Re: Diesel pickups fuel gelling

Posted by trucker40 on January 02, 2010 at 09:13:11 from (69.152.38.70):

In Reply to: Re: Diesel pickups fuel gelling posted by ktheo1 on January 02, 2010 at 08:08:51:

This is a case where you have to read the instructions.The good additive like Howes must be mixed right to work good.If its too weak of a mixture it can still gell.As long as you get your mix right and it runs good its not really necessary to change the filter.However I would carry a spare filter with me all the time.Also if it was a real expensive filter I would see if I could find another filter head and get a different filter the same micron that didnt cost 70 dollars to change.I have had to change my 4 dollar filter on a Cummins 4 or 5 times in one day before when I got bad fuel a few times.
Somebody said additive was good for -50.None that I ever saw was.Things like that change all the time but straight number one or kerosene below -20 is what I would do.Straight number one could need additive below that if I remember right.If you are going to run in temperatures above that then you are alright with additive as long as you mix it right.I dont know about biodiesel.Diesel tanks on big trucks get whats called sludge in them.I would burn 200 gallons of diesel a day if I was running good and still would get sludge in the bottom of the tank.Now unless you draw the fuel out of the bottom of the tank sludge builds up in all tanks that have a pickup tube in them,like on a pickup truck.If you have that in your tank I hear that bio diesel will clean that out,so it will plug your filters,and could freeze in a line because its actually water.Every year I would drain some out of the bottom of my tanks before it got real cold and that would help on changing filters unless I bought fuel that had that in it.You have to be more picky about where you fuel with a diesel.Places like a truck stop where they go through a lot every day are better than some place that keeps it in their tank a few months.Never fuel if a tanker is pumping fuel in the tanks because it can stir up all of that sludge and cause you trouble.The more water you can keep out of your system the better off you are with a diesel.There are absorbant sock like things you can get to put in a tank on a big truck.I used them once a long time ago and they seemed to work.The biggest problem though is mixing additive wrong.Also I never knew,and still dont know what you do when you buy fuel that claims to have anti gell added to it.I always just mixed my Fppf additive in it anyway if It was going to be real cold and I was going North.It might be wrong to do that but nobody ever gave me a good answer either.I dont know if mixing different additive helps or hurts but you want additive in before it gells.Its a real mess if you get it gelled up bad.Could be spring and warm weather before you get it running right again.
Diesels have their problems,but they make up for it in other ways usually.Take care of the sludge,mix your antigell right,and carry a filter with you,and maybe avoid buying biodiesel until warm weather,and it should stay running.
Also from my experience working on them,a lot of problems get healed with warmer weather.I rarely ever started my reefer unless the outside temp was 40 degrees and had very few problems with it at least while hauling refrigerated loads.After the auto start reefers came out I would start them down South and turn them on manual if I had a frozen load.That was when fuel was a lot cheaper though.However a diesel thats warmed up and running return fuel into the tank is a lot easier to keep running than one that starts once every 5 or 6 hours.When they get cold soaked its a lot harder to start them especially if they are wore out.Trying to run in the cold you have to be very conscious of your fuel and also how cold is it going to be tomorrow if you get fuel today and will it be liquid tomorrow.8 oz of Power service might not be enough.You might need twice that and if you have bio diesel it could have sucked sludge up in your filter if you changed 5 minutes ago.I wouldnt know how you would have to mix biodeisel to keep it from gelling or if you even can mix something in it that works.Some vehicles I have seen on TV they rigged to burn cooking oil have a heated fuel line or they cant burn it at all,plus I think they have a fuel heater in the tank,and you have to start the engine on regular diesel and switch over after it warms up.

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