Fuel gelling

[Steve St.Laurent]

In the 10 years I've owned my truck I've never had my fuel gel up until this year. Last week it was -6 and my truck was parked outside for about 8 hours and it gelled up. I was able to drive about 10 miles at 20 mph, anything over that and it would stumble and die. This morning it was -2 overnight and it gelled up again. I think this new ULSD is far more prone to gelling. In the past I've had my truck parked outside overnight in up to -20 weather with no problems with gelling with no additives in the fuel. Looks like I'll have to invest in a cast of anti-gel for the rest of the winter because we're having a cold one. Just thought I forewarn others further south that may not have hit the real cold weather yet.

 

[ttbird]

Steve, this is what I've been using here in the North East for the new ULSD. Have not had any problems yet and it's been cold. Diesel Products

 

[steved]

I posted about this last year... ULSD has a cloud point that is very close to the gel point. In untreated fuel that is around 15*F if I remember correctly.



Check your local stations, I found one that treats (at the rack) to -14*F... look for one that does fuel supply (diesel and home heating oil) as they know what they buy.

 

[Batphreak]

Yes, it seems that ULSD sucks quite a lot when it comes to gelling. This thread has some info that I found:

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...-cold-hopefully-just-plugged-fuel-filter.html

Iso-heet and Stanadyne is what the local diesel shop by me says to use. I'm sure the local guys in any region would have a solution they've been using for the last 2 years.

 

[steved]

The main thing is to avoid any additive with alcohol...



I believe ISOHEAT is a dry-gas isn't it?? Might want to check...

 

[Batphreak]

Iso-heet is an alcohol additive, absorbs water in the fuel. Adding Stanadyne on top of the heet is required to add more lubricity back to the fuel. According to the guys here the water in the fuel adds even more trouble with gelling.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Mine gelled at 0F last month, never ever had it happen to me before even at much colder temperatures. It amazes me some on this board insist ULSD is no more gel-prone than LSD, and that the culprit is moisture or old stock at a station not treated for winter conditions

 

[steved]

... some on this board insist ULSD is no more gel-prone than LSD...

When properly treated (i. e. winterized), the gel point temperature is substantially reduced. As I noted, the local station treats its fuel at the rack to protect to -14*F... but that doesn't mean every station is the same or that the rack didn't forget to even introduce the additive into the fuel just that time.



As for moisture... I have noted an increase in water since ULSD was introduced. Especially this time of year, I drain several ounces out every 500 miles or so... and that's even with a secondary water trap. It acts, in my opinion, hygroscopic (eg. water attracting) pulling water (moisture) from the air.



One thing to keep in mind, there are a ton of variables... fuel quality, commercial fuel additives, water, additive dosing, additive interference (two additives may make the situation worse), etc, etc... even something as little as the lift pump's condition could make or break you (I know for fact my FASS ws the only reason my truck never quit running last year, albeit I had low pressure)...

 

[gtobey]

ULSD Gelling

When properly treated (i. e. winterized), the gel point temperature is substantially reduced. As I noted, the local station treats its fuel at the rack to protect to -14*F... but that doesn't mean every station is the same or that the rack didn't forget to even introduce the additive into the fuel just that time.



As for moisture... I have noted an increase in water since ULSD was introduced. Especially this time of year, I drain several ounces out every 500 miles or so... and that's even with a secondary water trap. It acts, in my opinion, hygroscopic (eg. water attracting) pulling water (moisture) from the air.



One thing to keep in mind, there are a ton of variables... fuel quality, commercial fuel additives, water, additive dosing, additive interference (two additives may make the situation worse), etc, etc... even something as little as the lift pump's condition could make or break you (I know for fact my FASS ws the only reason my truck never quit running last year, albeit I had low pressure)...

Steve, you are so right! Last February we received quite a few calls from the PA area about fuel gelling on the morning after a super cold night. They apparently had a shipment of fuel come into the Harrisburg area that had not been blended properly or even treated at the distribution points or by the trucker when dropping into tanks. I had one caller to take some ULSD directly from the pump into a can and leave it outside (it was below 15 degrees) for about a half hour rather than have to put it in the freezer, and check it. He called me back and said it barely would pour out of the can! He put a thermometer into the slush and found it was only 38 degrees. They never used to have trouble with 500ppm diesel. ULSD has caused quite a few problems which we used to never see!



