Oil & Fuel Jelled Fuel

massy1635 · Jan 21, 2012

We finely got enough snow to play in Friday. Had the tractor pluged in and it started just fine. Started down the driveway and it started to die out on me. We have had a week or more of zerro to -17 at nite, so I knew it must be a fuel problem. The fuel in the filter was cloudy. It was in the teens when I went out. I had 1/2 a jug of Diesel 911 that I put in the tank and after a minute or so it was running fine. I also add 4 oz. of Power Service Additive (in the white container) to every 5 gallons of fuel year round. That along with the diesel winter mix at the pump should have kept it from jelling but it didn't. What do you use to prevent jelling and how cold have you been and not had fuel problems?

DennisFolsom · Jan 21, 2012

Hmmm. I would think the Power Service white bottle stuff should have prevented that. Is there any chance you got some water in the fuel?

Does your tractor sit outdoors? You said you plugged it in before starting, but the engine heater doesn't heat the fuel tank, lines & filter. If it does sit outside, maybe you should resort to the old trick of putting a light bulb near the the fuel filter. Just make sure there is no leaking fuel around the light.

My tractor sits in an unheated garage, which is attached to the house. The inside of the garage usually is at least 10 degrees warmer than outdoors on these cold nights. Even so, I left the engine heater plugged in overnight Thursday, so it would be warm for plowing snow on Friday morning. I don't think it makes enough heat to hurt anything by leaving it on overnight like that. I should have popped the hood and felt the radiator hose on Friday morning, but I didn't bother. I have felt it when the heater was plugged in for a couple of hours, and it was only a little warm - far from hot.

massy1635 · Jan 21, 2012

I do keep it in the barn but the way the wind blows thru it is just as cold inside as out. Not much help on the tempature but is is out of the weather.

Red Horse · Jan 21, 2012

massy1635 said:
We finely got enough snow to play in Friday. Had the tractor pluged in and it started just fine. Started down the driveway and it started to die out on me. We have had a week or more of zerro to -17 at nite, so I knew it must be a fuel problem. The fuel in the filter was cloudy. It was in the teens when I went out. I had 1/2 a jug of Diesel 911 that I put in the tank and after a minute or so it was running fine. I also add 4 oz. of Power Service Additive (in the white container) to every 5 gallons of fuel year round. That along with the diesel winter mix at the pump should have kept it from jelling but it didn't. What do you use to prevent jelling and how cold have you been and not had fuel problems?

What brand fuel? 17 below is a tough number even for today's winterized fuels. Keep in mind that cold flow improvers typically don't work AFTER the fuel has hit the cloud point. the cloud point is the point at which wax crystals form-that is the "cloudy" stuff you are seeing. The way the cold flow improvers work is they change the molecular structure of the fuel- the wax is still there but it lacks the sharp edges that allow the molecules to "hook up". Rather the wax ends up more like "bb's" so the wax crystals flow.

Best bet- buy good fuel-from a location that turns its tanks frequently. Make sure you don't have any water in your containers, and if you can get some kero-tough to find-put 20 or 30% in your fuel. You will loose a bit of power and economy but its the last resort.

Jerry/MT · Jan 22, 2012

massy1635 said:
We finely got enough snow to play in Friday. Had the tractor pluged in and it started just fine. Started down the driveway and it started to die out on me. We have had a week or more of zerro to -17 at nite, so I knew it must be a fuel problem. The fuel in the filter was cloudy. It was in the teens when I went out. I had 1/2 a jug of Diesel 911 that I put in the tank and after a minute or so it was running fine. I also add 4 oz. of Power Service Additive (in the white container) to every 5 gallons of fuel year round. That along with the diesel winter mix at the pump should have kept it from jelling but it didn't. What do you use to prevent jelling and how cold have you been and not had fuel problems?

When did you buy your fuel? Winter fuel shows up in the pumps, dependent on the location, around the first of November and some places have fuel that 's good to say 10F till December 1st and then -20F etc after that, till March 1st, etc. So if you bought some early season fuel and are just now using it that could be the problem. If I buy fuel in October I'll buy 1 part #1 diesel and 2 parts #2 diesel and treat that with PS White per the label.

Water is another animal. I can honestly say I've never had a diesel gell problem but I have had water contaminated fuel and suffered several run downs on a newer tractor i just bought as a result. Water froze on the water separator and in the fuel filter at 5F. I used a blow dryer to thaw them out then pumped the water out of the bottom on the tank with a small pump. I treated the remainder of the fuel and religiously drained the water separator before every start. I got about a quart of water out of a 24 gallon tank! The PO must have had a contaminated tank because I checked mine and it had less than a tablespoon of water in it.

