diesel fuel additive

[choll]

What temp should I start worring about diesel fuel starting to gell. Im in the chicago area but from vegas and never had to worry about this. Going to the store now to buy some additive now.

 

[blybrook]

If you've got summer blend, then about -20*F; TRUE winter blend is good to around -50*F without additives; -60*F with.

I use Power Service White bottles from -50* to +32*F; Grey bottles above 32*F. I also keep a couple of the Red bottles on hand, just in case!

 

[Iceman3005]

Sorry Blybrook but I haul fuel for a living and summer blends will gell at around 10-20 degrees, winter blends are only good at most stations down to -5 degrees. Very few stores like the big customer we do "Meijer" put an additive in the fuel. Are additive takes it down to -20 cloud point or the point at which the fuel starts to thicken. Pour point or gel temp is usually 20 degrees colder than cloud point, so pour point would be -40 degrees. Most diesels will not run below cloud point. So if you buy fuel at a Meijer it is good down to -20 degrees, but most stations are only good to -5 cloud point. Choll we service all the Meijers in Chicago so if you buy at a Meijer fuel is good to -20. Winter blends going to stations start end of November, usually.

 

[IdahoPlowboy]

Iceman maybe the summer blend for Alaska is able to handle a bit cooler temps.

 

[ODdave]

Fuel Gelled on me on an 818 I was driving wensday night. It was around 30 out. Made for a really shi**y 2 hours on the side of the road.......

 

[blybrook]

iceman,

You are probably correct on the lower 48 diesel then; it must be a different blend type (I have YET to get any on road diesel in the lower 48 and test it out; but I presumed that it was similar for the Northern States) . I know that what I get for summer blend is good to -20* before gelling. I've tested it myself by buying fuel in early August and letting it sit until our first good freeze up in late November / early December in a mason jar. I know that the winter blend is good for at least -50* as my truck has yet to gel and I don't have a garage! I have seen it start to cloud without additives at about -40* though.

My above ground diesel tank (for the house toyo heater) runs D1 fuel oil (essentially kerosene) with a pour point of -60*F. I have one neighbor that runs the same fuel oil in his plow truck for our road. The truck is otherwise NOT road legal, so he's not worried about road tax issues; there's no plates, etc...

I get fuel at Fred Meyer; a chain tied with Kroger. They get their diesel delivered almost daily from the refinery in Kenai (375 miles) or North Pole (~15 miles). The nearest Meijers is over 1500 miles away!

 

[mikes47jeep]

get a bottle of powerservice diesel fuel supplement, to add when you fuel up it will bump the fuel gell point down

and get some diesel 911 for if it gells up that will get you running again when your stuck

Mike

 

[DonK]

A few ounces of Howes Diesel Treat every time you filler up should take care of things....just ask um Helps overcome all those ULSD issues also...

 

[quickfarms]

very interesting

 

[Iceman3005]

Yes you are correct Blybrook, Alaska has a lot different fuel, probably because it doesn't get down to -50 degrees here like it does in Alaska. lowest I have ever seen it was -25 and that only lasted for 2 nights, average temp is usually around 0-10 degrees.

ODDave some stations still haven't switch to the winter blend yet, probably because they're cheap skates.

 

[MatthewH]

My Dad and I run the Power Service, the white bottle, all year long, every tank for years and have only had 1 issue with gelling. The red bottle and a heat lamp took care of that.

 

[zout]

So if its -10 degree's out side - and you are hauling 55 mph - whats the windchill factor on the tanks.

I know if you lick your finger and then stick it out the window it will freeze quicker.

 

[dittle]

Do yourself a favor and do not run WMO/WVO in the winter Like others have said, RED PowerService (not the white) or the Howes. My dad is a OTR driver and he has switched to Howes from PS but didn't explain to me why.

 

[Iceman3005]

I use stanadyne over power service, stanadyne is cheaper and uses a lot less per fill up compared to power service. Power service uses almost a whole quart per fill up, stanadyne uses only 4-6 ounces per fill up. Every time I have ever used power service my fuel gels up. I have had better luck just using 2 cycle oil compared to power service.

 

[dittle]

Power service isn't what it used to be. It used to be the all in one choice but they've now made it so that you have do buy different bottles for different things. Unfortunate cause the stuff used to be top of the line.

 

[Gunner0311]

Starting Problem?

I fired up both my M109A3 and the M52A2 today with the outdoor temperature
around twenty degrees(it was 9 degrees this morning when I got up!).

Both trucks rolled over fine w/o plugging in their engine oil pan heaters, but
neither would fire.

I gave each a quick shot of ether and both fired right away. Ran them at idle
for about fifteen minutes just for giggles....

I got my Tecumseh 24V battery charger wired up today and it will be keeping
the batteries on the 5-Ton in top shape this winter

 

[rneely]

How do you know that your fuel has gelled? Can you see it in the tank or your driving along an it just sputters to a stop? Never experienced it so just wondering.

 

[choll]

Thanks for the info seems like I hit a good topic with this thread

 

[diverman555]

speaking of Diesel,
Diesel is the junk that is left when making gas. It used to be at least a dollar a gallon less than gas.
Why is it that now it is a dollar a gallon more than gas? Oil companies sticking it to us again?
Anyone know the reason?

 

[diverman555]

speaking of Diesel,
Diesel is the junk that is left when making gas. It used to be at least a dollar a gallon less than gas.
Why is it that now it is a dollar a gallon more than gas? Oil companies sticking it to us again?
Anyone know the reason?