Stanadyne Frozen solid

[cold Diesel]

I went to fill my truck up today when it was about -25*F. I pulled the stanadyne out of the box of the truck and it was frozen solid and looked kinda like jelly. I am now concerned about using this additive as if it gels up how can it possible be an anti gelling additive for the fuel I was more concerned about lubing the VP but in these temps gelling as well. Anyone else have this problem? I won't be using it any more myself. Also does anyone use an additive that will still pour at -30*F?

 

[Chipstien]

I would bet that the additive needs to be mixed with diesel for the anti-gelling properties to become active. Just a thought.

 

[K_Arts]

I am also starting to have problems with Stanadyne. I have been using it for 2 years straight with no problems. The sending unit just went out in my truck and when I pulled it out, there was stanadyne gunked all over it. I litterally was pealing it off in chunks. Boy does stanadyne have a distinct smell... . ewwww.



Personally I am switching both of my trucks to Almagated to see how it works. I have my 5 gallon bucket in the garage ready to be opened



Kev

 

[illflem]

I've had the same problem with Stanadyne turning to slush, quit using it. Now use Howe's with no problems.

 

[esommer2500]

Ambient air temps here aren't quite that low, only about 0* today. I went out and checked my bottle of Lucas, and it looks good, like always.



Eric

 

[JCyrbok]

Stanadyne

The bottle states " HIghly concentrated, store above 0 degress F". I would assume that it needs to be mixed with the Diesel to antigel, but whould NOT put the gelled Stanadyne in the tank (even if you could get it in there). If u expose ANYTHING to cold enough temps it will freeze or begin to atleast. I have never had problems, but have never been below about -10. They have a phone number on the bottle which might answer some questions.



J-



BTW I just checked my 3 bottles under back seat and there was no gelling, slushy or solid appearance. I do however keep my truck in the garage and the temp in the garage was only 26. 1 F.

I buy the gallon bottles and refill the smaller bottles when needed. The gallon bottles stay in my basement. Hope some of this helps someone.

 

[CUMAPART]

-12* here last night and I keep the Howe's in the bed stuffed in a little bit of a snow pile to keep it from slamming around. Went out and checked it , no signs of gelling looks like it should. Never had a problem with it.

 

[rich m]

reminds me of my old pre-Pharmacy Organic Chemistry courses....

Originally posted by Chipstien

I would bet that the additive needs to be mixed with diesel for the anti-gelling properties to become active. Just a thought.

He's right for final result... his explanation is faulty... Diesel doesn't activate the anti-gel properties. Follow me thru the logic, here.



1. any "pure" chemical will have a sharp, definite freezing/melting point, where it appears to magically go from liquid to crystal, or from crystal to liquid



2. an impurity will turn the sharp, definite temperature to a range of temps. (more impurities will widen the range)



3. whatever polymer is the actual "fuel" molecule in #2 Diesel would also have a sharp, definite melting/freezing point. Diesel has additives (read: controlled impurities placed there on purpose), so it gels, rather than crystallizes. . under a microscope you'd probably be able to observe tiny crystals in a liquid environment. The colder the liquid mixture gets, the more of the various chemicals form microcrystals of their own. If you get it really, really, cold, it'll finally be solid, rather than gel.



4. For the additive, be it Howe's, Stanadyne, etc. the picture is the same. His gelled Stanadyne is a mixture, just like your D#2.



5. Each of these liquid mixtures, separately, has its own gel-point.

Apparently, Stanadyne's gel-point is somewhere in the -25F* area.



6. Mixed, the gel-point of the Stanadyne/#2 or Howe's/#2 or Lucas/#2 is at a lower temperature, and the fuel-tank contents remain liquid... ... until it gets cold enough to reach the new, lower, gel-temp..... at which time you should have gone to #1 or to Kerosene..... if it gets too cold for Kerosene, move south.





Same thing that happens in your cooling system when you add the Prestone to the water.

Pure water will freeze at 32*F

Pure Ethylene Glycol will freeze up and crystallize solid at some specific temp. (I don't know what that temp is)

"Pure" Prestone (remember, it's really a mixture) will gel up at some cold temp... (I don't know the specific number)



both together, 50/50 will stay liquid all the way to -40*F... . each one behaves as though the other were an "impurity"



The real trick is to find what chemical additive would be appropriate to accomplish the "melting-point depression" while not interfering with the primary function of the liquid in question.

