Winter diesel fuel

There is more I don't know about cold weather fuel than what I do know.
Fact:
It gels.
It ruins my day.
I don't use a great volume of off road diesel. The fuel I put in some engines now won't be used up by spring.
I can't yet buy winter fuel locally.
I wonder if I can add kerosene to summer fuel to prevent gelling. If so, how much.

Most fuel suppliers seasonally adjust the fuel but there a multitude of anti-gel additives can that can be added to lower the freezing point of diesel.

https://www.howeslube.com/products/diesel-treat

https://www.crcindustries.com/produ...2-anti-gel-with-lubricity-12-fl-oz-05612.html

https://lucasoil.com/products/fuel-treatments/lucas-anti-gel-cold-weather-diesel-treatment

https://powerservice.com/psp_product/diesel-fuel-supplement-cetane-boost/

https://promo.parker.com/parkerimages/promosite/Stanadyne Additives/UNITED STATES/downloads/datasheets/99549_Diesel-Fuel-Additives.pdf see Winter 1000

Depends on how cold it gets.

You could empty the tanks and fill with winter diesel when available. You could buy #1 (similar to kerosene but cheaper) and top off the tanks with it. #1 will run fine year round, and start easier. You could wait until warm days to use the machines. You could plug in the block and warm up the filters when you need to work in the cold.

Used Power Service back in the 90s have heard is not as good as once was. Any anti-gel formulation has a limit to value where they also do not agree with some fuel system parts if added too heavily or get too concentrated in the fuel just in additions with new loads of fuel. Once you load a batch up use it until GONE then mix the next load. Howes and Lucas I have used with decent results.

Delmer said:

Depends on how cold it gets.

You could empty the tanks and fill with winter diesel when available. You could buy #1 (similar to kerosene but cheaper) and top off the tanks with it. #1 will run fine year round, and start easier. You could wait until warm days to use the machines. You could plug in the block and warm up the filters when you need to work in the cold.

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This is my first experience with a diesel machine... Is #1 the stuff you get at the pump or is that #2 or is #2 the off road use fuel?

#1 will be available only in the winter and will be labeled #1, I've only seen it in farm town pumps next to the off road pump, and in the 'hood where I assume it's used in kerosene heaters or gravity oil burners. #2 will be standard off road, on road, or furnace fuel oil, from what I hear it will be all from the same tanker. Premium, "ruby red", or winterized #2 will usually be a few cents more than standard #2.

Around here and most places in the northwest you can't even find {#1-AKA-stove oil} all #2 is treated. Power Service 1 quart to 100 gallons.

Generally #1 is winter fuel and #2 is summer fuel. #2 is more efficient and will do more work per gallon resulting in better fuel economy.

http://www.kendrickoil.com/understanding-differences-diesel-fuel-grades/

My local diesel supplier was closed for a couple years due to a death. After 11 lawyers picked the bones like vultures, one of his sons has reopened it. They will sell winter fuel when cold weather sets in, but not yet.

For me, last winter did not go well. The bull dozer gelled. I went to cut wood, couldn't get the starter to even turn it over. I dosed it with 10 gallons of kerosene. Brought the batteries inside, charged them, warmed them. No good, now it turns, but doesn't start. I warmed it with a propane heater, changed filters, dosed new filters with additive. With LOTS of difficulty, it started. It must have run two hours before it suddenly ran like summer!

Next try, it still wouldn't turn over. Battery load test said fully charged good batteries. I started dismantling, and following the cables looking for resistance. I believe in voltage tests across any suspected resistance. Plus battery to starter, master switch to negative battery, short cable from master to frame. 28 bolts, 1 seat, 2 hydraulic hoses later, there it was: The bolt securing the 2 year old ground cable to the frame was scrubbed down to bare metal on both sides of 1/4" steel plate, coated with noalox , a shiny new terminal, and a Nylock nut. The nut was just started. I knew immediately the source of my anguish; my son's cell phone. I am sure it rang, he got distracted, forgot to tighten the bolt.

I bet that happened to Space Shuttle Columbia.

This winter the electrical system is in perfect working order. I intend the fuel system to be likewise.

