Gelled Fuel

[mtncur]

I think my fuel may have become gelled. Bought 400 gallon of fuel back in the summer so maybe it had no treatment? Anyway it痴 been single digits here with windchills below zero. I keep my 5083e plugged in so it always fires right up. However, went to set out hay and about 100 yards it quits like it ran out of fuel. I致e tried everything. Put emergency anti gel in the fuel and filter and it would start and run a minute then seem to run out again. I eventually drained the tank and bought new fuel from the gas station and added treatment and a new fuel filter. It ran a few hundred feet and quit again. Itll start on ether and pick up on fuel and run a bit then quit again. I知 baffled and I致e got to have this tractor to set out hay. No relief in sight for temps. Any ideas on getting it going. Gelled fuel was my first thought but now I知 starting to wonder. Any ideas?

 

[jcmaurice6]

Fuel Filter is block with wax because low temperature. Heat the fliter with heatgun and after try this:
TM-4 - Pour Point Depressant for Diesel Fuel - Prolab Technolub Inc.

 

[newbury]

First of all don't feed it ether unless it's certified for diesel, try WD40.

It may still be too cold for your fuel. Name your treatment. I'd put in PS, maybe double the dose, and if you can get a plastic bag around the fuel filter bag it and pour hot water in the bag and keep emptying the bag and pouring hot water in until the fuel filter gets warm.
I did that to a VW diesel that gelled due to summer fuel at 40 below.

/edit jc posted while I was composing - now IF you can get the fuel filter off easy and restart then just take the filter out and dump the wax, refill and restart.
The main thing is to ensure that you don't have a block of wax in the filter.
For example I can only access my VW filter from the top and can slide a bag down and around it, I can't get a heat gun on it other than from the top.

 

[beenthere]

Looks like the temps for you will be near 30 deg tomorrow.. hope you can get the filter warmed up (like the warm water suggestion) and then cranked enough to keep the engine running.

Sounds like you may not be near an electrical outlet.. or hope you have a generator handy.

Keep us posted..

 

[mtncur]

I do have an outlet nearby in my garage. I keep the block heater plugged in. I will try warming the filter tomorrow with a heat gun. My garage is toasty warm with wood heat but the door clearance is only 8 ft. My tractor needs 8’3” to clear. I’ve considered letting air out of the tires but I’m not sure I would gain enough.

 

[square1]

Had a similar issue a couple years back. Tarped the tractor and pointed a 50.000 BTU salamander under the tarp for a couple hours. It started and ran like the middle of summer afterward.

 

[mtncur]

Had a similar issue a couple years back. Tarped the tractor and pointed a 50.000 BTU salamander under the tarp for a couple hours. It started and ran like the middle of summer afterward.

I think I will try tarping today after work. I wonder if another new fuel filter is warranted. I feel I may have gummed the new one up yesterday before I drained all the fuel.

 

[LouNY]

You should replace the filter, it is very difficult to suspend the wax that separates out, you could have wax in the pump and injector lines, lots of heat will help.

 

[Billrog]

What LouNY posted.

 

[LouNY]

Okay, lots of good advice here. I'm going to touch on one thing I haven't seen mentioned and I think when done I'll copy and paste to some other threads.
In sub zero temperatures cut down on the exposure to the outside air for your equipment,
put a plastic trash bag in front of your grill to stop the air flow, wrap a bungee cord around to hold it in place, as it warms up you can give it some air if needed, just slid your cover down a bit.
Get a small tarp and more bungee cords wrap it around the hoods on your tractor under the engine and on both sides.
When you get to using it open up the front to get a little air in, watch your temperature gauges unless you are working
your engine hard it will need very little air, the heat that you trap will warm your fuel lines and filter.
If its making heat then you can open up the rear a bit and let some come back to your feet, it will be like the old heat housers
we used to put on and a few of use still do at times.
Let these diesel run warm they will work better and last longer, note I said warm not to hot :thumbsup:

 

[sunnyside360]

As usual, all good suggestions above. Been there and done it all in past 55 years. I would definitely put on a new fuel filter prior to tarping if there is any question. MTNCUR, let us know how you make out.

 

[mtncur]

Started it after work and it痴 running like a summer day! I didn稚 have to do anything else to it other than I kept the block heater plugged up all day. I知 thinking the warmer temps 33, today and the fuel treatment eventually dissolved the paraffin. I am ever grateful for the input. I will keep all the advice here in mind and try and remember to always make sure my fuel is treated. Cold weather is still imminent so I hope I have no further issues.

 

[beenthere]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[square1]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

^^ X2 ^^

 

[sunnyside360]

Started it after work and it痴 running like a summer day! I didn稚 have to do anything else to it other than I kept the block heater plugged up all day. I知 thinking the warmer temps 33, today and the fuel treatment eventually dissolved the paraffin. I am ever grateful for the input. I will keep all the advice here in mind and try and remember to always make sure my fuel is treated. Cold weather is still imminent so I hope I have no further issues.

Great news. My hunch is same as your thinking. Likely good for the rest of cold spell.

 

[trlong]

Thanks to all, regarding gelled fuel filter. Had bought diesel, months ago, in warm weather. I've always added a bit of "additive"to keep the diesel de-gelled, but skipped it last fill up of my reserves. Although I had to replace the battery the other day, and was able to run the 4115 long enough to blow the driveway snow, at -18 this morning, I could start, but not keep it running. 1st thought should have been the fuel filter, but I apparently had brain-freeze. Wish I had a spare filter. Thought I had, but no, and this one is full of gel. From now on I'll make sure I have extras. Best I can do, for now, is clean this one out and hope that the de-geling additive I've added, along with slightly warmer weather (i.e. up to a whopping +9 degrees) will prevent it from clogging up again until I can replace the diesel and get a new filter. Don't I feel foolish for not having thought of the filter 1st. Again, thanks all...

 

[ratpie]

i feel your pain. i finally got my baby home after a week. first day it's been above freezing all week.