Diesel Jelly
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 14
From: West Cornwall, CT
Diesel Jelly
It looks like several of us are seeing cold weather related diesel fuel problems.
This morning it was -15 degrees F. The truck started fine and ran well for about a mile then it started loosing power. Classic diesel jelling symptoms.
A photo of the HFCM filter is attached.
Lesson learned. It is easier to add an anti-gel additive to the tank than to drain the HFCM and change out the filter while lying in the snow when it is below zero outside.....
Lou Braun
This morning it was -15 degrees F. The truck started fine and ran well for about a mile then it started loosing power. Classic diesel jelling symptoms.
A photo of the HFCM filter is attached.
Lesson learned. It is easier to add an anti-gel additive to the tank than to drain the HFCM and change out the filter while lying in the snow when it is below zero outside.....
Lou Braun
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,665
Likes: 164
From: Cartersville, Ga
looks yummy! I bet that was the worst filter change to date for ya. This morning in N. Ga the temps in my neck of the woods hit high single digits and my buddies D/Max did the same thing.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 14
From: West Cornwall, CT
I wish someone had taken photos of the "under the truck in the snow" part of this project!
Temperatures are projected to be -15 degrees again tonight. We will see if all of that Power Service and 911 stuff that I added works tomorrow.
Lou Braun
PS: I took that jelly-covered filter and tried to get the jelly to melt. It did not. It looks as if once the wax component of diesel fuel settles out it will not readily go back into solution. I'll bet that the Alaska folk know all about this.
Temperatures are projected to be -15 degrees again tonight. We will see if all of that Power Service and 911 stuff that I added works tomorrow.
Lou Braun
PS: I took that jelly-covered filter and tried to get the jelly to melt. It did not. It looks as if once the wax component of diesel fuel settles out it will not readily go back into solution. I'll bet that the Alaska folk know all about this.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,741
Likes: 3
Once it's OUT of solution, it's just like the paraffin that your grandmother used to seal jars of homemade jelly. It takes 100+ degree heat to get it to melt.
If it's still immersed in diesel, it'll melt at just over freezing (32 deg), thanks to the aromatic fraction of the fuel. If you have some of it left, drop it in room-temperature gasoline and watch it melt. It won't melt quickly, but it will melt.
Ya'll may have heard of stories of unfortunate truckers who had their entire tanks freeze up. This unfortunate situation requires the truck to sit in a heated shed/garage for as many as 3-4 days before the entire fuel supply (some 200+ gallons) completely liquefies.
(And for the record, PowerService White seems to peform FAR better at keeping fuel liquid than does Howe's, although I'm not to day 3 on the P-S, where Howe's had one tank partially frozen after 3 days of sub-zero temps last year.)
-blaine
Resident smarta$$
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 4,929
Likes: 9
From: Oaks,PA
Lesson learned. It is easier to add an anti-gel additive to the tank than to drain the HFCM and change out the filter while lying in the snow when it is below zero outside.....
Thanks for the pics!
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