Gelled Up

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GLTHFJ60

GLTHFJ60

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Made a total rookie mistake on Moonshine this week. Filled up with B20 biodiesel from my local fuel station (as usual) on Wednesday night. She started fine Thursday morning, then drove to work and felt a bit of a stumble. Didn't think much of it.

Came out of work at 5:45 last night and now she won't start. I can only assume that the fuel has gelled, or the fuel is simply bad. I'm kicking myself for not using additive.

Assuming that gelling is my issue, has anyone ever had this happen to them before? It is not an issue with gas vehicles and it rarely gets cold enough down here to make it a problem for diesels.

What's the fix?
 
Yup ... I have had this happen before, years ago with a Ford (pre powerstroke) 7.3, so not biodiesel. You will likely have to change fuel filters since they will be clogged with the mess. If you do that and add a double dose of addative like Stanadyne Performace Formula, you should be OK. Make sure you have a couple of spare filters because when this happened to me, I went through three filters in the span of a month.

A real PITA .... I feel for 'ya man.
 
used to happen to the work trucks every year, change fuel.filter add an additive and don't fill up with bio in the winter and you should be good.
 
elkaholic said:
Yup ... I have had this happen before, years ago with a Ford (pre powerstroke) 7.3, so not biodiesel. You will likely have to change fuel filters since they will be clogged with the mess. If you do that and add a double dose of addative like Stanadyne Performace Formula, you should be OK. Make sure you have a couple of spare filters because when this happened to me, I went through three filters in the span of a month.

A real PITA .... I feel for 'ya man.
Click to expand...

lt1fire said:
used to happen to the work trucks every year, change fuel.filter add an additive and don't fill up with bio in the winter and you should be good.
Click to expand...

Change the filter, good idea gents. I guess it's time to buck up and install my heated fuel filter element as well.

As for additives, I've used Diesel 911 with good luck. I added about a quart to my full tank last night.
 
Ummmmm ehhhhhhh, Vortec :)
Sorry to hear buddy. Its all the little things that you have to figure out in a vehicles schedule before it just becomes GM. Heated fuel filter sounds good. Who'd have thought you would have to plug in a diesel in NC. My shop was 29 this morning. Global warming my ass.
 
NCFJ said:
Ummmmm ehhhhhhh, Vortec :)
Sorry to hear buddy. Its all the little things that you have to figure out in a vehicles schedule before it just becomes GM. Heated fuel filter sounds good. Who'd have thought you would have to plug in a diesel in NC.
Click to expand...

Nah, I'll keep my 400lb/ft off idle, thank you very much. :D
 
911 is good to keep for emergencies after you have gelled. Otherwise run a winter fuel additive when you expect temps low teens or below. Our fuel here is not going to be good below 10-12* reliably without an additive. On the other hand if you are filling up in Boone you will be fine because colder climate areas get different fuel mixes. I use XDP polar but Power Service and many others make similar products. If you gel and have to get moving use 911 in your filter housing about 50% and in the tank as directed. Once you get where you need to go add the right amount of winter fuel additive and change you filter. Since we are going to 50* today it will fix itself and all you need to do is change the filter and run additive when real cold is expected. Filters in the 3 micron size will give you problems so er than 5 micron but pretreating before real low temps will fix any issues.
 
Somebody fill me in... I've driven a Ford 7.3 in an E350 van for about 9 years mostly over NC, SC and VA. Never used an additive. Never had any fuel related issues that I have known about. Probably average 17mpg. Why would I want to add anything to the fuel on a regular basis?

--john
 
low sulfur fuel



also in the winter diesel can gel in low temps.... Bio blends like Johnny was running even more so.
 
Low sulpher has very low lubricity. Additives even every other tank remedy that. As to no issues, you have been lucky enough to have the right fuel in the van in low temps. If you bought a Charlotte mild winter fuel mix and then drove with that tank to the Virginia mountains during a cold snap you could get into trouble sitting over night. I put cold temp additives if our weather is unseasonably low.....like the single digits we just got or I am driving the tank bought here in the lowlands to say Boone. You can avoid some problems by filling up with regional fuel mixed for that location when you get there.....either on purpose or by chance. As long as you are driving gelling is usually not an issue with the wrong fuel because of fuel tank recirculation keeping the fuel warm. The real problems pop up when the vehicle sits with fuel mix not formulated for temp you encounter. As stated biofuel has a higher gel point than regular diesel and all diesel is formulated regionally by usual weather expectations.....and even then you are relying on somebody doing it right or a station ordering it right. Additive when its going to be cutting it close temp wise saves a lot of headache.
 
Low lubricity is reason number one why I run biodiesel blend fuel.

Put a new filter on moonshine, bled the injectors and I'm back in business. Thanks for the advice gents!
 
If I remember correctly you can make some blends with methanol, and lower the gel point if the weatherman could predict the lows for the week. Keep a few cans of some different temperature mixes just in case... I think you'd have to do an additional filtration to pull out the waxes left over from the mixture. Talk with Mr. Traylor, he's done it with SVO...
 
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