440a-body

Ok here goes round three of the darned thing not starting when its below zero. This past Thursday the temps here dropped into the -25 range over night and it gelled up, on my way to work at 4:30 am, and then after getting it running again, I ran it ALL day on friday. It was in the single digits then. Didn't run it on Saturday, or Sunday due to wrestling tourny, and family stuff. Had it pluged in all weekend, and loaded up with darned near a full bottle of Howes (the big one), and then this morning (another -20 night) started and ran for about 15 seconds then died. No start! What is going on? Bad fuel, water? New lift pump back in October along with an injection pump rebuild. All was fine until we hit January and it gelled once, now twice with in a week. The only thing I can up with is that ALL THREE times I purchased fuel from the same place and pump. I'm at a loss here, any more idea's. Fuel pressure is good and the only left is the tank strainer... what are the odds that it is sludged up? And are they even avaliable? Sorry for length, and I'm not sure if this was a rant or a qustion.

thanks!

Trebor

The only winter fuel additive that I have ever used was kerosene. It doesn't get quite as cold here but I have run it without problems down to -10F. I used a guestimated 10% mix.

thrashingcows

I wonder if the cold is allowing one of the hose fitting on the fuel line system to shrink, and therefore let air in? But your thought on bad fuel from the same place might be a good one as well. They could have a tank with a fair amount of water in it.

TRENDZ

Are you changing filters when it gels? My experience is a filter that has had gelled up will again, no matter what you add to the fuel.
The problem with my line of thinking is you say you have good fuel pressure. Unless your gauge is before the filter, I would be wrong.

RayO92

Just a thought, make sure your shout off valve is getting voltage. Mine wouldn't start one moring thought it was gelled. Turned out to be bad connection.

440a-body

Yes, I have changed the filter each time and the gauge is after the filter. Just sucks that I still have half of a tank left of that swill that might be the problem. I even bought a bottle of HEET for diesels thinking that it may be water before the filter, as my water in fuel light has never come on. I even drained the fuel filter into a paint mixing cup and let it sit for a day and there appeared to be no water. I'm baffled as to why the amount of anti-gel I have in it and it still quit running, just like it gelled, no power, and chugging like it was on three cylinders. I guess that I'll run it pretty low then fill with #1 somewhere else.

440a-body

I sure will check it out, at this point anything is plausible.