Gelling diesel pickups

fixerupper · Dec 10, 2009

I do not want to start a brand war here, I'm just curious about something I don't know much about.

Do Powerstrokes gell easier than the other two major brands? The temp was -10F last night, by far the coldest this season and this morn I saw a couple of gelled diesel pickups sitting on the side of the road. Both were Powerstrokes, and I remember seeing the same thing last year during the first below zero night.

We seem to have an even number of the three brands of diesel pickups in this area but it seems like the Fords are the first conk out when it gets cold. Is this just a coincidence? Jim

ScottyHOMeY · Dec 10, 2009

Gelling of fuel in a parked vehicle is dependent on the fuel formulation and ambient temperature. It has nothing to do with the nameplate on the vehicle on which the tank is mounted.

Running, there may be some variation at the margin of the gel-point for the fuel that relates to the return rate of heated fuel from the pump to the tank, and how much wind the return line and tank are exposed to, but I don't know that they vary much.

Gelling while parked? Make is not an issue.

630rich · Dec 10, 2009

I have an 01 duramax and never had a gell issue, I also have a 96 powerstroke and it has gelled several times, and both trucks were parked next to each other, on the same mornings.

Bob · Dec 10, 2009

If you're man enough to have a diesel pickup, be man enough to prepare for cold weather with good fuel and/or enough fuel additive to prevent gelling.

Enough said.

(BTDT, and it SUCKS!)

Kris Golden · Dec 10, 2009

The same fuel would gell at the same temp, no matter the brand. I suppose the factory fuel line on the Fords could have a low spot that could hold a few extra drops of water and therefore freeze up the fuel line and cause problems - ??? That would be my guess.

Michael Soldan · Dec 11, 2009

My neighbour ran transports through Northern Ontario in the winter when the temperatures were 20 to 30 below zero, all he did was add 10% gasoline to his fuel and he never had a problem. Volkswagon recomends the ten percent gasoline for colder than usual winter conditions. Fuel is fuel and it will gel at a certain point regardless of the brand of truck but as others have said it may be a fuel line, a particular bend or low spot that builds up moisture and eventually freezes up the line.

Bruce Hopf · Dec 11, 2009

I always add about 1oz of diesel fuel conditioner to every 5 gallons of diesel fuel, during the cold months.
When I use to run transport trucks, I would use Howe's diesel fuel conditioner. I'd put one full jug in a 150 gallon tank of fuel. After that, I'd put in a half a jug in every second fill up of fuel, in each tank, and I never had any troubles with jelling up.
I ran down to California, through the southern route, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, where the fuel didn't have all the additives of the northern States, or up here in Canada.
From California, I went to British Columbia, and from BC, across the States with a load to Michigan, and I was in -55 Below weather.
I never had any troubles with gelling, or freezing up of fuel lines.
If I did, I'd use Methal Hydrate, and that worked pretty fast to thaw the fuel lines. Bruce.

bison · Dec 11, 2009

if one fails to prepare for subzero wheater and uses summer diesel in winter conditions then yes diesel fuel gells no matter what engine or diesel fuel brand.
you got to make sure when filling the tank on the farm or at a pump station that the fuel is winterized.
I've been running diesels for 40 odd yrs in northern Alberta and have never had the fuel gell up once

DJM75 · Dec 11, 2009

not true that depends on any insulating or heaters they put on the vehicle. German cars have had heaters for ages and most of whats here in the US doesn"t.

John M · Dec 11, 2009

Ive noticed on my Chevy that the fuel ines are bigger than the ones on my Ford were, or at least they look bigger on the outside. My Ford never gelled, but it doesnt get too awful cold here. Im willing to bet the Fords all had dirty filters, or their fuel bowl heaters arent working.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2009

i have a 06 duramax and never had any problems.a buddy at work has a 06 duramax that gelled up twicw last year while we were driving to the same job site.i use bp diesel no matter what.he runs alot of flying j diesel or who ever has it the cheapest.i told him he gets what he pays for. RICK

scot in pa · Dec 11, 2009

I read the other day that the new ultra low sulfur fuel clouds (when the waxes solidify) at a higher temp than the old fuel. And the new engines that require it usually run a finer fuel filter, so once it clouds it plugs the filter. And the old fuel, if you warmed it a few degrees would de-cloud, but with the uLSD, it might have to be warmed to as high as 50 degrees to melt the waxes again.

So with the new fuel, an older truck might have the fuel lines routed in such a way that it wasn't a problem before, but now allow the fuel to get to cold, which wasn't as much a problem with the old fuel.

