Oil & Fuel Gelled Fuel - How Much Additive

[ForestGrump]

Diesel is a wet fuel, it has water in it, period. That’s why you have that little bowl to empty. Pour point reducer reduces the pour point of the fuel, what the original poster was after. Cetane improver raises your cetane. Cetane improver does not lower your pur point. If you have a yellow sweet fuel and it is gelling it is a paraffin based diesel fuel and your cetane should be just fine. If you buy your diesel from a reputable dealer the ASTM specs shpuld be followed. If your diesel fuel is dark and stinks it has been refined from a low gravity asphatenic crude via coking to which cetane improvers have been added.

 

[buickanddeere]

You are trying to make something into what it is not . As long as the fuel contains wax it will try to gell when chilled below the cloud point. Drain the fuel and replace with de-waxed winter diesel or kerosene.

 

[buickanddeere]

I'm not needing the tractor for a few days and there's supposed to be a warm up in temperature, so probably set about doing it then. I've got a magnetic oil pan heater I'll probably stick on the fuel tank, so hopefully what gets pulled in the the lines and filter will be a bit warmer with the additive.

The supplier I had normally used quit the fuel business. It very well could be the new supplier where I get the diesel not having a 'winter blend'. The new supplier is a small town Citgo station and may not see a lot of volume for diesel and I'm sure the kid working there has no clue regarding what they sell.

Picked up a bottle of the Howes Lubricator Diesel Treat to see how that does. Seemed to get decent reviews in comparisons to the Power Service product. Evidently works a bit different with moisture content in the fuel versus Power Service.

Magnetic heater will have zilch effect on the fuel tank. Just not enough btu's.

 

[MarkF48]

Magnetic heater will have zilch effect on the fuel tank. Just not enough btu's.

Small tractor, small tank. Only a shade over 5 gals capacity full. Probably about 3 gallons presently, so not a lot to heat. Tried the mag heater today near the bottom of the tank and after about hour the tank felt notably warmer than when I started. With filter bowl removed had clean fuel flowing from tank. Filter had 'waxed' up in the cold spell. Probably will drain it and put fresh fuel in when I find an empty jug that will hold what I drain out.
The heater is 200w and I use it on the oil pan in cold weather and it does seem to help. Keep thinking about a hose heater, but haven't got around to it.

 

[coveredbridge]

No joy with fuel gel on a 10 deg F morning and the tractor didn't like it. Have been adding Power Service Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost at about 2oz per 5 gals of fuel (directions on the 32oz container are 8oz per 25 gals) so slightly more than recommended. This is added to the jug of fuel prior to adding to the tractors tank, so it should be mixed well and I have run the tractor in warmer weather, so it should be in the filter and rest of the system. Does it seem the 2oz/5gals should be enough or should I kick up the amount during cold weather or use the same ratio plus add the 911 additive in its recommended amount as well.

I've used PS in the white bottle at 2 oz per 5 gal for years, and have never had a problem with gelling. I do store my tractors inside an unheated garage, so I don't know if that makes any difference.

I'm really surprised that your treated fuel gelled at 10 deg F. My understanding is that untreated winter blend fuel alone has a cloud point of 15 deg F. At least that is what I've been told.

 

[jbrumberg]

For a lot of reasons my last 5G jerrycan #1 Diesel fuel refill had a "double load" of both PS White bottle and PS 911. It reached cloud point somewhere between -7F and -10F. Tractor started easily at 0F/1F after 3 hours of preheating the engine block and hydraulic filter.

I also use a water/fuel separation funnel to fill the tractor's fuel tank.