaminatd when you buy it, around here it's all filtered and I've never seen much condensation in my storage tank.(I cleaned it out this summer after 6 years of use and there was maybe a table spoon of water in it.) I also have a filter on the tank outlet.
Having a lot of hours on a filter make it more susceptable to clogging with frozen water so that's why I always advise changing your filters BEFORE the cold weather sets in regardless of the hours on the filter. Nothing like trying to plow snow with a tractor that won't run off idle!

The other thing I do, especially in late summer if I have to fill my storage tank(55 gallon drum) is to mix some #1 in with the #2(2:1 #2 to #1)so that I don't get a gelling problem. later on in the winter when the fuel is blended for winter it's probably not a problem. I have never had a problem with gelling but I don't want to either!

Sorry for the long winded response but these things are important if you want trouble free operation of your diesel powered equipment in cold climates.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Try to keep the tank full to minimize condensation and treat the fuel with Power Service-White, Stanadyne , etc for its water dispersant properties.Always have a spare fuel filter around especially if you don't change your fuel filter before winter. With diesels the water collects in the tank bottom and the water separator and the fuel filter bottom and if you really have a lot of water it will freeze on the water seprator element and the fuel filter element. I've had that happen and that's why I sent out the reminder. Partilly clogged filters will freeze sooner becausee the element is all ready partialy restricted. I have never had a a diesel fuel line freeze, however.

I probably wouldn't changethe filter out either with just 45 hrs on it. If you have drain on your filter housing drain them regularly into a clear, glass jar and look for water. Do that before you start in the winter a few time and IF you don't see water you can do it less often. If you see water, make sure that your fuel is treated with something that disperses water and check for water before every start. Drain until you don't get any additional water out of the separator..

Correction: "....disperses water...." is not the correct term. The fuel treatment makes the water "glob up" and slide off the filter and into the bottom of the filter and water seperator housings where it can be drained off. The filters are "hydrophillic"; they reisist water going through them.