GMC 6.5L diesel help

I have a '93 gmc 2500 w/ the 6.5L turbo.
I mostly drive my car, and since the weather has gotten real cold the truck has not been driven. I went to drive yesterday to go pick up a baler to tow home and the truck would not make it up the hill on my road.
I am in upstate NY and it has been 5-15 degrees for the last week or so. I believe the last time I fueled up I put #2 fuel in.
I plugged in the block heater for about an hour and the truck started, idled for a little while, as I started driving it ran rougher and rougher until I had almost no power whatsoever. It stalled a few times between where I had gone and home (about 2 miles) and it would run a little better after sitting for a minute and re-starting.
What has happened to my truck? Did the fuel gel in the lines or filter? Or do I just have water in the fuel which froze/plugged the lines or filter? How do I figure this out? How do I remedy the situation?
I put in a fuel dryer i picked up at the gas station, poured it in, let it diffuse and idled for a little while but it didn't power up any more.
I have talked to a few people: suggestions are a)change the fuel filter b)put some kerosene in (about a gallon) c) wait for warmer weather
if changing the filter is the solution, what is the process for this: i understand how to physically change the filter but i didn't know if the filter needs to be bled/primed or how to do it?
Sorry for the long OT post but you guys are the best to turn to for help/advice.

by the way, the baler i am going to pick up is a NH 311 w/ a pan style thrower I bought @ macfaddens auction - cold day but a decent auction - steal of the day had to be a NH 570 w/ a 1/4 turn chute that went for $4750, looked like it hadn't had a whole lot of hay put through it...

thanks in advance for the help

Sounds like typical gelling to me. Once fuel is gelled, it's not going to ungel unless you get the truck completely warmed up - or put a good dose of "after" antigel treatment. The Power Service in the red bottle is made for that. It is specially forumated for diesels have already gelled up and quit. But, it's still hard to make it work in engine not running at all with no fuel circulating.

Somtimes towing to a heated garage is the easiest fix.

Try the Power Service Diesel 911, either red or silver bottle. I use the PS white bottle and never have any gelling problems.

with the anti-gel do i put it in and let the truck idle with it? or drive lightly?

Either way I guess. Id have go out and read my bottle. My Ford did gel once a few years ago, I forgot to put the treatment in. Truck died 6 miles from home, towed it home. Well I cant fit the truck in my garage so I put cardboard by the wheels all around the truck. In front of the truck I put my 155000 btu reddy heater. After a while the line thawed out, and I gave her a good dose of anti gel..j

Try it and see. Main thing it the red stuff won't do much good unless the fuel is circulating via a running engine. If it can't circulate, it can't get to whereever the wax clogs are. And the clog could be in the fuel filter, or at the pickup screen in the tank. Some GMs have a pickup screen bypass for gelled fuel, and some don't. As I recall, your truck does not.

For the "least difficult" fix, if possible, I would put it in a warm garage overnight, then change the fuel filter, filling the new filter with clean #1 fuel BEFORE installation.

Dump some Power Service or Howes in the tank, then, after it starts, top off the tank with #1 fuel and DRIVE it to mix the #2, the anti-gel and the #1. (Follow the directions on the bottle. MORE is better, it ain't gonna hurt noth'in!)

One SOME Chevies of that era, you can get the electric frame-rail mounted fuelpump to run WITHOUT cranking the engine by putting the (automatic) tranny in reverse, then turning the key to "start".

If your's will power up the pump that way, you can bleed the new filter easily.

steve terplak
If your fuel filter is located on top of engine similar to the 2000 that I just sold,just install new filter,open bleeder valve on fuel filter,cycle key a few times till "air free fuel" comes out,close bleeder and crank engine.

PS this bleeding procedure is in owners manual.