How to prevent diesel fuel from gelling at low temperatures?

[dydxforsn]

Low Temperature Diesel Fuel (urgent)

I'm having a problem with diesel fuel at the moment and would greatly appreciate insight into the subject. I'm currently stranded in Colorado where it's somewhere like -10 degrees (F) and our diesel truck isn't starting. I've narrowed down the problem to being simply the chemical properties of diesel at low temperature (the battery is fine and the engine we've heated to suitable temperatures, though the fuel tank isn't something we've heated and the diesel probably reached -10 degrees (F) for sure. We did not use an additive (this wasn't my fault <<), and thus we believe the diesel "gelled" and the truck seems to die after only a minute of run time.

My question is, after we add an anti-gelling additive, is it to late? Does the diesel remain permanently "gelled"? Are we trapped in Colorado forever? Currently we have the truck in a 40 degree (F) or so garage. We hope to leave tomorrow morning, so any advice on what we can do can only (hopefully) be useful in the next 12 or so hours.

Any information would be greatly appreciated :D

 

[NobodySpecial]

Just heat the tank, truck drivers used to just light wood fires underneath the external fuel tanks - this might not be recommended inside a garage!

 

[dydxforsn]

so the gelling is reversible? we've heated the truck some, but it still is having difficulty staying running (like positive 10 degrees F probably), I'm pretty worried :(

thanks for the reply though :Dedit*** oh, and I guess I should say that we added the additive and waited like a hour and the results haven't been as good as we had hoped. The truck itself is still pretty cold though, it hasn't had time to heat up enough in the garage yet.

 

[Phrak]

Apparently you can also get ice crystals that will plug up the gas filer.

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f27/what-if-you-do-gell-up-79240/"

On the plus side, you could try towing services that might have heating blankets for engine and tank, diesel additives and know what you need.

 

[Borek]

Gelling should be reversible - it is not much different from freezing water. Temperature goes down, water freezes, temperature goes up, ice melts, same should happen to the fuel. Trick is, even after adding additive that lowers gelling temperature, it is not able to mix with all fuel - as most of the fuel is gelled, and some is in the tubes, fuel pump and so on, it is not easy for the additive to distribute evenly through everything. Combination of additive, heating and patience should work.

Unless there is something more to that.

 

[lightarrow]

He could also add heated fuel to the one in the tanks, together (or after) the additive. Certainly, even if all the fuel in the tanks melted in this way, he should wait for the fuel in the pumps and ducts to melt for conduction and this infact requires (a lot of?) time.

Probably he should, however, find a way to heat a little *all the inside of the truck* (certainly not putting fire there). When water freezes in a pipeline, even if the pipe is short, it's very difficult to melt it with a heat source (even a flame) but which is localized in just a point.

In the case of the Truck the pipes are narrower and so it should be a bit easier, but I think that heating, even just at room temperature (don't know for how much time, he will try to start the engine after 1 hour or 2) but all the inside of the truck (or at least all the parts where there is the fuel) is the most important thing.

 

[dydxforsn]

Thanks a lot for all of the input! We got out safely the next day, it just took an entire day in the garage for the truck to anti-gel. I'm glad you told me it was reversible (I wasn't sure), because we used that information in deciding that exiting through the pass was safe as long as everything was degelled and with the additive.

I love these forums and the people on them :D

The link also helped a lot Phrak :D