ULSD and cold weather

[Turbo Tim 1]

Has anyone else noticed the cold weather really affecting fuel pressures? It was 0 degrees this morning and I was running 5 psi of pressure on high idle 3 cylinders. 35 mph in 4th gear was 3 psi. I drove about 1 mile and stopped to get my inspection done and left the truck idling and it rose to about 11 psi. After getting warmed up good it was almost back to the normal 14 psi. I've seen this on one other cold day and I'm wondering if it's the beginning of gelling?

[DMcpherson]

yes sir thought I needed another lift pump:smiley35:

[DiTrani]

I noticed my FP gauge oscillating between 14 and 16 for the first time this morning. It's always been rock-steady at 16. It was about 2 deg. F.

[Jim]

My 3rd gen starts worse then my 95 on cold mornings it lopes/smokes, Wonder if its the fuel and the finicky fuel system?

[ToolManTimTaylor]

I noticed my FP gauge oscillating between 14 and 16 for the first time this morning. It's always been rock-steady at 16. It was about 2 deg. F.


Yep saw that happen last nite. Dead on tho about getting some warm diesel back to the tank via the return. I yet to have a gellin issue. HOWE's Baby!

[Jim]

now if they can only take care of them school busses:smilielol:

[gr40rcapri]

Yeah, HOLY cow! i was having a MAJOR issue yesterday after i let the truck sit at work for 9 hrs...It was fine starting in the morning, going to work ( i plugged it in overnight...)

Started the truck about 5 hrs through the shift, just to make sure it would start ok, at 5pm...

it BARELY started...chugged, and puffed, loaded up, filled the parking lot with smoke BIG TIME....lol I had the owner of our store come out to see if everything was kosher...lol looked at the smoke coming outta the stacks and said "wow, it's really blue" lol....moron.

i let it warm up for 2-3 minutes...it was running ok on the way to the highway (1 mi...) on the way up the ramp it started to lose a bit of power, and i couldn't make it over 40mph....had to pullover, as it was REALLY LOADED UP, and wouldn't clear up... had to let it idle for a few... Tried to move again, and same issue. Stopped for 5 and let her warm up, then everything was fine...

it was about 8-9 deg yesterday afternoon...

time to let her warm up now, before taking off.


i suppose it's time for a dash of powerservice...

J

[Turbo Tim 1]

I got some information from Hess. I buy most of my fuel from them and they have a terminal in Rennselaer that supplies alot of the area, maybe even you guys in Mass and CT. Here is what I posted on the TDR:

I e-mailed Hess the other day because I buy 99% of my fuel there and asked them some questions about the new ULSD, here is what they had to say.



Your message was sent to our Quality Control Lab and they responded:


1. Is your fuel winterized with Kerosene?

Yes, our fuel is winterized for the normal expected temperatures for this time of year. We are using Ultra Low Sulfur Kero and CFPP (cold filter plugging point) additives in your area.

2. What temperature is the fuel in my area going to gell?

We are guaranteeing a -9° degF operability our of our Rensselaer Terminal in January and February.

3. Do you add lubricity improvers?

We use Innospec OLI-9101.x, a synthetic ester lubricity additive containing Stadis 425 conductivity improver in ULSD and ULSK.

4. Should I be adding cold flow and lubricity additives?

If you are going outside the marketing area or if abnormal temps are expected you should protect your vehicle further.

We appreciate your patronage, thank you for writing.



After getting this reply I did a search on Innospec and found some even more interesting reading Check out this set of Charts it seems the cloud point of ULSD is 14 degrees above zero.

As a note it was down to -10 the other day when I was having issues so I would suspect Hess's number of -9 is pretty accurate. And non-winterized ULSD is definantely not good to -10. Also during my search I found a governement report that said 90% of all diesel currently made is ULSD so the chances of finding LSD are getting slim.
__________________

[JLeonard]

A few years ago I had an old VW diesel gel at +3 F. The old girl would barely idle but wouldn't take any fuel because it wouldn't flow.
I'd say that is right on the hairy edge.
Now I don't trust our diesel at anything under +5 F unless I put anti-gel in it.
Two or three years ago we had a truck here (one of them F brands) sit for a week because it gelled. That was with temps around 0.
So I'm guessing out terminal is from Baltimore..or someplace more southern.
Your mileage may vary.
Oh I mean:m2c:

[greasemonki]

I think the ULSD killed my lift pump. Never had any problems with it before, and since the change over to ULSD a few months ago, fp has dropped about 2 psi. Then last thursday, coming up a hill and the fuel pressure drops to 3 and sticks there at idle! I think its the check valve sticking, due to the decreased lubricity if this new fuel.

