I am doing this to prove to my service manager that the problems I had with the truck bucking last week were not due to the fuel gelling. The outside temp was in the lower teens that day. I paid for my second set of fuel filters in about 15,000 miles, and I can see little difference. They do not have a diesel tech, so warranty work will have to be shipped out to another dealership. I will be without a truck for a few days, and they are reluctant to mess with the process. They feel something is wrong with my fuel, and won't budge until I prove otherwise. So here I go!

I have pulled two samples out of my diesel supply. One from the truck tank I had trouble with, and one from my overhead storage barrel. I have them labledd, and in new, clean mason jars. I have the jars set side by side with a thermometer in my spare fridge. It has read 5 degrees for a couple of hours. The fuel in my truck has blended #1 and #2 fuel. It also was treated with powerservice in the white bottle. The overhead barrel has straight #2, with sureflow added by the fuel man at fill. The tank was nearly empty when refilled. What fuel was left would offer little change in the overall makeup of the whole tank. (15 gallons out of 250) I have also only recently learned that there is no soy in my fuel. Another story all together.

Observations. Both mason jars are icing up a bit on the outside. If I swirl the contents, both spin easily. I can see no difference at this temperature in the depth or duration of the air bubble pattern (whirlpool) caused by the agitation. I was considering a pourability comparison. I was thinking of using a couple of single-use syringes for the test. I could use them to measure the volume accurately. I plan on placing the volumes on a pair of coffee filters to see how long it takes for each fuel volume to perk on down. I plan on using 20 ml of each fuel as a starting point.

Any thoughts?

 

Pour each one through a funnel into another jar. Record the time it takes to finish flowing. The only thing you would have to do is to be consistent with the way you poured out of the original jar. The smaller the funnel, the better indication of relative viscosities of the two samples. If you could rig up a
container on top of a funnel w/ a valve on the bottom of the funnel, this would be ideal.

 

That would be great. Identical starting times with valves and fixed volumes not influenced by speed of pour. I like it. It isn't what I have already done, but I like it. I determined a difference in the fuels with my low budget test. A surprise, and enough of a test to take it up a level.

I put the coffee filters over decapitated water bottles. Each glass syringe held 10 ml (not 20 as I initially thought). The temperature at pour was 5 degrees. I was astonished at the difference in how long it took the fuels to perk through. The "#1/#2 blend with powerservice" from my truck tank took nearly 3 minutes until last drop fell. Repeating the process for the #2 with sureflow, and the 10 ml volume took 2 minutes and 15 seconds until last drop. I have decided that the problems with my truck could have been fuel related. The fuel in my truck was supposedly "the same as we haul to municipal snow plowing entities". I may have had a questionable batch of fuel. I guess it only showed up when pulling loads at lower temps. Driving around this winter, I did not have the bucking. It was a full tank full I purchased in early December.

I guess I will send both of these samples off for a more scientific test (to a lab). I will also pull the EGR as recommended. I don't have the gasket kit today, or I would do it now.

Any more ideas?

 

Oops, I meant bulk tank full, not full tank full as I typed!

 

I would wonder if you got straight #2 with no additives?? If you got product which nwasn't your order. Have them come back and pump it out and refill with proper fuel you ordered.

 

if he actully has #2 i one tank,,it is house heating oil and will have no additives. # 2 can gell at -10. gelling makes the fuel act like jello. it is called the pour point. clouding is when the wax in the fue solidifies and this can happen at 10 ,,with #2. in my area of up state ny,,al the off road is ulsd with red dyethat is all i run. it was -10mthe other might and i had no problems with either my 6.0 or my diesel vw. i know of no fuel distributers that put any additives in any of their fuel. one does blend a #2/kero winter blend for the off road. i use a little 911 for water dispersent every few tanks because water wil cause filter probems quicker than anything else. a this pouring of fuel isnt going to show anything. how are you going to cool the fuel to its pour point? your cant do it in yyour freezer? i think your dealer needs his brain thawed out.

 

According to the New York State Department of Agriculture, distributors use additives:
http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/WM/wmpetrol.html

According to Exxon - they use additives:
http://www.exxon.com/USA-English/GFM/Products_Services/Fuels/Diesel_Fuels_FAQ.asp

According to Truckinginfo.net, manufacturers AND distributors use additives:
http://www.truckinfo.net/trucking/ad...s-workpage.htm

Mistakes can be made at the manufacturing site and by the distributor. With these 6.0L engines, it is well worth your while to pay attention to fuel quality.

 

I have achieved a lower temp this morning in my freezer. I am down to minus 1. I had problems with the refridgerator freezing up yesterday, as it is in an unheated porch. I vacuumed out the cooling coils, and have even colder temps now. I agree that my dealers need some warm weather on their brains, but I have to do some testing to figure out which one to send to Florida, and which one to put a stocking hat on...the Ford dealer, or the fuel dealer! I do believe that additives were put in my fuel by the company. I don't think they were scientifically determined...some is good, more is better? I know I added 8 ounces of powerservice to the truck tank. I thought it was a bit of an overdose given I only added a partial fill of the #2 to the #1/#2 blend already in the truck.

I might have water in my fuel. Since I ran the tank level down so low this winter, condensation is an issue that I may be fighting. I do use a hydrosorb filter to stop water from coming into my truck. It is a corn starch medium that will stop the flow of everything when it gets water to swell its contents. I have a similiar product soaking in the tank with corn starch sewed into a felt like material. After a couple days, I am to remove it and see if it has gotten heavy with water.

I do have a more visible problem at minus 1. I swirled the jars and can see a white cloudiness through the bottom of the jar that still spins, but not very fast. With all the winterizing these fuels supposedly have, I am surprised to see that they are both acting like they could be waxing filters up at this temp. The fuel guys stated that I "should be able to drive to the Yukon territory without reservation with the fuel they provided". I think they will be surprised that I wouldn't have made it much North of Minneapolis!

Interesting articles bismic. I am going to print them out and give them a second read after Church. Thanks for the help by sending them. Slang or jargon used in the field is often missused in this or any field.

I would like to show both dealers my cold samples. Keeping them this cold for very long will be a challange. The fuel salesman will come to my house, I am sure. The Ford dealership is only 3 miles from here. Maybe the styrofoam cooler with enough ice, and ziplock bags around the sample bottles would do the trick.

I am starting to feel like I am on Mythbusters!

Thanks for the help.

 

The large grocery store by us sells dry ice. This may help if you can find some.