If your local fuel stops don't switch to #1 you need to thin the #2 with some kerosene or #1 when the temps drop on top of some anti gel. Running #1 with some stanadyne performance I don't worry about gelling until colder than -45*F.

Ditto on the filter change after the gell as well.

 

The fact that cracking the injectors gets it going makes me think you just have an air leak, not a gelling problem.

 

Yah, I'm beginning to think your fuel isn't gelling. You are just losing your prime.

 

Regarding stick on oil heaters, this is what you want... http://www.dieselservices.com/html/d...eater_p148.cfm
you never have to worry about it falling off and it warms the oil nicely (use the block heater too). I use it and even at -36, I have instant oil pressure... anything to keep that motor warm... even though this weekend it started at -26 not being plugged in, smoked out the neighbors, but oh well...

 

were should i look before or after the lift pump

 

If your fuel was gelling, you would not be able to get fuel to the injectors.

If you are able to hand-prime it, then it can also prime itself by cranking.

Gelled fuel is not going to move through the lines.

What you are describing are the symptoms of a typical air-leak/fuel-bleed-off situation.

You have an air intrusion, somewhere, that is allowing your fuel system to lose it's prime.


I have been fighting the same situation with the wife's truck and her symptoms are almost exactly what you are describing, WORSE the colder it gets.


Although very much easier on the engine, plugging in the block-heater does nothing to prevent fuel gelling.


Although gelling can occur in a sitting truck, most gell-ups will occur once the engine is started and the truck is at highway speed; with frigid air blowing under the truck, surrounding the fuel-lines, your fuel will turn to vaseline as you are moving along.


Bleeding injectors is not going to un-gell the fuel; only warmer temperatures or chemical intervention is going to re-liquidate the fuel, once it is gelled.



I keep a thermometer in my freezer and it hovers between 5-and-20-degrees-below-ZERO.

I figure most any household freezer will range about the same.

A good test for your fuel is to pull a sample from the truck's tank and put it in the freezer, along with a sample of fresh un-treated fuel, and a sample of fresh fuel that is treated with anti-gel to the recommended ratio.

I use clean empty 20oz water-bottles as test-tubes.



Read this :

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=134867


: and this :

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=185302

Hope this helps to solve your situation.

 

thank you bear for your help

 

If I knew where to start looking, I would post up.

I did search for Loosing Prime, and found some good reading.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...=loosing+prime