Check out this recommendation: Stanadyne Performance Formula



It worked for me when I had to go to Wooster, OH February of '07 when it was -10 nightly and no more than 5 degrees in the day. Brrrrr.



What are the 3 best reasons for moving to a warmer climate? December, January, & February... .

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

When properly treated (i. e. winterized), the gel point temperature is substantially reduced. As I noted, the local station treats its fuel at the rack to protect to -14*F... but that doesn't mean every station is the same or that the rack didn't forget to even introduce the additive into the fuel just that time.

All I can tell you is that in 10 years I didn't treat any of my fuel and never had it gel once. I've bought fuel 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Once from a station 30 miles away when it gelled the first time and it was -6F and my truck was parked for 8 hours - pump was labeled as winterized fuel. The next 2 times I filled up at my usual station (30 miles away from the first one) and monday my truck was parked overnight and it was +2F and it gelled. This station is out of a different market than the first and is the station I've bought the vast majority of my fuel from for the last 10 years. I'm doing nothing different now than I have for the last 10 years. Only difference I can come up with is ULSD.

 

[steved]

I'm not saying ULSD is the same as LSD... they did treat LSD around these parts prior to the intro of ULSD.

I definitely agree with you, ULSD is a problem in cold temps. They had even more issues in the states that mandated a % biodiesel blend.

I don't take chances, I treat fuel every time they forecast temps below 10*F.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I had gotten a little lazy with the fuel additive when the cold snap hit, I've used Amalgamated religiously ever since then and have been fine on a couple other nights down near zero. It definitely helps with starting the engine too, being I don't have the grid heaters hooked up and don't remember to plug in half the time.

 

[bighammer]

We're finally having a real winter again.

It's been pretty cold up here too and I wondered at what point I need to worry about additives.

 

[PToombs]

I thought I read on here that there was no more "winter blend". ULSD didn't need to be "cut" because of the new formula. I wondered about it when I read it.

I'll have to search a little and see if I can find it.

 

[EKlem]

PToombs,

When they first start making ULSD, they were making only #2 and they couldn't legally cut it with #1 unless that was ULSD. This was the cause for the suppliers moving to using additives rather than thinning with #1. It has gone back towards conventional thinning but I don't know how much.

It definitely seems to me like we are seeing more gelling. Some of the newer trucks out there even have fuel coolers just to make sure that the fuel going into your filter is ambient air temp. I wonder whether this is a factor considering the older trucks all heat just before they get to the filter?

 

[RHestand]

This is my first winter in N WI.

What are the symptoms of gelling fuel in our diesels?

Does it just try to start, and not start?

Does it quit running 1-5-10 miles down the road?

Yesterday morning,(0*)I forgot to plug in my 98 12V, and after sitting outside all night, it was hard to start. I cranked it for about 10-15 sec. It started(2 cyl?), then died.

Then I cranked it for about 30 sec. and gradually more and more cyl. started firing, and it kept running, but very rough and smokey.

As soon as I could, I put it in drive, with my foot on the brake, and held it at about 12-1300rpm.

In about 3-4 min. , it all cleared up, and ran great the rest of the day.

So far I havn't added anything to my fuel. The place where I buy fuel said it is treated for temp. to -14*.

What do you guys think? Is it jelling, or just cold?

When it's plugged in at night, it fires right up, smoothes out in about a minute, and I'm gone.

TIA, Ray

 

[Batphreak]

Plugging these trucks in does nothing to keep the fuel in the tank from gelling. Plugging in the block heater only heats the engine block and head, this helps starting because the head already has some heat in it to help the fuel ignite under compression.

Ray,
Gelled fuel generally acts just like a plugged fuel filter (especially since the filter is where the gell tends to collect). The truck may start and idle fine, but with added revs it'll start missing, or at worst case the truck will start and the filter plugs completely causing the truck to die in a few minutes and not re-fire.

 

[gtobey]

Gelling #2

This is my first winter in N WI.

What are the symptoms of gelling fuel in our diesels?

Does it just try to start, and not start?

Does it quit running 1-5-10 miles down the road?