This winter I've just treated with PS White and I have #2 fuel without any #1 ( the #1 pump was not working!)and no problems so far. But we havent been colder that about -5F. I need to refill my tank so I'll put some #1 in this time along with PS White. We haven't had any really cold weather yet but I'm sure we will.

CBW1999 · Jan 22, 2012

I run Diesel in the summer and a mix of diesel and kerosene in the winter- usually more kerosene. I've used "seafoam" to treat the fuel in the past but swithced to a "name brand" diesel treatment/conditioner that the dollar store had (was almost 5 bucks a bottle at the auto store!). So I stocked up.

I had this happen for the first time as well within the last week/ Based on location, I think we were getting the same weather pattern. The only area clogged up was the fuel filter itself. It was coated with that nasty slimy junk. I took it apart, wiped off as much as I could and poured a little of the treatment into the filter housing. Put it back together and by the time I got outside, the remaining gunk had disolved. as soon as I got it back in place, the tractor started right up.

First time ever and, I know there have been colder temps the tractor has been exposed to over the years.

Oh well......guess I count myself lucky the whole system didn't get plugged!

JJZ 109 · Jan 22, 2012

You already know about PS 911. (Check here.)
For what it's worth, I always use the white bottle PS all year round also. Unless I calculated wrong (entirely possible!), I use 2.5 oz. of the white bottle stuff for every 5 gallons.
However, just to be on the safe side for this time of year I added 911 to all my fuel for the tractor and a '97 Ford Powerstroke. The truck does not get used in the winter and has been sitting since mid November. We've had some below zero and single digit temps of late. I went out yesterday, plugged it in for 4-5 hours and it took off like summer. The tractor is stored in an unheated steel building. So far I've just glowed it for 10 seconds or so and it takes right off.

rsewill · Jan 22, 2012

You can run your return fuel line from your fuel pump side-by-side with your fuel supply line, then insulate it. It won't help if your fuel has jelled so that it won't start but once running it'll keep running.

I use No. 2 with a little Power Service on cold days (in Minnesota.)

MHarryE · Jan 23, 2012

We run a straight #1 fuel on our tractors in the winter (loader tractor and one we use for grinding feed). Never had a problem down to 40 below - colder than that and we plan ahead with getting bales out and feed ground. Was talking to our fuel trucker the other day and he uses a #1/#2 blend and has a heater on his tank. Better performance, better fuel economy, better fuel system life with the less #1 you use. That is our big ag stuff. My Kubota at my home for dinking around and cleaning snow gets it's own tank of #2 that sits in my machine shed while the tractor is in its heated garage. I have filled a couple times from the #1 ag tank but it burns through that way too fast.

massy1635 · Jan 23, 2012

I am begining to think I had water in my fuel. I am pretty good about changing the oil and fuel filters before it gets cold. I did change to a new filter and the one I took out was pluged with a blackish slimy goo. I drained some fuel out thru the filter housing and it was running clear before putting in a new filter. I started it up and ran it for a half hour or so and it ran good and the filter was still cleal. I think we are past the worst of the cold . But to be safe I will put a pint of 911 in my fuel barrel, I have about 20 gallons left. Next year I will put
911 in my fuel barrel before it gets cold. Thanks for all the advice.

MMH · Jan 24, 2012

massy1635 said:
Next year I will put
911 in my fuel barrel before it gets cold. Thanks for all the advice.

911 is only intended to be used after you gelled. It has alot of alcohol and should not be used for preventive measures. That's what the white bottle is for.

Jerry/MT · Jan 24, 2012

massy1635 said:
I am begining to think I had water in my fuel. I am pretty good about changing the oil and fuel filters before it gets cold. I did change to a new filter and the one I took out was pluged with a blackish slimy goo. I drained some fuel out thru the filter housing and it was running clear before putting in a new filter. I started it up and ran it for a half hour or so and it ran good and the filter was still cleal. I think we are past the worst of the cold . But to be safe I will put a pint of 911 in my fuel barrel, I have about 20 gallons left. Next year I will put
911 in my fuel barrel before it gets cold. Thanks for all the advice.

911 is not supposed to be a preventive. IT's supposed to be use when you have the gelling ptoblem. Power Service makes something called Arctic Express Diesel Fuel Anti-gell as a "preventive to gelling". It reduces the Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP) temperature.

