fuel gelling and fuel filters

[cmills]

i keep reading about people changing fuel filters when their fuel gells up are they just doing it to get going right away or is there another reason. I've never changed them before because of gelling, I've just always pulled it in the shop and it was always fine after it warmed up, but I've never had the problem out on the road where i needed to get going immediately. This is all we have ever done on the farm tractors also, should I be changing them anyway or is it fine to just let the fuel warm up and then carry on?

 

[cerberusiam]

Once whatever is plugging the filter melts out they should be fine. ULSD has some bad cold weather features that really don't hurt a filter, just kills the flow thur it. Once the fuel is warmed back up they are fine.

 

[LocoPilot750]

Always the possibility it had water in when it froze. Might hit the drain valve when it warms up to make sure.

 

[mwilson]

Really good idea to change the filters after a gelling event, even if you get things thawed out for the time being. I don't trust them after.

And if there was ice there is the possibility that it opened a hole in the filter medium. Not worth the risk IMHO.

Filters are cheap, injectors are not.

Mike.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Really good idea to change the filters after a gelling event, even if you get things thawed out for the time being. I don't trust them after.

And if there was ice there is the possibility that it opened a hole in the filter medium. Not worth the risk IMHO.

Filters are cheap, injectors are not.



Mike.

x2.........

 

[TCDiesel]

x2.........

X3....... That rule at 1 time worked, with the media that's required to reach the Mic rating requirement have change much, I have 2 factory pumps with what looks to be filter media in the manifold filter, both owners had fuel problems all winter long. its been 20 Years, MN has had such a brutal cold winter, and much of the filter technology has NEVER been tested to this level, I don't want to here about Houghton, MI. that place is warm compare to Northern MN, I know many loggers that have been running straight #1 for weeks now, the 30/70 gelled up the machines in the woods ,trucks all gelled up, many have run up fuel debt that will take months to pay off. its ugly, the weather looks to break tomorrow hopefully until spring, if we get warm weather in late March the floods will undated everywhere, I don't want to see the Red river that's only a few hundred feet (at best) get to be 13+ miles wide like it did in 1997.

 

[Wygate]

X3....... That rule at 1 time worked, with the media that's required to reach the Mic rating requirement have change much, I have 2 factory pumps with what looks to be filter media in the manifold filter, both owners had fuel problems all winter long. its been 20 Years, MN has had such a brutal cold winter, and much of the filter technology has NEVER been tested to this level, I don't want to here about Houghton, MI. that place is warm compare to Northern MN, I know many loggers that have been running straight #1 for weeks now, the 30/70 gelled up the machines in the woods ,trucks all gelled up, many have run up fuel debt that will take months to pay off. its ugly, the weather looks to break tomorrow hopefully until spring, if we get warm weather in late March the floods will undated everywhere, I don't want to see the Red river that's only a few hundred feet (at best) get to be 13+ miles wide like it did in 1997.

Yea Houghton is warm, compared to much MN, but with that "warmth" comes a snow measuring stick that MN uses as a power pole
The ski resort in the Keewanaw had more snow on the ground than any other in the lower 48 & they don't have snow guns or groomers its all Lake Flake's
Man I miss living in that area, give me snow over -30 any day

Oh yea changing filters seems like sound advice

 

[BIGNASTY]

Logan Pass is located along the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana. ... Just east of the pass, an area known as Big Drift often records over 100 feet (30 m) of snowfall.


http://www.pasty.com/snow/




?

 

[Wygate]

Big I was there this past summer, stayed in the park where you recommend for us. Most of park was still closed due to snow in early June.
I've had to use snow shoes in May while wearing short sleeves near da SOO (Sault ste Marie, MI) to get in the woods for work.
Now that I am back in north woods I found I had "softened" a bit when I comes to winter, having been gone for many years.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Big I was there this past summer, stayed in the park where you recommend for us. Most of park was still closed due to snow in early June.
I've had to use snow shoes in May while wearing short sleeves near da SOO (Sault ste Marie, MI) to get in the woods for work.
Now that I am back in north woods I found I had "softened" a bit when I comes to winter, having been gone for many years.

If snow depth and snow records are something to be proud of I would just as soon be at the bottom of the pole, :-laf but snow is a fact of life. We live with it just like the other seasons, I like them all except the next one coming up known as the "Mud Season" for a month or so I just cant stand to work outside. Shoes have thick mud soles like Herman Munster Boots, smack my head going into doorways with the extra height cant do a damn thing without having to figure mud into the equation. Driving in snow is a piece of cake compared to the mud, ive had to chain up the truck more in mud than in snow.

You'll have to come back to the park when its more conducive to summer time activities, along with the hordes of people that's the only problem with the park and its short time to visit without the weather being a factor. If we go at that time we usually go to the other parts of the park that people don't want to camp in due to bear problems, Polebridge, Bowman lake, Kintla lake are primitive campgrounds in the NW corner of the park and not were the so call sights of the park are located. But still have spectacular sights, fishing in the North Fork of the Flathead has been the best we have found, our children take their friends and family to fish there and have never been disappointed. And if seeing the Great Bears is on your bucket list YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!! Penny and I go to the park alot during the winter to Cross Country Ski and snow shoe, we sometimes take our camping gear and make a weekend out of it snow camping, if being alone is what your after give that a try.

 

[Sticks]

Seems to be a common issue this year.

Colorado is not known for constant sub zero temps, but this last go around (our second this year) caused a lot of issues that I think can be pointed back to the fuel suppliers. I heard the same issues from several other contractors, and about half of our company pickups were suffering from the same.

The 5 class 8 trucks that we have at work, three refused to stay running. All have been filled from the same main fuel tank at our shop, the other 2 have been parked for a while, and had no problem. We had to get them on the road, and ended up using a couple of block heaters that we had sitting on the shelf dunked into the fuel tanks. Not the smartest idea, but it got 150 gallons of fuel up to 32* in 45 minutes.

I think we have decided to "T" off the return line with a 3/16" or 1/4" line back to the fuel suction side of the primary filter to keep some heat going back through it to prevent this in the future. Winter only mod, will remove come spring.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Ok, explain this gelled filters are more likely to gel up easier the next time business to me please. I've had trucks gel here in Alaska, warm them up and toss in some additive and run them another 15k miles at much colder temps with no issues. This has to strictly be a fuel problem huh? (keep in mind we run #1 here almost all the time)

 

[TCDiesel]

Well if you can warm the entire tank fuel up ,and depending on Your Promised to return for free or pay the tow...With fuel difference across the country and conditions, and How dirty the filter originally was, Unless you know all the conditions you are putting the risk much higher, if your willing to take the risk you can do what you want. I don't care much for changing frame mounted filters twice when -30 out and winds 20/30MPH in some parking lot or drive way, I prefer My hoist @ 68 and No wind. Heeeeheeee