Summer fuel in equipment. Recommend CFPP additive?

[rectifier]

Usually here in Canada I don't have any issues with diesel at all as winter diesel replaces the summer stuff at about the same rate as the temperature falls and as I burn the fuel.

Unfortunately, this year we had a very warm fall followed by a rapid drop in several days from +5 to -25C, and I've been caught with summer diesel in my tractors and tanks. Today I learned that my "anti-gel" additive indeed prevents gelling, but does not depress CFPP enough. After half an hour of feeding hay today my tractor came to a halt in the pasture with the tank pickup plugged solid with crystal.

Frustratingly the fuel was nice and fluid! I towed the tractor back to the shop and heated the bottom of the tank until the pickup would flow again.

There is a lot of snake oil on sale at the stores, like that worthless additive that is in there right now. Can anyone recommend a product that WORKS and will let me burn this fuel off?

 

[Rand]

Howes diesel treat

Is widely available and works.

There is better stuff available if you want to order online.

http://www.howeslube.com/dieseltreat.php

I use it in the deere 850 for winter.

It specifically references what you wanted from the fuel treatment.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: rectifier
Today I learned that my "anti-gel" additive indeed prevents gelling, but does not depress CFPP enough.


What product, and what treat rate?

 

[UltrafanUK]

Not sure which fuel adds you have in Canada, BUT any major brand diesel fuel anti gell should work if you read the instructions.

In Mod terms, see if you can fit a heated filter bowl, as the wax forms there first. Heating the tank is not as good as heating the filter IF it has a metal bowl. You can often buy simple conversion kits with a replacement bowl.

 

[bioburner]

Drain it if possible and get some winterized fuel into it. I would recommend products but your in Canada. One of the best around here is a Shaffers product. Another that I have had to use when father tried using heavy fuel below 0 was Diesel 911 by Power Service
Good luck

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: bioburner
Another that I have had to use when father tried using heavy fuel below 0 was Diesel 911 by Power Service


Just to clarify - Diesel 911 will reliquify fuel, but it does not prevent gelling. You'd need to use an another appropriate product for that.

 

[Revving2Redline]

What about that redline si1 thats made for diesels? Its always next to the gasoline si1 redline additive at most parts stores??

 

[bioburner]

He has already got that covered

 

[rectifier]

Currently I'm using Kleen-flo Diesel Conditioner (ULSD formula), which has "anti-gel properties". I really put it in there just to add lubricity for the old mechanical pumps after the switch to ULSD. This is the first time its anti-gel properties have actually been tested on summer fuel.

It's mixed 4oz:50gal as specified on the bottle.

Howes diesel treat is readily available, so I will switch to that in the future. Fortunately my winter feeding tractor is a little guy with a 5 gal tank. So perhaps as bioburner says I should just siphon it out and dump it back in the bulk tank. I can bring winter fuel for it in jerry cans, and the big tractors and bulk tanks can just sit until spring (don't need them anyway and they are luckily not parked too much in the way)


With regard to the heated filter bowl, that's a good idea. However, when the tractor stalled, I pulled the filter and it was clear. Also, there was no fuel flow to the filter at all. I pulled the water separator bowl and opened the petcock, and fuel only barely dripped from the tank. The tank strainer is what was plugged, don't know why. When I heated it from below with a heat gun, fuel flow was restored.

The tank is vertical and about 1' back of the motor, and it was parked upwind in howling arctic wind when it froze up. The tractor is a fuel sipping 35HP and needs to be fully covered up in winter covers just to keep itself warm in the winter. I don't know if anything could keep that tank warm in those conditions!

Better get the winter diesel I think.

 

[TiredTrucker]

If you have the room ( 20% or more) then just add #1 diesel to the fuel, along with a good anti-gel. Truckers face this all the time. Having fuel that is made for Alabama still in the tanks when going into Minnesota in the winter. Just add some #1 and anti-gel and you should be fine.

 

[rectifier]

Well, I siphoned out the heavy diesel, filled the tank with winter diesel from the pumps and treated with Howe's diesel treat at winter rate. Fixed the winter front so it closed 100%, added side covers. I always plug in the tractor in the morning and have an actively pumped 1500W circulating heater, which gets the whole block up to >100F in about an hour. The engine comes up to operating temperature quickly and stays there now instead of dropping if I idle in the wind.

Worked for a week but it looks like even the winter diesel is going to let me down this year. Today at -27 she came to a halt again. Half throttle pulling up the hill out of the yard in road gear the motor just quit, with quick thinking I managed to roll back to the shop this time.
Filter plugged today. This never has been an issue with this tractor before, but we have had a really long sustained cold spell (highs below -20 for 2 weeks now) so anything that solidifies stays that way. The filter is off to the front and side where it gets little to no engine heat, and I usually only run it for about 30 minutes to an hour a day to roll out bales.

I've decided to change the filter anyways, it's due for it and there is water ice in the bowl as well. But if winters are going to be this way, maybe it's time for a fuel heater.

So, coolant powered heater or 12V? Heated bowl, base or inline? How much power is needed? I've never had to buy one of these things before.

 

[Surestick]

Is there any fuel return to the tank?
If the tank is being warmed a bit by return fuel from near the motor then you might be able to solve your problem by wrapping the fuel filter in insulation if it's just causing problems because it's out in the cold.

 

[rectifier]

Fuel return to the tank is only a trickle. Injector return is teed to the fuel filter housing and to the tank, and I suspect much is taken back via the filter route.

Not much heat comes in contact with the fuel system except in the injectors themselves - everything including transfer pump, filter, injector pump, fuel lines are all pretty much air-gapped from the block except for the flanges and shafts that drive them. Makes sense in the hot summer - not so great in the depths of winter!