Well I ate my words on fuel additives this morning.

I think most trucks will also take that long for the water temp to rise to 150. I idle my truck at the start of my day for about 3 minutes and roll out! The water temp goes up right away as soon as I hit the road. Otherwise, I too would have to wait 30 minutes for the temp to go up.

I remember reading in some manual that you don’t have to idle your truck much anymore but one should accelerate lightly until the water temp reaches normal operating temperature.

 

I honestly believe the problem lies in technicality. It’s been over 6 years since the last time I gelled, so I have to be doing something right. I’ve used Power Service, Howes, and Lucas, but now I mostly just use Howes and carry a couple bottles of Power Service because it can handle down to -30. Howes can only handle down to -20. This is the advice I give:

1. The antigel additive needs mixing by fueling over it.
2. Do not expose diesel to temperatures under 30 for many hours. Semi-gelled diesel won’t mix well with the antigel additive.
3. Check the temperatures you will be driving through and the location(s) you will be shutting down in. Treat accordingly.

I’m starting to think another problem drivers can be having is not understanding the instructions on the bottle. There are usually two treatments: one for temps below 30, and another for temps below 0. The 2nd treatment will require doubling the treatment. For example, 20 oz of Howes will treat 100 gallons of diesel for temps below 30. If you want to treat it below 0, then you need to make it 40 oz for 100 gal. If your tanks are larger than 100 gal, then your treatment needs to be higher.

 

Back in the mid 80’s I worked for a Chevron jobber in N. CA. Our truck/trailer would load at the Chevron rack in Richmond. Our winter blend for a 7200 gal load would be 80% #2/ 20% Jet A.
Mind you, this was a California winter blend. We still had a lot of home heating oil accounts then.

 

I’ve used this product for the last six years at this company I work for...



We have one Pete with a 3406B that would freeze up several times a winter due to moisture contamination, especially in the fuel filters.

The truck would lose power and the fuel vacuum gauge is up in the red zone.

We dump a bit of this in, then about 20 mins later the engine is running normally again.

I’ve not experienced gelling of fuel yet but usually moisture or water/snow getting in.

After several years the driver driving the Pete having freezing fuel systems, I finally figured it out last year.

I’m not sure who but someone at our company had been installing 2 wrong fuel filters for this truck. This is the only truck that has fuel issues when cold out.

I grabbed the same filters the other Pete uses that we have and installed them on the troublesome Pete. Fixed.

The filters that were on were both 6 micron filters of the same number. No water/fuel separator.

I installed a 2 micron and a (I think) 20 micron water/fuel separator.

Our backhoe recently lost a fuel cap while plowing snow. When I got back to the spot where I park it, to fuel it up, I see the cap is gone and the whole neck and throat of the fuel tank is full of snow.

I scooped what I could and dumped a half a bottle of conditioner in to disperse the rest of the snow.

So far the back hoe has been running fine and a new fuel cap installed.

 

70 in 40+ gusts?

 

While not scientific, still a fairly good comparison video. This fella does all sorts of video's seeing what works best and what stuff does. It is a basic comparison of diesel anti-gel products and at what temps the products protect to.

 

Although an interesting comparison, there are additional fuel additives on the market that do an extremely good job in preventing gelling. I only wish his sample size was larger, not just what you can purchase at a truck stop.

 

I’ve also noticed many different brands of antigel at the truck stop, but the cheapest I have been able to find is Howes (64 oz bottle) at Walmart for a little under $10.

 

Easily with a heavy load... If I'm loaded heavy I dont even lift my foot because of wind until sustained reaches 40 or gusts hit 50.

Gusts of 40 is an everyday occurance in WY.

 

Wind chill does not effect inanimate objects... it only wicks heat away from them faster down to the ambient temp.