Fuel Additive

[Tikvah]

At what temperature do we start to think about some kind of fuel additive?

[lostagain]

Up here in Canada, the fuel is always seasonably adjusted so it doesn't gel in the winter. The only thing you have to remember is don't drive in the winter with summer fuel in your tank. Or add an anti gel if you must. It is probably the same where you are.

JC

[Tikvah]

To go along with my question.   I see some service stations have both #1 and #2 fuel.   What's the right thing?

[eagle19952]

#1 if you are headed north or standing still...
#2 if your headed south.....tonight ... 

[brmax]

I would use the additive for just a conditioner, Its usually the frost time in the local region that they start mixing a winter blend #2. The vehicles using #1 are heading into 20 to 0 degree and below imo.
Nothing wrong with your own mix if you have some summer blend, lot of tractors get caught in this situation. I and many others im sure have drained some and blended some winter #2.
Id be interested in any "scientific ratio" the depots use in a normal winter blend

[Oonrahnjay]

To go along with my question.   I see some service stations have both #1 and #2 fuel.   What's the right thing?  

    You have to ask.  At a refinery, they will call #1 Fuel Oil what is really a light grade oil like (or the same as) kerosene.  Straight #2 Fuel Oil is ordinary diesel fuel.  Most stations blend some #1 or kerosene into their diesel fuel so it won't gel (a very few use anti-gel additives -- fuel with these in will have better lubrication for the diesel engines that lube fuel pumps and injectors with the fuel but that doesn't matter) - some of these stations call their blended fuel #1 fuel oil to indicate that it's winterized but that is incorrect.  

    A number of stations, particularly in the Northern part of the US -- don't know about Canada, sell straight #1 fuel oil in the winter.  THis is often purchased by farmers who may have a large fuel tank on the farm that was fill in the summer -- they can purchase (real) #1 fuel oil and blend it with their summer diesel fuel to winterize it.   Some farm equipment requires straight #1 in the winter.  And some trucking companies may have their own fuel tanks like farmers and need #1 to mix with their existing fuel.

    So you need to ask at the station.  Some stations sell "real" #1 fuel oil (which you probably should not use straight in your bus if it's over -20F) and others call their "blended" fuel (mixed #1 and #2) #1 in the winter.  Whatever, you can (and should) run fuel that blended or otherwise treated in the winter.

    There is an official winterization guide that gives guidance on winter fuel blending by climate.  (It may come from API but I'm not sure.)  It's customized by date and expected low temperature.  For instance, the guide may tell Charleston SC to blend fuel to 20F starting on December 1, go to 10F on January 1, return to 20F on March 1 and go to straight #2 on April 1; the guide may tell Minneapolis to blend to 20F on October 15, go to 5F on December 1, go to -15F on January 1 (and then back up later in the season but you get the idea, they may still be selling gently winterized fuel on May 15 in Minneapolis).   Wholesalers, distributors and retailers are pretty good about ensuring that their fuel meets these guidelines -- some places a station is legally liable for repairs or road service if they sell fuel that's supposed to be treated but it gels up -- so if you buy fuel pretty much anywhere in N America, it will be winterized so it doesn't gel.  There is a fair amount of "insurance" built into the figures, so it takes a very unusual cold snap to overwhelm local fuel.

    A problem can come if you fill up with fuel in Charleston in February and drive to Burlington VT and don't refuel with the local fuel and park your bus for two weeks.  You can be pretty sure that it will be gelled up pretty hard.  Either put in "white bottle" Power Service (or equivalent) or fill with local fuel as soon as you get to Vermont (in fact, you might not even make it there if there's unusually cold weather).

[Dawgs]

Sounds like your getting ready to pull up stakes.

[Tikvah]

We're in Kansas and headed to Florida in two weeks.  It was warmer when we arrived (40s).  My tank is nearly full, but we may encounter some temperatures below freezing when we leave.  While parked we've seen temps as low as 8*.  I would expect the first day or two we could be driving in the 20s or possibly the teens.  I don't dare take any chances. 

Interesting that you mention kerosene.  My dad had an old backhoe and all he ever used was kerosene. . .never understood why.  I guess I thought it was hard starting and it made it a hotter fuel to start.  Never thought of gelling.


TIKVAH
(Dave Rush)
MCI 102A3   6V92
Full Time On The Road - I couldn't fix my brakes, so I made my horn louder

[itspaidfor]

Power service all year round

[digesterman]

On our Prevost the label inside the fuel door informs me it would prefer #1 but will accept #2. Don't really know what it thinks about the 20% bio it's been eating here in the great backwards state of California


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[luvrbus]

Number 1 fuel has always been the preferred fuel for 2 strokes year round ,lol if people read the specs on fuel for a 2 stroke instead of the great oil debate we would have the great fuel debate here

[sledhead]

When we leave for Florida at the end of december I put in the white Power service in the tank because I usually have summer fuel in the tank . I fill up at jane lew truck stop in  West Virginia so it should be winter fuel # 1 and I get better fuel mileage driving through the foot hills then I get on the flats . go figure . so I have a fuel tank at home maybe I should fill it up in the winter instead of the summer...  

any thoughts ?

thanks  dave    

[Nineforever]

We run Howes fuel treatment year round been using for years helps to keep your engine running clean and in the winter if u do get a bad tank of fuel u wont gel up

[Oonrahnjay]

We're in Kansas and headed to Florida in two weeks.  It was warmer when we arrived (40s).  My tank is nearly full, but we may encounter some temperatures below freezing when we leave.  While parked we've seen temps as low as 8*.  I would expect the first day or two we could be driving in the 20s or possibly the teens.  I don't dare take any chances. 

    Clifford mentions the specs for two-strokes.  You should check but I think that an anti-gel additive should be OK.  One that's easy to find (any Wally World here near me and most truck stops) is "Power Service - White Bottle".  It will prevent gelling and break up any water so it doesn't freeze -- the additive and water molecules get burned when you drive it.  Dunno how many gallons in your tank but there is a listing on the bottle for how much to use per gallon.  I think one of the 32-oz bottles should do you but check it and do the computation.  (There are other treatments - Howe's, Lucas, etc. - that you probably won't see outside truck stops and some truckers or bus charter operators know them and may favor one of them over others.  They all seem to work OK - if you need one, you can use one and it will help.)

     Power Service also makes a product in a red bottle called "Diesel 911" -- it is a treatment for fuel that has already gelled.  It is apparently pretty strong stuff and it's not recommended that you use it unless you're really in a jam but if you're gelled up from sitting, it will work for you (if you bought fuel since about mid-October you're probably OK on that, though; they treat fuel pretty aggressively in Kansas).  Anyway, you probably would not need the "Diesel 911" but know about it in case you need it.

[luvrbus]

Just the plain old cheap Heet will un gel fuel I always carry a couple of bottles in the winter when traveling and have for 30 years and I used it one time in WY to save my butt