MarkB_MI · Dec 11, 2009

In my limited experience with gelling, I recall it's the fuel filter where everything gets plugged up. So I suppose it's possible that differences between filter design or location could cause one vehicle to gell quicker than another.

Mathias NY · Dec 11, 2009

Somewhat related... Bio-diesel will gel at warmer temperatures than the low sulfur stuff.

I still had half a tank in my tractor from the summer. Yesterday it gelled on me, even though my garage temperature was still around 40F. I figured I would be fine until it got down around freezing... I was wrong.

fixerupper · Dec 11, 2009

My neighbor had trouble with his Duramax gelling several times last winter, but he always gets fuel from the cheapest outlet in town. Could be the fuel isn't quite as clean in combination with fuel that clouds quicker? Jim

dhermesc · Dec 11, 2009

Currently Ford has about 60% of the diesel market with Dodge and Chevy splitting the remaining 40%. Because there are more of them out there its likely you'll see more of them stopped due to jelling. Usually its because the owner isn't keeping the fuel filter clean and the using antijell when it gets that cold.

dhermesc · Dec 11, 2009

If he's super concerned with buying the cheapest fuel he's probably cutting a few other corners - like keeping the fuel filter clean and adding antijel when it gets that cold.

fixerupper · Dec 11, 2009

He changed filters every time it gelled and that was several times last winter. I don't know if he uses anti gel or not. I have other neighbors with Duramax's who don't have a problem but they usually get fuel at the truckstop or the co-op station. I don't run my Cummins in the winter enough to give it a test but I do use anti-gel and winter fuel in it.Jim

Nancy Howell · Dec 11, 2009

Does that apply to ladies that drive diesels?

(sorry, just couldn"t pass that one up)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mel in SW Iowa · Dec 11, 2009

In 1990 - 1995, I drove a refrigerated truck Omaha to Seattle/Portland most of the way on I 90.
The company I drove for, RTC Ltd had fuel heaters
in their tractors fuel tanks that circulated engine coolant through each fuel tank and didn"t recommend fuel additives. They parked all idle tractors in a heated shop in cold months, so once they started and backed out of the shop with warm fuel in the tanks, you were all set to run 1,686 miles west and then back without fear of winter fuel problems unless you shut it off for several hours. There were some trips in seriously below
zero temps that it seemed like we were the only
trucks moving although we didn"t have the winter kits you sometimes see on Canadian trucks.

In the 93 Dodge diesel that I work out of now, its
only gelled up once on me. It started fine on a -10 morning in NW Iowa with gusting 40mph winds, but as soon as I got on the road, it started dropping power. I was fortunate to be able to nurse it slower and slower for about 20 miles until I could get it into a heated shop at an implement dealer and change fuel filters. The one I took off looked like jello inside.

As a result, whenever its cold enough to plug in
my Oliver 1650 to do chores with, I also plug in
a magnetic heater or quartz work light under the
fuel tank. So far, it hasn"t gelled on me in about 10 years of ocassional zero weather.

paul · Dec 11, 2009

Yup - that's the story. One of my tractors has the tank heater (antifreeze) below the fuel filter. So once the tracotr gets warm - or is plugged in - heat travels up to the fuel filter & I never had much problem with that tractor ever gelling. Was my first diesel, so I never understood the problem - too dumb to know better.

Other diesels now, one gelled up on me whewn I got out in the wind & turned so the wind was hitting the filter, keeping the engine heat away from it. Had to nurse back to the shed, as it was 10 degrees & was forcast to get much lower in the following 3 days. It ran better, but not well, once I got it turned out of the wind, but with things jelled it was very starved for fuel & was difficult to keep it going. I had some anti-gel in it, but obviously not enough.

Fuel line route & fuel filter location would have a lot to do with it.

--->Paul

showcrop · Dec 11, 2009

A friend told me something interesting last year. He operates a log yard and Canadians come down to pick up there. He said that they all use Irving fuel and don't add anything because Irving takes care of it for them. You know that they need to be sure of their fuel where they are operating.

Doug in Illinois · Dec 11, 2009

I can't speak for the Cummins in the Dodges, but used to have a 1995 Powerstroke. Also had a 1987 Chevy with a 6.2 diesel.

The 6.2 would start much easier than the Ford, as mentioned by one of the other replies both were more or less side by side. The Chevy also had the easier to change fuel filter, right up on the firewall.

Just my 2 cents worth. DOUG

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Dec 11, 2009

The reason a Duramax does not gel up is they have an electric heater in the fuel filter housing. If you do find one gelled, the heater is likely kaput.

Gelling diesel pickups

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