Anti-Gel

To revisit this topic, I gelled up with Howes the other morning. I had at least a double dose in the tank as I'd used the big bottle the previous 3x I'd fueled and had only gotten about 90 or 100gal each time. I've switched back to power service.

 

They say overtreating can be almost as bas as not treating at all. In 2010 I didnt gel, by I added 70 gallons of straight #1 and a bottle of howes, topped of with winterized #2. the filter in he fuel water seperator had all kinds of stringy gooey white pink gunk in it. Truck had check engine light on but ran fine. Whatever that stuff was in the filter didnt freeze, but in sure too much of it could leave a truck on the side of the road. I may have ended up with simply bad fuel from the pump also...

On the other hand, the Howes may have kept the fuel system from completely icing up.


It was about -32 F that morning.

 

I've heard bad and good from Howes and Power Service. Don't know who to believe. Buddy of mine told me about $5 bottles of fuel treatment by some other brand at the local store. I'll be picking up a case of that. I don't care what brand anymore. I just follow the instructions and pray to baby jesus on cold starts.

 

Ive used Power service and Howes. Both equally good Although I have froze up using Power Service once Slip seat operation So the Day driver may not have treated the tank

 

I always bought and carried a case of Howes antigel...at my own expense because my former company required preapproval plus an arm, a leg, and the promise of the first-born male child before approving the purchase of one bottle, their limit. It's pricey, but so is getting derated and slowed to 20 mph trying to get to a TA to get fixed. And oh, the loss of time! And I wrote it off as a non-reimbursed expense.

 

Good news is unless you run Canada, worrying about treating fuel appears to be over till next winter.

Even straight #2 is ok down to down to about +15f......

 

I've gelled on both Howes and Powerservice. For the last 2 years I've been using Penray Winter Pow-r Plus, it's a black bottle with a green label for biodiesel to B20. The yellow label is for regular diesel and is a little cheaper. I buy a case from KW or IH dealers. I think it's about $9.75 a bottle. They are quart bottles and still treat 250 gallons. When I go home I put a bottle in each tank. I haven't gelled with this product. It is necessary to keep it in the cab though. It will freeze solid when not mixed with fuel. If you put it in the side box or tool box it will freeze solid. How the hell it freezes by itself, but doesn't gel when mixed with fuel amazes and baffles me, but it works great.

 

I have been using FPPF for a lot of years and never had a problem. In the winter I carry a kitchen measuring cup and just use what is recommended. 1oz. treats 30gal.

 

wind has no effect onanything
wind chill is just a made up figure for what temp feels like on exposed skin
now a filter beside a hot engine will be warmer then one beside the fuel tank
anything else is BS

you really want to save money you get a vat of def and howes for half the price
carry enough for the trip

 

True to a point. The cold, when combined with wind can blow away the radiant heat given off by a trucks fuel tank, making the cold air more efficient with it's nasty chilling effects on the fuel inside. A lot drivers think that the pretty skirts that were coming out on some truck models were for looks only. But the truth is, they were supposed to give a slight aero advantage. They also provide wind protection for the tanks to prevent radiant heat from being easily blown away as a result.