Diesel temperature gelling chart?

[fidowanttobe]

Don't want to start a thread that's been beat to death so, can someone point me to an accurate chart that tells me at what temps #1, 50/50, and #2 is suggested? With -20 to +30 degree temperature fluctuations and only a 5 gallon tank on the tractor I'm always nervous about having too much #1 in it. Thanks.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

We just went through a cold snap, the two diesel tractors I started and ran here, worked perfectly on the premium diesel I bought at the local gas station, no additives added or needed. I really don't understand everyone in here running around worrying about diesel fuel??

BUT, if you are really worried that much, put some of your fuel in a jar, and set it in your freezer over night, and see what it does... That way you will know if it gells in below zero temps.

SR

 

[The Fred]

Just use power service with straight #2. I add 3 qts to a 300 gallon tank and use for shop heat and tractors. Never a problem and yes -35 f on occasion and wind plenty.

Make it easy on yourself sir and the first time you have an issue simply repost that the fred was wrong and should be banned for life!

Good luck whatever you choose.

 

[RNeumann]

Not a straight forward answer as the USA has no mandated standard.
However this link will get you started. You are thinking correctly...small tank, exposed fuel lines, intermittent running etc has the deck stacked against tractors. Run a little additive in the winter and sleep well- as you will see from the wiki pages the fuel stations are free to sell what they want...

Winter diesel fuel - Wikipedia

 

[mykleh]

In northern WI and the UP of MI this is what the gas stations sell by date.. having had my 1620 gel up twice on me in bitter cold I always let it warm up and if it starts hesitating or loosing power head for the shed.. it is no fun taking all the lines and filters off cleaning and re-priming in below zero weather with it snowing outside. in fall I run down as much as I can and wait till December to top of tanks.. I also always add Diesel Service fuel supplement when adding fuel and have a bottle of 911 on the shelf as well.

 

[Looking4new]

My old B model Mack froze up on me many years ago in Kingston, ON. The temp was -30F. I yanked the fuel filter (canister type) out , closed it up and carried on after putting some anti-gel into it. Ran it the rest of the winter with no fuel filter.

 

[RNeumann]

In northern WI and the UP of MI this is what the gas stations sell by date.. having had my 1620 gel up twice on me in bitter cold I always let it warm up and if it starts hesitating or loosing power head for the shed.. it is no fun taking all the lines and filters off cleaning and re-priming in below zero weather with it snowing outside. in fall I run down as much as I can and wait till December to top of tanks.. I also always add Diesel Service fuel supplement when adding fuel and have a bottle of 911 on the shelf as well.

View attachment 492484

Wow good for that station to disclose a standard!

 

[KWentling]

I'm in the #2 with Power Service camp. Never had a problem and we have seen -30s F here. Just experienced -28 last week. It's important to have clean fuel filters at the beginning of the cold season.

 

[ModMech]

This information is TOUGH to find that is documented, "well documented" examples are nearly impossible.

The bio-content of the fuel, both in terms of percentage and make-up of the bio fraction have a HUGE influence on the pour point.

One example I found: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF MICROALGAE BIODIESEL PRODUCTION IN COLOMBIA: COMPARISON OF THREE OIL EXTRACTION SYSTEMS
http://www.scielo.org.co/img/revistas/ctyf/v5n2/v5n2a07t2.jpg

Another source: Optimization and Fuel Properties of Water Degummed Linseed Biodiesel
from Transesterification Process | Open Access Journals

Another source: Ideal injection temp - Topic
Data: http://www.brevardbiodiesel.org/viscosity.gif
http://i40.tinypic.com/2roi29x.jpg

In general, neat diesel (ULSD#2) will give you trouble somewhere south of 20*F, my experience is you need to modify ULSD#2 at temps below 15*F. In the case of neat ULSD#1, you can push that fuel to about -5*F without serious concerns and potentially colder.

When you thro BIO into the mix, all bets are off because if the "bio" is animal you might be at +40*F!!!!!

 

[crazyal]

I'm in the power service group. It's not the best lubricant but it does a good job to prevent gelling. Just follow the directions. I use to have a hard time finding off road diesel but a couple places just started selling it on my daily commute so I don't fill a 55 gallon drum anymore when the fuel oil guy fills the tanks for the house. If I think I'm going to burn off a lot in a short time I'll fill the drum and mix in power service.

 

[drag_slick]

Don't want to start a thread that's been beat to death so, can someone point me to an accurate chart that tells me at what temps #1, 50/50, and #2 is suggested? With -20 to +30 degree temperature fluctuations and only a 5 gallon tank on the tractor I'm always nervous about having too much #1 in it. Thanks.

