Froze Fuel Line - Hard Learned Lesson

[GlenM]

Never used any fuel treatment on my 01 with 26K on it. After today I will. It was single digits when I left this morning with backhhoe loaded. Went about 15 miles and stopped to pick up my partner when truck died while idling. Started again for a few seconds and then it died for good. Took fuel filter off and it was half full and not waxed or froze. Couldn’t get fuel to pump out from inlet line. Got space heater and let it run pointed under truck for 45 minutes. Put fitter back on, got fuel flowing again and off I went. Yes I will treat with every fillup now!

BTW – Of course I dropped the plastic bleeder screw and couldn’t find it. No problem I’ll just get one from GM. Not unless you want to buy the whole remote filter housing. Bleeder screw isn’t a separate serviceable item. Didn’t believe them but the second dealer I called confirmed it. Took of inner fender well and dove in with flashlight. Found it by the starter winking at me. Very cold numb fingers. Story with a happy ending.

[gardnerteam]

You should not have to treat your fuel in single digit or minus weather IF the fuel you are buying is winterized. I normally do not treat until it is at -20F or more. Check with whoever your buy your fuel from to see what it is winterized to. In the Willamette Valley in Oregon (500' el) it is normally winterized to -10 in the winter and here in the high desert of Central Oregon fuel is usually winterized to at least -20 or -30. I've never had a diesel problem, but had lots of problems with friends gas rigs.

[Amianthus]

It's too bad you had to be the example about adding a quality additive with each fill. Perhaps your experience will open the eyes of the naysayers or those who have put this off 'til now.

gardnerteam, think about what you just said. He told you that he froze his fuel lines. C'mon now. What fuel should be and what fuel actually is can be two totally different things. He may have gotten a load of fuel with excess water in it. Or an un-winterized batch of fuel. There is no way to tell just by looking at the pump. And asking the station jockey may be no help as well. You should ALWAYS use a quality additive with every fill. If for no other reason than to provide a buffer between your truck and a bad load of fuel.

[AKDmax]

No problems up here with frozen fuel. Was the diesel purchased from a station that sells large volumes of fuel? I haven't talked to anyone that adds to their fuel up here. Mav, how about you??? it gets down to -40 or colder... except this year, we're having a heat wave. tongue.gif

[ 12-04-2002: Message edited by: AKDmax ]</p>

[Kennedy]

I always have good fuel, and always add substantial amounts of treatment, but when winter rolls around, I carry a bottle of FPPF Melt Down for emergencies. This stuff is the stuff your mammma warned you about (harsh alcohols) but if you are frozen, and you gotta go, this stuff will do it!

Of course, the best thing to do is top off immediately and not use it unless an emergency. Basically, a single dose is not a big deal, but repeated useage can have long term effects...

[ 12-04-2002: Message edited by: kennedy ]</p>

[Maverick]

Chris,

I have been using Stanadyne Performance Formula for about 3 weeks now. I do feel an improvement. We have the worst diesel fuel up here so its not a bad idea. I had one injector replaced already and seen signs of maybe another from the exhaust. This cleaned my exhaust up by cleaning out my injectors (I think and hope). Inlet Petroleum carries Power Service so I will see how much their stuff is.

[gardnerteam]

Amianthus - you are very correct about fuel quality as well as winterization. But I feel I am also correct that one shouldn't have to use a additive until below -20. The problem is there is bad fuel out there, but it can be avoided usually. For the most part, I use commercial cardlocks which have commercial filters on the dispensing line and to my knowledge, haven't had a water or crud problem for over 10 years burning about 400 gallons diesel a month average. With properly winterized fuel, you should not have frozen lines at almost any temp, although -35 (Great Falls, Mt) is the worst temp I've had without an additive. Lines still did not freeze with truck sitting out overnight (it was plugged in).

[GlenM]

I buy my fuel from a high turnover vendor. I don’t think the fuel itself was bad but thinking over time water accumulated somewhere in the lines or tank before the filter and froze. Is this a wrong assumption? My thinking was also that it wasn’t the fuel pump because I couldn’t pull fuel through the line with the hand prime pump witch I figured you should be able to do even if the fuel pump was bad? Probably no matter how reputable the dealer and through nobody’s fault you can collect fuel in your gas or diesel system that will freeze under the right conditions. The conditioner will prevent this?

[XTOCAK]

AKDmax,

I grew up in Fairbanks and Anchorage, now live on the Kenai Peninsula. I believe that anyone who has lived here all of their life and drives a diesel will tell you that time is not on your side if you're not using an additive. Siloo was always in my Dad's rig when I was a kid in the 70's, and I still use it to this day in my Chevy. Been using it since I started running my own diesels in the mid-80's. I was with a friend of mine three years ago at a hockey game in Fairbanks for our kids...his Dodge Cummins quit running and my first question was if he used additive. I knew by the stupid look on his face and the comment that he "always buys diesel from a quality station" that we were in for a cold, cussing, finger numbing experience. Ever since then he's been using additive in the winter months.

I'm always amazed at the guy along side the road who looks at me to say he's never used an additive in his life yet this is the first diesel he's ever owned. Trust me, there will come a day when you get a bad tank of fuel whereupon you'll wish you would have been using soemthing, anything....especially in Fairbanks when it his -40, you're stuck in the middle of nowhere changing a fuel filter, and your fingers are numb.

And yes, I purchase from high volume dealers but even they don't have any control over the quality of diesel they receive from the refinery nor do they have any control over the truck driver who left the hatch open in a driving rain. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[AKDmax]

Thanks XTOCAK,
Just what kind of fuel treatment do you use?

[XTOCAK]

Jerry, my buddy who got nailed with wet fuel in Fairbanks, and I use Stanadyne as it's readily available in Anchorage and on the Peninsula. We purchase it by the gallon and then have smaller bottles we refill with the gallon and use to dispense into the fuel tanks. Makes it alot easier and less messy. The stuff stinks but hasn't ever let me down.

My Dad still uses Siloo (as he has done since the 70's) and it is available at all Napa and Schucks stores in Alaska. On the platforms in Cook Inlet, we use Stanadyne as we can get it in 55 gallon drums as we purchase up to 40,000 gallons of diesel at a shot. Needless to say, when you experience bad diesel out there you've got a huge problem so we don't take a chance on it.

And please don't think I was trying to offend anyone as much as to save them the pain and agony of gelling. I've been there twice in my life and hope to never deal with it again. Thanksfully it's never been on my truck but on those I find stranded along the road or a buddy. Either way, that little bit of insurance can save a person alot of hassle...even if used only in the winter.