Waxy Diesel

[difflock]

cut with kero=heating oil, why use petrol unless for DERV?

oh yes and observe "good fuel hygine".

and also worth consideration, keep the fuel tank as full as poss to minimize atmospheric moisture condensing therein.

[openspaceman]

The reason some diesel engines freeze the fuel and others dont is all down to the water content of the fuel, its this that causes the filters to wax. Moisture free diesel will not freeze in the sorts of temperatures we get in this country. I know its hard to completely eliminate so we chuck in ten gallons of petrol for every five hundred gallons of diesel, this ratio is more than enough keep reasonably moisture free diesel moving. Its worth cleaning all the storage tanks, machines and filters before the winter sets in.

 

Bob

 

Bob this was a big problem in November 82, it was cold enough to affect steel at -18Cand I broke a gear lever at RMA Sandhurst. What was talked about then was the cold filter plugging point, this was when wax precipitated out of the diesel and after a few minutes blocked the filters. As you say the solution was to add petrol to keep the wax dissolved.

 

It was worse on lorries because the salt used to melt the snow meant that the slush was actually well below freezing, so when it wetted the fuel lines and tank it made them colder than 0C, the subsequent evaporation made it colder still.

 

After that the standard gasoil/DERV formulation was changed and I didn't think we had summer and winter grades after that.

[gensetsteve]

Winter grade has additives to prevent waxing. Summer grade does not but has additives to help protect pump and engine in hot conditions. Fuel is critical now days with £100,000 tractors and combines running common rail engines dirty fuel is deadly and expensive.

[Craig.]

Putting additives in the fuel is usually only effective if added before you have problems with waxing, they wont normally fix fuel that is already waxed.

You could try lagging the filter bowl, or lines if they are in a draft off the engine fan.

[Burgess]

I've seem some funnels on amazon that has this filter on them, claims to remove water and impurities about £25 a pop I think. Not sure if they're any good but if you've got a clean fuel tank for the chipper should help keep it that way.

[needenginerunnin]

cut with kero=heating oil, why use petrol unless for DERV?

oh yes and observe "good fuel hygine".

and also worth consideration, keep the fuel tank as full as poss to minimize atmospheric moisture condensing therein.

 

what they all said, remember if using more that a splash of kero it has very little lube in it so a drop of 2 stroke to help the injection pump etc.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Bob this was a big problem in November 82, it was cold enough to affect steel at -18Cand I broke a gear lever at RMA Sandhurst. What was talked about then was the cold filter plugging point, this was when wax precipitated out of the diesel and after a few minutes blocked the filters. As you say the solution was to add petrol to keep the wax dissolved.

 

It was worse on lorries because the salt used to melt the snow meant that the slush was actually well below freezing, so when it wetted the fuel lines and tank it made them colder than 0C, the subsequent evaporation made it colder still.

 

After that the standard gasoil/DERV formulation was changed and I didn't think we had summer and winter grades after that.

 

I remember that in 82, we had about 40 wagons all wouldn't start and I was the mechanic

[difflock]

ps

Those funnels with the super fine water stopping gauze, do work, or at least the one I bought 20 years ago still does, or certainly appears to. You need to blow the gauze out with compressed air periodically, and if the diesel is dirty, it will be painfully slow, clean diesel goes through fine though.

[gensetsteve]

I've seem some funnels on amazon that has this filter on them, claims to remove water and impurities about £25 a pop I think. Not sure if they're any good but if you've got a clean fuel tank for the chipper should help keep it that way.

 

Racor do one that actually separates out any water and allows diesel through.

[Trackedbobcathire]

Hi, Im assuming you have a red diesel tank on the yard? Have you tested the tanks for water using some paste such as (http://www.oilandfuelpumps.com/kolor-kut-water-finding-paste.html)? Usual cause for bugs to grow will be water at the bottom of the tank leading to all sorts of problems