Heat Gun Saves The Day!

jbrumberg · Jan 28, 2007

To All:

Due to the boring winter experienced by many of us in NE I have been starting my tractor up and running it about every two weeks. I have had a few sub zero days and no days above freezing recently. Today the temperature briefly rose above freezing so I decided to start the tractor. The tractor (NH TC29DA) started relatively easily as I had to pre-heat the injectors twice before the tractor would fire up. The tractor started up and I let it warm up ~ 5 minutes before I dumped the accumulated ice in the front bucket and drove down the driveway to pick up the Sunday newspaper (This is so sad

.). On the way back the tractor started to rough idle, miss, and ultimately died

! I checked the sediment bowl/fuel filter and the diesel fuel was gelled up. I had just replaced the filter with the 50 hour servicing. I get my diesel from a gas station that fuels the local school buses so I am assuming that the station changes its diesel seasonally. I added Power Service White to my fuel tank and to the 5 gallon jerry can with my last refill months ago. I did not pull the filter and instead used a heat gun to warm the sediment bowl/filter until the diesel reliquified. I was able to restart the tractor without difficulty and it ran without problems for 30 minutes. My question to the readership- do I need to add Power Service Silver to my tractor's fuel tank or is it possible that it was residual summer fuel in my fuel lines that led to the gelling? Also if I have to add Silver Power Service how does it interact with Power Service White? Thank you all for your anticipated responses. Jay

Thomas · Jan 28, 2007

Evening Jay.
I don't use winter diesel additive,instead purchase diesel from service station where a lot of heavy equipment owners,truckers,highway departments etc... purchase diesel...good service station w/no gelling,knock on wood.

Hair dryer also works good.

cp1969 · Jan 28, 2007

After this experience, I would leave it alone for the rest of the winter if you don't have any real use for the tractor during the cold months.

Starting it up every two weeks is not really much better on it than leaving it sit and since there is a question about the quality of the fuel in it I would just wait for warmer weather.

Sully2 · Jan 28, 2007

If it were mine..Id ADD the PS to the existing fuel...and also to my "can"... Start the tractor and let it run about 30 minutes to get "some" PS into the injector lines...shut it down...FILL the tank totally ( you dont want condensation forming in the tank) and then leave it alone unless REALLY needed.

Ken S.in Ky. · Jan 28, 2007

I would check the owners manual and see if it gives you an option to use a bit of kerosene when the tempreture goes down in the winter. Some manual will tell ya you can use NO.1 fuel or kerosene in cold weather. Kerosene or NO1 fuel doesn't jell as fast as diesel fuel.

Sully2 · Jan 28, 2007

Ken S.in Ky. said:
I would check the owners manual and see if it gives you an option to use a bit of kerosene when the tempreture goes down in the winter. Some manual will tell ya you can use NO.1 fuel or kerosene in cold weather. Kerosene or NO1 fuel doesn't jell as fast as diesel fuel.

????HUH???

Doc_Bob · Jan 28, 2007

Add some PS, run it and drive the tractor to get the PS mixed in.
Then park it under cover and enjoy a warm drink.
Bob

DieselPower · Jan 28, 2007

Sully2 said:
????HUH???

It was (was being the key word) common practice for all the local fuel distributors in my area to cut their winter blend diesel fuel with kerosene. Seing as most all of them only carry ULSD now they can no longer perform this practice. Adding No. 1 kerosene would lower the cold filter plug point of the fuel while not increasing it's cost. It has all has to be done with additives at the bulk distribution points now.

Another downfall of the ULSD is that it by nature has a higher cold filter plug point. I have seen test results that showed samples taken from the pump had cold filter plug points as high as +7 degree's F. Any good pour point depressant should lower it to around -25 degree's F.

jpm · Jan 28, 2007

it must be a NE thing i had to do the same to my tractor yesterday.It has added
fuel cond/anti gel in the fuel but still looked like mayo

it does clear up with heat and the tractor not running,if running the fuel flow must keep it to low to melt
ps. i was running b 20 bio in it next refill back to the reg stuff

john_bud · Jan 28, 2007

jbrumberg said:
To All:

Due to the boring winter experienced by many of us in NE I have been starting my tractor up and running it about every two weeks. I have had a few sub zero days and no days above freezing recently. Today the temperature briefly rose above freezing so I decided to start the tractor. The tractor (NH TC29DA) started relatively easily as I had to pre-heat the injectors twice before the tractor would fire up. The tractor started up and I let it warm up ~ 5 minutes before I dumped the accumulated ice in the front bucket and drove down the driveway to pick up the Sunday newspaper (This is so sad .). On the way back the tractor started to rough idle, miss, and ultimately died ! I checked the sediment bowl/fuel filter and the diesel fuel was gelled up. I had just replaced the filter with the 50 hour servicing. I get my diesel from a gas station that fuels the local school buses so I am assuming that the station changes its diesel seasonally. I added Power Service White to my fuel tank and to the 5 gallon jerry can with my last refill months ago. I did not pull the filter and instead used a heat gun to warm the sediment bowl/filter until the diesel reliquified. I was able to restart the tractor without difficulty and it ran without problems for 30 minutes. My question to the readership- do I need to add Power Service Silver to my tractor's fuel tank or is it possible that it was residual summer fuel in my fuel lines that led to the gelling? Also if I have to add Silver Power Service how does it interact with Power Service White? Thank you all for your anticipated responses. Jay

Jay,

Add enough of the PS white for a full tank of summer diesel. Too much is better than not enough. Also, PS silver and white play nice together. Just use the silver at 1/2 normal concentration.

I agree totally about just leaving the tractor until spring. Unless you can run it HARD for at least 2 hours. That would be doing real work that makes the tractor struggle. Just diddling around with it will actually build up combustion byproducts, moisture and worse in the oil and hydraulic fluid. Do block the clutch down. They can rust to the flywheel and it ain't no fun getting them off.

jb