Fido, while I don't have a chart, I can tell you that 50/50 with dosed with the white power service bottle have worked great for me this winter, and it's been a rough one, I live in the same town as you. Now my Boomer does have the tank behind the engine, so i'm not sure if and or how much the heat from the engine helps things, but like I said, I've not gelled, even when it was well below zero during the second, third, aw heck I forgot how many blizzards we had in December :laughing:

 

[Stanley75]

We just went through a cold snap, the two diesel tractors I started and ran here, worked perfectly on the premium diesel I bought at the local gas station, no additives added or needed. I really don't understand everyone in here running around worrying about diesel fuel??

BUT, if you are really worried that much, put some of your fuel in a jar, and set it in your freezer over night, and see what it does... That way you will know if it gells in below zero temps.

SR

You'd understand better if you have ever had diesel gel up. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[Agvg]

Why would a gas station in a cold area sell summer diesel in the winter? Its like sabotaging their own customers....

 

[LouNY]

To those that have never had a gell problem, congratulations lucky you.
I have had fuel gell, one time with #2 and power service on a running tractor,
tractor was on a generator during a power outage temp got down around -10 during the night sitting in the
kitchen that morning thinking it was time to get dressed and go out when I heard the tractor slowing down and lights
start dimming time I got outside she was dead checked fuel half a tank, checked filter nothing out bleeder pulled filter
full of wax crystals. I'm lucky called my brother he had blended fuel borrowed a tractor put on my generator towed tractor down to shop
applied salamander heater and a tarp tent and heat lamp to injector pump and lines, filled a barrel with #1 blended my fuel, tow started
my warmed up tractor with new bleed filter and changed back. So much fun working with cold fuel on a cold day I make sure that
my fuel is blended and power serviced in the late fall now.
All fuel is different, I have seen some get wax crystals as warm as 40F some that would'nt bother till 0,
So you guys that don't think blended fuel is necessary good luck, I hope you never find out different.

 

[DEWFPO]

X2

All diesel fuel isn't the same, even in the same area. Different suppliers/distributors blend/winterize it differently and to different specs in the winter. Most do a pretty good job but sometimes there's an unexpected cold snap. If you live in a very cold climate and haven't yet gelled, and aren't using additives then you're playing roulette and are very lucky. Go buy a lottery ticket. As LouNY stated. It's miserable to deal with when it happens. I always keep a red bottle of PS 911 handy in the winter.

DEWFPO

 

[crazyal]

I've never had a gelling issue but that's because for the tiny bit of extra it costs, maybe 15¢ a gallon, I treat all fuel I get for a worst case temperature. I do it spring, summer, fall, and winter. I don't count on any off road diesel to be blended. That way if late spring I buy 50 gallons of diesel and don't use it all by fall I don't find out the hard way that I forgot.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I never said that I never had fuel gel, I've been buying diesels since the early 80's BUT, I never had fuel gel when it wasn't MY fault....not to mention I lived in Alaska for quite a while, so I know what cold is and does to fuel.

I buy my winter fuel from a reputable place so I know what I'm getting and I don't need to add ANYTHING to the fuel... AND since doing THAT, I can say I never had any fuel gel...

From what I read above, instead of blaming your selves for your gelling problems, you are blaming the fuel and throwing money at the problem!

Buy good winter fuel in the first place and you won't have gelling problems and you won't have to buy anything to put in it either...

SR

 

[fidowanttobe]

Ok, I know that I need to run #1 or additives when the temp drops, I just worry bout #1 when the temp rises. You know, a tank full and it's 38 that day and your blowing sloppy heavy snow. When do you need to worry that its too warm for #1??

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Ok, I know that I need to run #1 or additives when the temp drops, I just worry bout #1 when the temp rises. You know, a tank full and it's 38 that day and your blowing sloppy heavy snow. When do you need to worry that its too warm for #1??

I don't run #1 in the winter, premium blended #2 is what I run...

I put it in my "splitter" tractor and it get's run until it's gone, (along with everything diesel here) but that tractor is so fuel efficient it will run all summer on what I put in it in the winter...

Been doing it that way for years and years, no problem at all...

SR

 

[Ford850]

I don't run #1 in the winter, premium blended #2 is what I run...

I put it in my "splitter" tractor and it get's run until it's gone, (along with everything diesel here) but that tractor is so fuel efficient it will run all summer on what I put in it in the winter...

Been doing it that way for years and years, no problem at all...

SR

That's some of the problem I have, only in reverse. I have to treat my diesel because I sometimes have summer mix that carries over to winter temps.