(which is why you don't add Stanadyne to radiator water, or Prestone to your fuel)





better mental picture, now?



Please email your tuition payment to me, in care of me, at My house!!!

 

[JJW_ND]

Yes it gets slushy, but....

I used it for six winters with temps to -28 and Straight #2 fuels. It does exactly what it says it will requarding preveting fuel gell up. I never had any problems and totally depended on keeping me running throught the night in temps way below zero.



I switched to Amalgaleted recently just to try it. It smells as bad or worse then Stanadyne. I am storing mine in old stanadyne bottles. Need to leave one out to see how it reacts to -20.



Severall friends have stitched to running Stanadyne and straight #2 all winter instead of blend or #1 (even some powerstrokes). None of us have had gelling problems run this setup over the last several winters.



Stanadyne is good stuff whether it gets thick in the winter or not. You should see how thick mineral 15W40 gets when setting a bottle out overnight in temps below -20. I would worry alot more about the problems it might not prevent!



jjw

ND

 

[cold Diesel]

OK so from what I get from this it probably works good as an anti gel in a mixture for most people. However it stinks and I will not carry it in the cab of my truck. So if it freezes up in the box it won't meet my needs. I am going to try Lubetec now. Anyone running that additive and know its individual gel point?

 

[davidclark]

I'm glad all I have to worry about is if there is ice on the boat ramp or not... A balmy +36F for the low this AM... :-laf



At what temperature does one need ot start adding to the fuel to prevent gelling?

 

[tazzen]

i just picked up some rottella t additive.

has anybody had any bad luck with the rottella?







ed

 

[cap-n-cray]

Cold

I used Stanadyne from day one in my Cummins and had no problems. Sometimes it get down in the 40's, and even in the high 30's. Man that is cold.



Cary



P. S. Don't tell anyone. Just another beautiful day in Paradise. :-laf

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by tazzen

i just picked up some rottella t additive.

has anybody had any bad luck with the rottella?







ed

Used it for the last couple of years with no gelling. I think they are all the same.

 

[RKohn]

Only bad luck with Rotella DFA...

is paying for it. Boy they're proud of that stuff. I thought Lucas was expensive (that stuff reminds me of STP - kinda thick & gooey). When my case of Howes is gone, it's back to PS from TSC for $8 something a bottle. It's all good.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Power Service works for me.

Never found it in other than liquid form yet. You need a good place to carry it though because it sure does stink.

 

[nbr1trucker]

anti-gell

Hi guys, I'am a truckdriver and I recomend howes or fppf, i was in wyoming one year with the temp at-60f and had fppf in the tanks and had no problems, when i left the truckstop in the morning there were several rigs gelled on the side of the road. I use howes all year round, never any water in my fuel. and my cummins mechiac verifies this. just my 2cents IanOo.

 

[illflem]

Howe's also says right on the jug they will pay for towing if your fuel ever gels while using it. Good luck collecting I'll bet.

 

[Alan Reagan]

Someone asked about the pour point reduction numbers.



http://www.stanadyne.com/dsg/showfile.asp?id=1295



The above link provides them in graph form. Says Stanadyne goes to -60F.

 

[rblomquist]

Originally posted by K_Arts

I The sending unit just went out in my truck and when I pulled it out, there was stanadyne gunked all over it. I litterally was pealing it off in chunks. Boy does stanadyne have a distinct smell... . ewwww.



Personally I am switching both of my trucks to Almagated to see how it works. I have my 5 gallon bucket in the garage ready to be opened



Kev

This is amazing! I noticed when I started using MMO (after 6-8 tankfulls) my sending unit went Tango/Uniform. By accident I stopped using MMO for a bunch of tankfulls and my sending unit came back to life. Then I switched to PS and everything was good for a few tankfulls and now it's out again. At this point I'm going to run a bunch of "plain" diesel through the old girl and see if it washes off any of this buildup you saw (and brings back my sending unit). I knew that it wasn't just coincidence that my sending unit went out and then came back in sequece with my stopping/starting the use of these additives.



Maybe I'll have to get a new sending unit anyway but what you found seems to jive with what I thought in regard to some of these additives creating a "fouling" condition for the sending unit. Wonder why/what causes this kind of cake buildup of the additive--thought the additives were supposed to clean things?



p. s. what is almagated?