Yesterday morning,(0*)I forgot to plug in my 98 12V, and after sitting outside all night, it was hard to start. I cranked it for about 10-15 sec. It started(2 cyl?), then died.

Then I cranked it for about 30 sec. and gradually more and more cyl. started firing, and it kept running, but very rough and smokey.

As soon as I could, I put it in drive, with my foot on the brake, and held it at about 12-1300rpm.

In about 3-4 min. , it all cleared up, and ran great the rest of the day.

So far I havn't added anything to my fuel. The place where I buy fuel said it is treated for temp. to -14*.

What do you guys think? Is it jelling, or just cold?

When it's plugged in at night, it fires right up, smoothes out in about a minute, and I'm gone.

TIA, Ray

Well, it has been our experience that gelling occurs right after you begin to run the engine. If you were able to get going and run great the rest of the day, your problem was not totally from gelling fuel. Often folks get their truck/car started, pull out and go just a short distance and the engine quits, and won't restart. The movement of the fuel through the lines with the air going over the lines and getting into places that air won't when the vehicle is stopped, cools the fuel so that the wax crystals can cling together and travel to the surface of the filter and plugging it. The Dodge Cummins as well as the Ford have heaters in the filter unit to help alleviate this problem by warming the fuel in the filter and keeping the was crystals from precipitating out of the fuel onto the surface of the filter. A good anti-gel additive such as Stanadyne Performance Formula has a wax crystal modifier which keeps the wax molecules from clinging together and sticking to the filter element. Keeping them in suspension in the fuel will allow them to travel on through the filter without blocking fuel flow.



Glad you didn't gel up... Plugging in the engine warms the coolant, and heats the metal of the block and cylinder head. This in essence raises the temperature of the "cold metal" around the combustion chamber. Then when the piston compresses the air, less heat of compression is lost to the surroundings, "cold cylinder walls & cylinder head" on first cranking, therefore the white smoke, rough running, etc. is avoided. Plugging the block heater in does not warm your fuel other than some of the block warmth does get transferred through the filter bracket bolted to the engine (although slight). That is a good thing if it happens...



The grid heaters in your intake also assists starting by warming the air as it passes over them and travels into the cylinders. The only thing igniting the fuel atomized into the cylinder is the heat of air being compressed by the upward movement of the piston in that cylinder. When the engine is that cold, your engine oil is more viscous, and causes loss of cranking speed from the starter to overcome resistance of the oil, which means cooler temperatures of the compressed air in the combustion chamber from slower cranking speeds, and we all know as batteries are colder, they do not transfer as many cranking amps, which also leads to slower cranking speeds. For whatever reason, if ignition of the fuel between cylinders is not sustainable, then the engine will "die" as you mentioned. Oft times a second warming cycle of the grid heaters can sometimes get the engine "over the hump", so to speak, and begin to provide just enough warm air to the cylinders to maintain combustion and the engine will run. As the cylinders begin to warm up, the smoke, roughness, etc. disappear and the engine begins to run more normally. We haven't addressed all the factors involved in starting, but hopefully, this may explain it to you...



Enjoy your truck!

 

[gtobey]

I thought I read on here that there was no more "winter blend". ULSD didn't need to be "cut" because of the new formula. I wondered about it when I read it.

I'll have to search a little and see if I can find it.

Our tank farms/distributors in our area are still offering "winterized" fuel which is blended with things such as #1 Ultra Low Sulfur Kerosene, when they can get it...



Here are a few articles you can read:



From Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine New Fuels, New Problems



Similar article from Lubrizol Corporation (see John Martin's Oil Analysis in previous TDR issues) and written by Debra Lockridge, Senior Editor: New Fuels, New Problems



Hope this helps!

 

[sfritts]

It was -16 here 2 nights in a row this last weekend and I has the low pressure light come on after start-up then it would Blink on and off for about 5 min. at and idle with e-brake on. I let it idle for another 10 min. after light quite blinking and it was good from then on each day. I buy supposedly winterized fuel according to Flying-J and also put in 4 ounces of Power Service per 10 Gal. of fuel. and this is the first year I ever had a problem of gelling. Prior to this I had only used 3 ounces to 10 Gal. and never problems like this, I believe that they may not be mixing # 1 and # 2 at the same levels as they used to to save money.