So I am having some issues with my fuel gelling. It has happened twice. Both time when the temp was about -10 with a -25 wind chill. The engine runs for a bit and then dies. I have an e pump so its not air intrusion. I think I have narrowed it down to the bowl on my e pump mounted under the van. I am already running the winter power service and wanted to add a heating element to the bowl/ lines. I was thinking of using some heat tape (the stuff for pipes) or a pad of some kind. Has anyone done this? The e pump bowl is plastic and I dont want to melt it. Other ideas? Thanks

 

is there no place to mount the pump up in the warm engine bay?

 

I am going to look at this possibility in a little more depth. I looked into doing this originally, but with it being a van there isnt much extra space. Any other thoughts?

 

Verified it was gelled fuel clogging the metal screen on my electric fuel pump. At 7am this morning I couldn't even see the screen......looked like it was smeared with yellow bacon grease. Got home today at 4pm and it looked a little better, probably since it warmed up to 9*, but it still wouldn't start. Grabbed the wife hair drier (she wasn't home) and let it blow on the plastic fuel bowl for about 15 minutes. Fired up after a few cranks....enough to get the fuel to the injectors.

I am thinking that just putting some insulation over the exposed fuel bowl may fix it. I have a couple of clear plastic inline filter before my selector valve and they are fine since they are tucked up in places that shield them from the -30* windchill. The fuel pumps bowl is shielded from the front and sides, but not the back.

I have been running the Winter Power Service in my fuel, but it's limit seems to be when the wind chill gets in the -20* to -30* range. Would running double dose help with this?

 

Is this some old, summer blend fuel?

 

At this point of the winter I wouldn't think so. If it was I would think that I would have been having issues prior. It seems fine at temps down to about -10*. Even more if the windchil isn't too bad. This morning was -12* with a windchill of about -30*.

 

well right now to take care of the issue at hand,i would pour some of this in:
DIESEL 9?1?1® For Winter Emergencies: Winter Rescue Formula ? use to reliquefy gelled fuel and de-ice frozen fuel-filters.

a big advantage of this style of electric fuel pump is it's ability to lift fuel rather than simply push it,so if it at all possible to make a home in the engine bay sure would be ideal but hopefully wrapping it helps.
perhaps building it a enclosed box could be something feasible,and one step further installing a universal heating blanket just inside the enclosure to help heat that up rather than simply right up on the plastic bowl.really your only limited by your imagination as far as heating/enclosing/wrapping the pump to help avoid gelling.

 

I dumped in the Diesel 911 and went for a drive. For tonight I used an exterior faucet cover to shield it. With the cold temps all the stores are out of heat tape. I was thinking it is about the right size to slip a winter mitten around and then could secure it with zip ties. I have been thinking about building some kind of a box around it to shield it from any road debris that might kick up and hit it.

 

Howes Lubricator

 

Can you get your hands on #1 diesel? in the north in some states they sell nondyed on road kerosene as #1diesel, this has much lower gell point, I have seen whare a guy put a heat tape, for pipes on his fuel lines in a diesel motor home, he said it worked great, looked funny sounds like you are doing what you can..

 

Seems to me if they were selling you fuel that would jell at current temps in your area you'd be seeing a lot of trucks on the side of the road on a colder day. Are others in your area having the same problem?

Wind chill doesn't really effect fuel and the like the same as it makes the cold feel to you. A cup of water will not freeze if the temp is 33 degrees even if the wind chill is 0, though it will get down to 33 degrees faster than if the wind weren't blowing.

 

Its possible I got some bad fuel. I have talked to a numbed of other diesel owners who had some issues. The delivery driver said they left their trucks running all night and still had some issues with some. Auto parts stores were out of the 911 stuff. Ford dealer tech said a number of trucks have come in due to gelled fuel clogging the filter. It has been much colder for much longer than normal around here.