[12PACK]

I started buying my fuel from a local oil company in October. I spoke with the owner when I signed up and he told me he still had LSD and wouldn't have ULSD until Jan. Well, I think he's getting it now as my stock truck won't smoke when I enter Rompville.

It would up until my current tank, but last night I got on it when I was exiting an onramp. Me no like. :mad: (time for a box) :woohoo:

[John DiMartino]

I always run Howes,and this morning the truck started perfect,then after about 2 minutes it started missing and running very rough.I dont know what the FP was, i dont have a working guage,but the truck was starving for fuel.It wasnt plugged in,and it was then that i realized i didnt add any more Howes when i topped off (15 gallons) the last fill up.I had a little in there,but not enough,I hopped in the bed,grabbed the howes,and shot some in the filler neck while it was running rough,in about 5 minutes it cleared right up.This ULSD is going to require us to make sure we are adding it ourselves or gel up.

[Jim]

excellent. we pay more for it (ulsd) and need to spend extra on fuel additives to keep it from gelling. Dont recall this problem with 'ol reg #2 in previous years unless it was REALLY cold!
Still better then driving gasser trash!!

[Jim]

OK! experienced the 'ol fuel gel this AM. went to start the 12 valve after being dormant for a week plus, slow crank over but fired. went back in the house to let it warm up and heard it die 3 mins later. WTF went outside tried starting it she just sputtered.:notworking:
against my better judgement (effin cold and windy) :badidea: pulled the filter and drained it into a jar, fuel was cloudy. Then poured in power service to the top of filter, reinstalled and pumped primer a few dozen times, put some in tank also. plugged it in and let it sit for 30 min and started up rough but smoothed right out.
No treatment in previous fillup, fuel was about a month old....

[Warpig]

Probably wvo residue :duh:

[Jim]

MmMmmmm WVO... cant wait for the warm weather so we can start burnin' that again. :woohoo:

[matt95]

When mine gelled up last week, I just drained the Fuel Filter primed it a bunch of times and started it and held it at 1500rpm until it smoothed out. Ran good after that. I have been putting 911 in it ever since.

[JLeonard]

Mine gelled , I think, yesterday as I tried to leave the parking lot at work.
Wasn't even that cold. Started ok ish but seemed like I had a cold cyl that wasn't firing. Smoking like H. I pulled out and sputter, sputter, then completely mort.
I was able to drain a little fuel out of the filter, so maybe it gelled someplace else??
Got hauled home on a flatbed thanks to AAA.
Since it's outside I guess I'll let it sit a few days till the wx warms up a bit.:dunno: Too cold to work out there now.
Anyway I have a new filter and a can of 911 here so I'l do that and see what happens.

[JLeonard]

:woohoo: yea, we be runnin' once more. :woohoo:

911, new filter, you know the drill...(now I know it)

[TORQUE THIS]

I haven't had a problem yet... Monday night I even had less than 1/4 tank. I meant to go fill up and forgot all about it. Pressure stayed right at 16psi.

[95Cummins]

I run anti-gel in mine any time its under about 20 degrees. I figure it can't hurt it. Mine smokes like a bastard white for about 5 minutes after it first starts, then it seems fine.

I don't think I saw one diesel truck yesterday or today without some white smoke coming out of it.

[JLeonard]

I always run anti-gel too. That's what seems strange......but....
During my test run later yesterday I noticed that my voltage was low, like the grids were on...but they weren't.
Then on my way to pick up a new voltage regulator, I noticed I had no tach (mine is an oldie that runs directly off the alternator), so I'm thinking now my whole problem was that I had such low voltage, it wasn't enough to keep the fuel solenoid energized. (on a first gen you can't see whether it's energized, and you can't do it manually).
So today I changed the regulator and put on the "ex-Moose alternator" (thanks Moose) and all seeems much better. Needle is farther up on the dash gage and I have almost 15V measured across the batt terminals.
So I think now I'm good to go.