You have 3 options.

1 - Heat the fuel

2 - Cut the fuel with a pour point depressant or #1

3 - Use a filter that will not collect the WAX that forms in cold weather.

None of those options relate to the dirt or particulate load of the fuel. FYI WAX that forms due to cold fuel is not a particulate that would be registered on a ISO-4406 particulate count. A 10 micron filter does not work better then a 5 micron filter anytime of year. If your sole objective is to get fuel to the injectors then remove the filter, just expect down time repairing the pumps and injectors. If you want the injectors and pump to last, then use a quality filter and adjust your fuel composition for the ambient conditions. You can also improve the fuel system function and the units reliability by heat tracing the fuel lines.

 

To answer the above statement separately. #2 diesel can vary as much as 15% depending on the time of year (blending), refiner and location. #1 has significantly less variation so on any given day when you fuel you may have #2 that actually has less BTU then average #1 BTU content. Based on an average #2 BTU level there is less then a 2% difference in that compared to #1 so I really doubt you will notice the difference.

 

Why not buy anti gel additive to add to your fuel so you can use the 5 micron filter or buy Arctic fuel like this: http://www.premiumdiesel.com/product/arctic.aspx its still #2 diesel but winterized to -30 below zero. So if John Deere thinks it needs a 5 micron fuel filter and the owner changes it out to a 10 micron then you are just shorting the life of the fuel system and run the risk if injector problems that can put the tractor out of commission for many days. So if you can't use the tractor how is that saving you money? Why not use the proper fuel filter and winterize your fuel in the wintertime?

 

What I am trying to get at is the finer the filter the easier it is to Jell. I think we both agree on this.
What is so difficult about factory installed heaters to prevent Jelling. I would think this would be a concern for auto makers. I know I can fill up -30F with #2 and a little Howes and I have nothing to worry about. But now lets say I get a new truck with a 5 micron filter or finer and fill up with my proven (mixture ) of #2 and Howes and I jell up and score the Injectors. So the very thing that is to improve the life of the fuel system caused its failure.

 

I quit using #1 because of the Fuel consumption was a pita compared to running #2 Just my first hand experiance.

 

Even with the Anti gel the John Deere would still Jell. And my neighbor doesn't have the Deere anymore either. Myself I have 2 years now on my new loader tractor and just run #2 and Howes and have never had any problums. I don't know what it has for a micron rating.
As far as winterize the fuel in the winter if I ran #1 it would cost me atleast $1500 more and that would be assuming that I wouldn't loose fuel economy from running #1

 

No one knows?

 

Missed that first question and the answer is more or less yes, the pumps and injectors are affected. Cleaner means the parts will last longer and work more consistently. The higher pressures make even small amounts of dirt an issue.

 

Gelling isn't likely to score an injector imo-- the engine will shut down before lack of lubricity in the injectors is severe. In other words, you don't run out of lube fuel unless you run out of combustion fuel, too.


The other interesting thing is how effective two filters of identical micron ratings can be when plumbing in series. Let's say you have two filters, each ~2 micron rated. SAE testing will put these at nominal 98.7% efficient at that micron rating in a single pass. You might start out with 100,000 particles going to the filter. That first filter drops it down to under 10K. The next 2mic filter drops it down to quite a bit <1K particles.

Finally, vibration effects filtration efficiency. Moving a filter off-engine compared to on-engine can improve filtration significantly (>10%)with no other changes.

 

Jelling up a 6.0 powerstroke is almost instant death to the injectors. And they don't loose just one it can be 4 or more. I have seen this first hand.

 

PSDs are different because their injectors will open and close as long as you have oil pressure.

With a 2002 or older CTD, no fuel means no injector motion.

 

Justin, in my case, I have an inline strainer before my walbro pump....then I send it to the stock filter housing (7 micron) and then it comes down to a remote frame mounted 2 micron filter..........then on to the cp3. Are you suggesting it would be a good idea to add YET ANOTHER 2 micron filter mount and filter downstream from my current one???

..

 

That's exactly what I'm saying, and such a setup is PRECISELY what I'm looking at doing: strainer->walbro->OEM 7µ filter-> aftermarket 2µ filter-> aftermarket 2µ filter.

The other option I'm looking at that would filter EVEN BETTER involves using a bypass fuel pressure regulator with a big pump. Since I'd be bypassing about 75% of the fuel the pump moves, I'd put the 2nd 2µ filter on the return line instead of after the oem filter and 1st 2-mic filter.

This way, you'd have fuel circulating 3, 4, maybe 5 times through a 2µ filter before it actually got to the engine.

 

What about the 03 and newer injectors then?

 

I suspect the HPCR would behave the same as an older CTD-- without lube fuel, there's no combustion fuel and the engine won't run.

jmo