Fuel gelling temperature

steved

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If it is colder then Seafoam in the can will work great.


You know your not supposed to use additives containing alcohol right? Seafoam contains alcohol...it is one of the "petroleum distilates" they list.

I have had this "red" argument with people before...always the same "answer": "it can't turn it THAT red..." IMO, if the trooper is looking to get you and you even have a tint of red, your toast. I live in PA and have never been dipped in this state, but I have been dipped NUMEROUS times driving through the midwest states...and that is in my 2500, a very non-commercial looking truck.

steved
 

steved

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Hmmmmm, That's interesting because Alcohol is NOT a petroleum distillate:confused:

Anything stating it contains petroleum distilate - something alcohol (sorry, it has been to long to remember reading a bottle in a parts house) implies it is an alcohol...while it might not be a direct petroleum derivative, it still is a petroleum distilate...read the bottle and tell me it doesn't have an alcohol in it..

Alcohol can have different names...ethanol, methanol, ispropyl...and any combination with other components...it is still alcohol. And regardless, alcohol is generally bad for diesels...

Another thing I just found is that ULSD doesn't mimick LSD with gelling temps...it will cloud and gel at temps much higher than LSD.

steved
 

72f2504x4390

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No Alcohol is not made from petroleum therefor it can not be a petroleum distillate.

However any alcohol is not good for deisel.
 

bentwings

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For the last 6 months I have used no Power Service and only Walmart 2 stroke oil. Here in Minn we have full winter fuel from about mid Dec to mid April. It is also ULSD and 2% bio diesel.

This year I decided to try no anti gel just to find out where the problem really starts. I also keep a clear bottle of Jan 1 08 fuel in the bed so I can look at it.

So far it has been down to -20 F for me and no problems what so ever. The last cold spell I let the truck sit out facing the wind in -20 f for 2 days. I did not plug it in at all. I jumped in ran 2 cycles of the grid heaters and it started right up. It went into 3 cyl and I let it run about 6 minutes by the clock. the fuel pressur was down from normal 13 psi to about 5 psi. I then drove around for about 30 minutes. During this time the fuel pressure gradually came up to about 11-12. After about another 1/2 hour on the highway the fuel pressure was up to normal 13 psi again.

I did check the clear bottle and it was clear and no wax was apparent.

The bottom line so far is that down to at least -20 F antigel doesn't seem necessary if you use local fuel.

Now a buddy has a new Duramax and he was out in -30 in N DAK and reported that he finally had to add some PS and diesel 911. While he didn't get stranded he said it was close as the truck was acting up and shortly after adding anti gell it cleared up.

So beyond -20 I think it would be a good idea to run the anti gel, what ever your favorite is.

If you come up here from some place else then for sure add anti gel as your fuel may not have the full winter treatment.
 

tonkadoctor

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Not all local fuel is winterized, you need to know what you are buying and if in doubt add an anti gel to it. I personally witnessed over 20 Ford pickups get towed into the dealership in one day in -20F, several of them messed up injectors too, you should have seen the wax on the filters that were pulled out of the HFCM on some of the 6.0L trucks, they were packed solid with wax.

All of the guys I talked too said they had #2 and got surprised buy the overnight drop in temps or blend purchesed locally in ND and they still got stranded. I was running straight #2, not winterized, with a double dose of power service with no problem... I was towed in too...........but because my batteries crapped out-cuss
 

troutwest66

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I use Power Service in winter and Diesel Kleen in the spring, summer and early fall. We get below zero at times and I don't risk the chance of gelling. I also add the Power Service to protect my pump and injectors. Maybe they add lubrication to ULSD and maybe they don't, but I'm not chancing it! I have about 165K on the original injectors and pump. Power Service is supposed to increase cetane levels, too. Can't tell you if it really does or not but it can't hurt.
 

Mopar1973Man

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As for me... I've tested 2 cycle oil down to -20*F and never had a problem... Being that 2 cycle oil has a pour point down to as low as -50*F for snowmobile oils. You got to remember most all newer sleds (snowmobile) are oil injected so the oil had to stay liquid to be injected at very cold temps. So 2 cycle oil's deisgn doe snowmobiles have a anti--gel (pour point depressanted) added to them. So it make for a excellent fuel lubricant and anti-gel for the winter time...

I've had several very cold winter in Idaho and NEVER had a single gelling problem yet while using 2 cycle oil!

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Just a bit cold at -20*F this day...:eek: LOL
 
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