Welder Dave said:

Generally #1 is winter fuel and #2 is summer fuel. #2 is more efficient and will do more work per gallon resulting in better fuel economy.

http://www.kendrickoil.com/understanding-differences-diesel-fuel-grades/

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#1 is winter fuel sort of kind of, #1 fuel was/is used to cut/blend with #2 in winter. A heavy cut/blend would be 50/50, although I have run as much as 70% cut years ago.

Yeah, #1 is USUALLY used for blending just like you'd use kerosene or gasoline in diesel. But if I had a dozer and wanted it to be ready for anything, I'd run the tank low and fill it with straight #1. Same with a snow plowing machine, fuel economy is for summer months, you just want it to start when you need it. And not stall in the middle of the road 5 minutes into the chore.

I can get unwinterized straight #2 all winter long here, it has a warning, but if you park inside or whatever, it works fine.

Yeah... it works fine until you're going over the pass when it's cold, dark, and snowing then all of the sudden you start losing power and a few seconds later the engine quits!!!


Happened to a buddy of mine a few years ago in his 7.3 a few months later and several thousand dollars the truck was running again... soon after that he dumped it.

It was a pretty cold winter that year but once you gel these new systems up you're going to have fun getting them back up to snuff

Common for trucks coming from warmer states into Canada. Hit the cold weather and the fuel gels up. Can happen with trucks kept inside too with summer diesel. I think it depends on the region how much #1 fuel is used. We can get -40 here and colder.

I know a few guys here that haul tankers supplying gas stations. I think the switch to winter gas and diesel starts in November. Not sure what they are, but winter fuel here has a slight bluish tint to it. I haven't heard of telling problems in years, unless there is water in the tank. The cold is starting to set in here. Cold mornings, warm afternoons. Time to get out the long underwear

Around here we call your Canadian blend P-40. Its the cats arse. Never ever had a problem with it. It gets cold here too.

cuttin edge said:

I know a few guys here that haul tankers supplying gas stations. I think the switch to winter gas and diesel starts in November. Not sure what they are, but winter fuel here has a slight bluish tint to it. I haven't heard of telling problems in years, unless there is water in the tank. The cold is starting to set in here. Cold mornings, warm afternoons. Time to get out the long underwear

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Winter blend comes out of the refiners here last of Oct beginning Nov.
Problem is they load that on top of fuel still in the tanks so dilutes pretty quick to almost straight #2. Best option is load up leave room and install additive but NOT to max strength.
Pick these battles wisely where have enough to keep it thinned until the tanks flush at fuel stops
Additive in smaller amounts hurts nothing and affects the wallet less than over charging the mix.
Spent days in the shops dragging cold soaked gelled to jello fuel into bays to thaw out, used up a lot of broom handles for stirring wands, at one time would buy up charcoal toward end of summer use inframe drip pans as support trays build a fire get to coals slide under cold soaked engines to wake them up during deep cold spells.

In the early fifties, with two years hiatus in Korean conflict my father and his brother worked for Bellows Falls Ice company. It was by then a logging company. They had two Cat D6 dozers. Dad was careful with the newer of the two. Ralph would throw fire wood under, douse it with diesel, and set fire to it to get it going.

Thanks for the info, everybody! I'm looking at Lucas Oil anti-gel from Amazon. What is the best way to add it to the fuel? I buy mine in 5 gallon cans, for now. Should I add the correct amount to the 5 gallon cans or pour it straight into the backhoe? Do I need to do anything else? Give it a stir or anything?

Edit, went with Howe's instead, looked to be more highly reviewed, cheaper, more, and will be here quicker.

Pouring it will mix it well enough for me. If you add 5 gallons worth to an empty can it will be mixed by the time the can is full.

Definitely add it to fresh fuel when it goes in the tank. Antigel will not not dissolve the wax, it will prevent it from forming. "911" in the white bottle is an emergency start product that will dissolve a plugged up fuel filter on the side of the road, not to be added to the whole tank in warm weather, just follow the directions.

Diesel 911 certainly gets it done if you've already gelled. December 2013, North of Williston, ND, we had 7 out of 8 trucks gelled up at 5am. Mine started, so off to town for a case of Diesel 911 and some fuel filters while the other guys were tarping and running salamander's on the trucks. Wasted the better part of a day getting them all running. Most of those trucks never got shut off the rest of that hitch. We didn't want to play that game twice.