David G

Well-known Member
The store was out of power services, so I bought a jug of Howes. It is going to be -22 in the morning and I have a two hour drive.

I am going to be really mad at you guys if I gel up.
 
Howe's itself will gel up at -22. It might work when mixed with diesel, but I've seen it get all cloudy and thick. #1 fuel is the best defense.
 
Howes is all I run, along with straight #2, in all my tractors, skidsteer, and 06 Dodge. Other then the skidsteer, I have never gelled. The skidsteer must have Ice in it, cause I have to blow the line out to make it run, below 0.
 
David if you buy your fuel from a reliable place that says they have winter blend, I would not worry. If I was worried I would dump a quart of gas in the tank and go.

Bob
 
Well, that's a good question. I've never had either PS or Howes let me down. Never once. But, there was a tank full once when I didn't add either, and the temps seriously nose dived and I found myself limping into a truck stop to get some PS 9-1-1 to open my waxed injectors and it did the trick. And therein lies my question. The PS 9-1-1 didn't hurt anything, so I have to wonder with extreme cold, can you mix it in with your fuel that has already been treated with either PS or Howes as harmless insurance. Anyone know?

By the way, I use PS or Howes all year long, every tankful, trucks and tractors ever since the gel up, and I've not had a problem since. But...anyone know in the cases of extreme cold, if you aren't running No. 1 diesel, can you add PS 9-1-1 to make up the difference? Anyone know?

Thanks.

Mark
 
On one brand of fuel conditioner I recently bought (not Howes) it mentioned on the label that it had to be mixed with fuel that had a temperature of at least 32 degrees. Apparently it does not mix well under that temperature. Is this the reason that some fuel conditioners work sometime and then fail miserably the next? Mike
 
snake oil = a good description of Howe's.
get some number 1 fuel into it and change fuel filter if you didn't last fall!
 
Pure chemicals will gel just keep the bottle warm add pour it in when you fill or add it along the way adding more will not hurt anything regardless of the brand.
 
I should have added get a cardboard box(a big one) unfold it, now open your hood place it on the back side of the grill shut the hood fast before it can fall down. In extreme cold your engine will not over heat, the card board is still about six inches away from the Rad. and lots of air can get around it. I have done this many times. If the engine gets warm on a hill turn heater fan on high.
 
Depends on where you are. There"s 2 co-ops and a truckstop around here where you can get fuel. The one co-op blends 70/30, when I gelled last winter they said I had other problems because they had blended it 70/30, and they would like to blend it heavier but their supplier wouldn't let them. And they had mixed one batch of 70/30 and dumped it in the storage tank when the forecast got cold. The other co-op runs 50/50, and the truck stop was built and is run by guys from Michigan so they just dump in the proper amount of a #1300/barrel additive.

I ran in Michigan a lot up as far as where they came from and never saw -10, doubt I saw 0, let alone -20.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top