Check out the link below from an article last year.

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel a Concern in Cold Weather | Lancaster Farming

It's a good story to read about ULSD fuel and gelling concerns.

Here is another link/story that is well written and expalins a lot. Maybe becuase it supports my therory to use addtives year round and the benefits of cetane, detergents lubricity and anti-gels are all good things.... and can be easily found and bought.

http://dieselsite.com/prodrev/fuel.htm

Happy Reading....

 

It's been near -30 C where I am for the last week, no problems with gelling yet, last year we had a week 0f -40 C and still no problems with gelling although many fuel stations had frozen pumps,

 

I would assume that your service stations are selling trated fuel or you have just been lucky???

I prefer to be good instead of lucky!!!!!

I do not believe in luck, but if I did, it always runs out!!!

I believe in being prepared and always looking ahead. I use experience, other people's experience and prepare accordingly.

If your luck had or does run out and your tank or truck gelled up, would you go out of your way to post on this forum how your lack of preparation caused you to gell up... I dought it... how embarressing!!!!

 

They certainly sell treated fuel, I run stanadyne I think, not even sure what it is cause I get it from work for nothing. Probably still lucky when it gets this cold to not have any problems though. I've been able to avoid problems by coming to this site and doing things ahead of time from what I've learned here. I've also had the pleasure of getting a really good 6.0. Only time it didn't start was when the alternator died on me.

 

Funny isn't it.... lets look at the facts....

FACT:
1) Diesel fuel qiality is suspect at best.

2) Changing from LSD to ULSD has caused increased gelling issues.

3) Not all fuel stations have or properly treat their fuel from gelling.

4) A winterized blended fuel of #1D and #2D has less lubricity and less thermal energy (decreased mileage).

5) Today's modern diesel motors are more susessible to poor fuel quality issues due to the use of computers and other emission control equipment.


With all these facts, it always amazes me that people question the use of additives in general (why use them), using on a year-round basis (why use year-round and not just the winter) and/or bragging about never using any additives or anti-gels!!!

Oh well, to each their own... but I get a real kick out of reading people's posts that try and defend their position based upon the known facts above and why they do not use additives year-round or at least anti-gels in the winter.

 

Great... just make sure it is the "anti-gel" formulation of Stanadyne. They, like other companies have different formulations. Happy Holidays.

 

Again, I use Powerservice for the following reasons:

1) Readily available at truck-stopsd and Walmart.

2) Is a product that contains a mixture of many "benefits" in which you get cetane improvers, lubricity, anti-gel and detergents.

For example, here is a link for the Stanadyne products... and if you read closely, the "winter formulation" does not have cetane, lubricity or detergents... just anti-gel protection. Look at all their products and find one that does it all... I have and have chosen Powerservice... but then again, to each their own.

Posts like this are mainly for new people who are new to diesel fuel additives and would like to cut through all the marketing and hoop-la and find a simple to buy and use product.

Diesel Fuel Additives :: Stanadyne Performance Formula, Racor, Power Service, Lucas Oil

 

So the performance formula has cold weather protection? That is the one that I am using. Not sure if that is anti-gel but it does say it is a year round but I should probably run the anti-gel as well. Problem with where I live is we can go from +10 C to -30 C in the course of a couple hours and vice versa, get caught with your pants down pretty easy.

 

Here is the Stanadyn website:

Diesel Fuel Additives - Stanadyne

I guess you can read up on each of their products. They to even state one can double-dose???

I think the Performance Formula has it all, but like anything... how much of each additive chemical can fit in a bottle? I find it hard to believe that the Winter Formula offers the same cold weather protection as the Performance Formula, but yet the Performance formula has more "secret stuff" in it for the other benefits it toughts????

Something is not right???????

[B]Performance Formula®[/B]
The premium all-season, multi-function diesel fuel additive, designed to tackle virtually any diesel fuel related problem. Meets all fuel system requirements regardless of make, model or year:
Cold Weather Protection - reduces diesel pour point up to 40°F (22°C), and cold filter plug point by up to 25°F (13°C), depending on base fuel


Winter 1000
Economic cold weather protection
Fuel Gelling Protection - pour point reduced by as much as 40°F (22°C), depending on base fuel


I have only heard good things about Stanadyne products. I just prefer to use the Powerservice becuase of the lower price and being readily available... but those two things aside, Stanadyne is good stuff.... but I would call or email them on the differences of their products and advertised benefits or maybe they have mistakenly included wrong specs and info on their website???

Let me know what you find out....

 

Beachbumcock,

The link to that article you posted above is excellent. Everyone should read it. Thanks!!!!

 

omgggggg......sorry about the name typo......uuuuuggggggggg purely an accident........

 

Actually powerservice 911 contains Slickdiesel which prolongs life of injectors and fuel filters and is also an aid to prevent water and fuel filter icing. ive used it on areg. basis with no problems. if you deal with above zero temps, i would use the white bottle, but here, minus 10 deg. or lower for more then two or three consecutive days is normal. in other words, we dont have cold temps, we have COLD temps!

 

[QUOTE=Beachbumcook;

With all these facts, it always amazes me that people question the use of additives in general (why use them), using on a year-round basis (why use year-round and not just the winter) and/or bragging about never using any additives or anti-gels!!!

Oh well, to each their own... but I get a real kick out of reading people's posts that try and defend their position based upon the known facts above and why they do not use additives year-round or at least anti-gels in the winter.

[/QUOTE]

I'll tell you why we do not use additives year around and only when necessary in the winter.

We buy 8,500 gallons at a time. Our winter consumption is minimal. Our summer consumption is very high. We run eight pickups, a dozen tractors, 4 combines and a couple of semis. Some trucks never see a public road. While your truck my be your first child, our trucks are tools, just like tractors, combines and semis. We see no reason and no evidence that adding these products will increase the service life of engine we are already running over 10,000 hours between overhauls. And while the additives may do everyting you suggest, I doubt that it would be cost effective to treat that kind of volume for the return you mention. For that matter we could build a huge facility and heat it to 80 degrees so nt a single engine would ever cold start- sure, they would last longer. Do you think that it would be a wise investment? (Incidentially, we have never had an injector or EGR issue on these International engine trucks- I am guessing, because they are worked as they were designed rather than used as glorified SUVs)

While the tractors used in the winter do not have winter blend fuel, we treat the fuel in those tanks because they gel. We treat the Dodge trucks because they gel. The older Fords have never geled. While the 6.0s have not gelled, but I was paranoid about the frame rail filter.

And I do not trust Ford to do the right thing because the company seems willing to cut anything to save a cent- often at the cost of safety and durability. Anyone who has drained water from the seperator in a 7.3 motor and then in a 6.0 motor knows exactly what I mean. Isn't that 6mm alen wedged up against the frame a real joy to deal with?

No one has posted any problems with gelling in the 6.0 motor. Which makes me think:

1) the return flow to the tank must be sufficent in temp and volume to combat the issue, and

2) Commericially available fuel is pretty well treated already.

I wish Ford had kept the heating element in the filter housing. The old design must have worked really well because we never had a gelling issue with the 7.3 motors.

 

Thanks for the links. I'll read them.

-m

 

I guess i'm guilty. i only use the stuff in the winter.