That black goey stuff was probably the result of bacterial contamination and you might consider using a biocide in your fuel.Draining off was the correct thing to do. Check your fuel storage for water contamination and treat it with something like PS Clear Diesel. You have to have water for the bacteria to live in the tank. Try to keep you tractor tank as full as possible to minimize condensation in it. Try to fill your storage tank with winter grade fuel in winter. It should have all the additives you need. Consider the additives if you have a a lot of summer grade fuel in storage as you go into winter.

(P.S. I have no affiliation ith Power Service, it's just that they have a range of products that are conveniently available for my use. I'm sure there are other products out there just as good, possibly better.)

massy1635 · Jan 25, 2012

MMH & Jerry, thanks for the advice on 911. I won't do that. I never had a problem with my old JD. Every Fall I would mix 50/50 diesel with K1. In 22 years I can not remember ever having my fuel jell. With these new engines, I have a 2010 MF 1635, I am not sure you can do that. Do I need to use the low surfer fuel or can I do my own mix? I have read on one if these forums that someone cut their diesel with gasoline. I don't think that's the way to go.

Jerry/MT · Jan 26, 2012

massy1635 said:
MMH & Jerry, thanks for the advice on 911. I won't do that. I never had a problem with my old JD. Every Fall I would mix 50/50 diesel with K1. In 22 years I can not remember ever having my fuel jell. With these new engines, I have a 2010 MF 1635, I am not sure you can do that. Do I need to use the low surfer fuel or can I do my own mix? I have read on one if these forums that someone cut their diesel with gasoline. I don't think that's the way to go.

The answer to your question is dependent on what your fuel supplier does to provide what I call "winter diesel". All we can get where I live for off round use in red dyed ULSD. I get my fuel from a Cenex station and it's supposed ly a winter diesel fuel and it's available from about the first of November through the end of March. If I have to fill my storage tank (a 55 gallon drum) before the first of November("summer diesel" is only available then), I'll mix #1 ULSD with #2 ULSD in a proportion of one part #1 to two parts #2. I also add PS White at 1 ounce per 3 gallons per the label year around. I have never had a problem with fuel gelling. I maybe over doing it but I can't stand to have the tractors down when I have have cows to feed.

My advice is to try to find out from your fuel supplier when your winter fuel becomes avaiable and how it's treated. You may not need to add anything. Knowing how it's treated will help you decide what you have to do, if anything. I have had problems with water contaminaton in one tractor and that's why I treat my fuel with PS. It helps the water slough off the filter medium so it can be drained.

jonyyuma · Jan 26, 2012

The black slimy goo sounds like the fungus that grows in storage or oversized fuel tanks..

dodge man · Jan 26, 2012

I've used Howes in the past and had good luck with that. I've had the rear filter on my BX plug up twice in the winter. I never knew what caused the problem, if it was gelled, dirt or water. I cut the filter open once, and never saw the problem, other than maybe just a little brown looking.

tessiers · Jan 27, 2012

Plastic tanks are notorious for condensation this time of year, keep the tank full. Sounds like water to me, not bad fuel. All the additive you can buy won't make water into diesel fuel. We hit 21 below and had no trouble, however both machines we ran those days were stored in semi-heated areas. I bring the loader tractor into the alley of the barn so its usually above or just under freezing. The skid steer has grudgingly earned a place in the heated shop, mostly because it starts hard and we need it when we need it, not when it decides to start. Just my 2 cents

massy1635 · Jan 29, 2012

I have been using off road diesel in my tractor. I am thinking now that they do not put the same additives in their off road fuel as they do in their on road fuel. I sent an e-mail to the company on Thursday asking if their off road fuel does have he same additives. As of now I haven't heard a word. I will give them a few more days to reply and then I will call them. Through all the cold weather I never hear of any diesel trucks or other equipment jelling up. Do you use off road fuel or the on road fuel in the winter?

Localmotion · Jan 29, 2012

Not sue what % of Bio-diesel is added in the US, but the following links might help... :thumbsup:

Since the new EU rules for agricultural diesel were implimented in the UK, a lot of farners have had problems keeping their fuel "fresh" including icing up in winter - a problem we thought was long a thing of the past!

Change to low-sulphur diesel means better care of farm stores - 5/17/2010 - Farmers Weekly

Fuel changes: Your questions answered - 10/7/2010 - Farmers Weekly

tessiers · Jan 31, 2012

yes, I use off road diesel almost exclusively in my farm equipment. And yes, off road diesel is treated, maybe even better than on road. Also big trucks gel as well, all the time in fact. It is quite common to see southern trucks with un-treated fuel in truck stops with problems. I tend to add additive to almost all fuel that sits in a can for any length of time. If I am burning it immediately I don't worry to much.