With the next blast of arctic air hitting the US this week I thought I would post this since we always seem to see an increase in number of cold weather starting & fuel gelling/icing threads.......thought about it when we had to take a 250+ mile trip Tuesday morning when the temps were -14F when we left.



When it gets this cold I keep a few items in the back so if problems do happen I'm not caught with my pants down.....as the Boy Scouts say - "be prepared" or "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure".

Powerservice Diesel 911 winter rescue formula
a quart or so of Diesel fuel (#1 diesel if available)
a spare fuel filter
for those that have done the in-tank & pre-pump mods a spare Baldwin BF1212 fuel filter
rubber gloves
paper towels
filter wrench

a few things to keep in mind:

1. if you add a anti-gelling additive to your fuel it must be added before the fuel starts clouding & forming wax crystals. This starts at around 15-20F for #2 diesel (cloud Point) and will be higher if running a biodiesel blend. An anti-gell additive will drop the cloud point temp but once the wax crystals are formed an anti-gel additive will not reverse the process.

2. Don't be misled by the "good to -30F" info on the anti-gelling product label. Most products us the D6371 test to determine the "Cold Filter Plug Point", the temperature at which at 45 micron filter in plugged. IIRC the OEM fuel filter on a 7.3L is around 14 microns. Much more restrictive than a 45 micron filter used in the test. The newer diesels have fuel filters as low as 2 microns. This answers the question, "why did I gell up when I put an additive in already?".

3. If available in your area add some #1 diesel to your tank. You might loose some fuel mileage but it's better than gelling up.

4. if possible, keep the truck garaged overnight with a full tank of fuel. Plugging in the block heater will not warm the fuel in the tank.

5. if you are driving & you start loosing power this could be a sign that you are gelling. Dump some 911 or equivalent in the tank ASAP but keep some in the bottle in case you need to change the fuel filter since you are supposed to fill 1/2 the new fuel filter with 911 and 1/2 with diesel.

 

Excellent tips and suggestions, Rich. Thanks for that.

 

This stuff seems to fly off the shelf lately.........

 

It's worked for me the last 5 years here Pete, hopefully it will prevent someone from going through the pain of:

"stuck on the side of the road, run to numerous stores, change filters & come out smelling like diesel feeling".

 

Is #1 diesel just kerosene??

 

Pretty much so......but here is a good explanation from BP's DISTILLATE FUEL CLASSIFICATIONS Technical Bulletin:

============================================
Grade No. 1-D and kerosene are very similar in their
physical characteristics although different in their
specifications. Therefore, sometimes their names
are used interchangeably by customers. The
specification for 1-D fuels is based on the fuel’s ability
to perform in a diesel engine as opposed to the
specification for 1-K fuels, which is based on heating
appliance applications. 1-D and 1-K have different
specifications, but because they are so similar, one
fuel is often made to meet both 1-D and 1-K
specifications. Check with your BP, Amoco or Arco
supplier to determine if 1-K can be substituted with 1-
D. The biggest difference between 1-K and 1-D is in
their end use, the application of road taxes, and
maximum sulfur content levels.


taxes.........hmmmmmmm

 

So it's just a tax issue thanx for the info

 

I never had a problem until this year. I add my additive like I should and use my block heater. My fuel started to gel up on me power went down to nothing I was afraid to shut the truck off. So I didn't until I verified indeed it was gelling up. I got under the truck and looked at my inline filter and there it was. I shut the truck off added 911 changed the inline filter and was on my way. This all happened while it was colder then I like to be under my truck and on the side of the express way while it was snowing something fierce.

 

I have a jug of 911 sitting in the garage but its suppose to be 80 degrees today so I don't think I will need it All kidding aside, also plan for your own needs as in extra (blankets, food, sleeping bag, first aid kit, water, meds etc..) as you may get stranded and be without assistance for some time. I have spent more than my fair share of nights between Rawlins and Laramie back in Wyoming sitting on the side of the road waiting for the road to open and these little items go a long way.

 

Good addition.....

My wife gave me a neat little toy for Christmas last year. This BioLite stove & USB charger. BurnStick some of the supplied tabs (or sticks, paper, etc) to heat some water & charge the cell phone. Not that I'm gonna light the thing up while changing filters, but if I ever get stuck like that for hours I'll have something to play with......

....as long as I don't fall asleep & burn the Excursion down...

 

Nice write up Rich ! Thanks for pointing out the facts about cloud point and filter micron ratings I think them are points that are often over looked. I think in this weather and temps being at or below zero this is a very important and serious issue that needed to be addressed.

Dan I also agree that having supplies for yourself in case you are stranded or stuck on a closed road and have nowhere to go. Better safe than sorry!

I just want to add one last thing of things to keep in your truck since you just never know! "Toilet Paper"
In my book it is a must have.

 

absolutely, I hate lossing my socks! (sorry for the mental picture.......)

 

I always keep a heavy ration of paper napkins in my door panels for handling all kinds of miscellaneous mishaps. Not the softest or strongest for sensitive applications, but better than nothing, and certainly better than my greasy/oily rags in the back where I keep my funnel and oil containers. On second thought, I might just need to go ahead and supplement my paper goods with something more absorbant and soft-textured for those certain "personal" moments.

 

I have spent 2 long but very comfortable nights in my truck, once in a snow storm, and once in an ice storm, both times returning from W.V. to N.J. I always have all the essentials like food and water etc. even a porta pot in the camper top. I do however have a bunk in place of the rear seat which gets used both ways by my wife on every round trip. Its about 7hrs for me one way, but only about 1hr. for her. Oh, and Pete, baby wipes are your friend.

 

In the above post I forgot the main point or question I wanted to bring up. Many including myself have done the hutch mod and for good reason, air in the fuel, and those little screens in the mixing chamber. Hmm. mixing chamber. Do you suppose that after fixing the air intrusion problem from the quick connects on the suction side of the pump, we may have been better off removing the screens and let the warm returning fuel mix with the fuel in the chamber to help prevent gelling? Of coarse you still would need the prepump filter mod of some type.