Running out of fuel! cold weather!

[Ace]

Still sputters to life with half throttle at minus forty with a pan @ block heater. I may try to hook them up thru a toggle switch if I can't find the problem.

I get cold just thinking about that!

Mine ran fine on just the WMO/2-stroke/Howes mix at -18 a couple weeks ago. The problem I saw is it just gets harder to pump fuel the colder it gets, regardless of gelling. I think sometimes a weak stock pump could be confused with gelling in these trucks. My normal warm fuel pressure never drops below 14psi, even at WOT. But it only held 5psi at idle after I fired it up that one real cold morning back around the beginning of the month. The helper pump got it back to 10 for the first 20 minutes or so until it warmed up, then I cut that off.

I think more than anything else, #1 pumps easier in the cold.

[IowaCummins]

is teh fulter you have meant to have fuel pushed into it? it could be filling the filter up then blocking up and uses the fuel in the filter then dies, releases the filter then you start it up again adn it fills the filter up again, then blocks up again so uses the juel in filter, and studders out. and repeats. cause the VE will pull its own fuel. idk just a thought. maybe call baldwin adn find out what its meant for.

[Ace]

I'm running Racor 4/600 series filters both primary and secondary these days. They are designed for either push or pull:

http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/PhotoAlbum/1 ... TD_224.jpg
http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/PhotoAlbum/1 ... TD_226.jpg

The pumps sit between a 33733 secondary (pushed), the Wix equivalent of the Racor 2 micron marine element, and the 33411 back under the bed is the 14 micron primary Racor equivalent with the built-in F/W separator (pulled).

I don't think any amount of pumping affects it if gelling is the issue.

[smilesyota]

Ace you said you have a helper pump what are U running? a electric lift pump? Heated tank got installed last night , the fuel was 100 deg F before I left the building and I didnt make it two blocks. 1/2 feed and 3/8 return mounted up in the bed and the feed is on the bottom of the tank so gravity pushes the fuel out. the lined are all bundled togeather with the heater hoses ziptied and the pipe insulation then taped togeather all along the frame. I'm getting ready to loose it. Could there be something wrong with the lift pump? how would you test a low pressure piston pump?

[Remps]

Are you running anti gel in your fuel? Although at those temps I wouldn't think you would need it. You could try drilling out your banjo bolts for more flow thru the filter housing. Just keep in mind that drilling weakens the bolts, so you may want to purchase new seals for the bolts.

[PToombs]

Pull the fitting on the inlet of your LP and check it. There is a screen in there. When I went to SOP I had a serious pressure loss. The screen was plugged with black junk, yucky! I just pulled the inlet plug and cleaned it with brake cleaner, then reinstalled. It's fun pushing against that spring.

[dodgetkboy78]

The week here we got 30" of snow and -30 to -40 deg temps I ran straight Kerosene all week. It worked fine for me and was the only way I could keep the thing running even with the winter front on.

Really? Strange. I run a winter front, and #1 stove oil, no issues at all, I dump some Pyroil/tranny fluid/2stroke/whatever in for lube, and away I go. I have ran my truck in -70 before, did fine. I have a heat exchanger thingy on my return line that wraps around the aux heater hose going under the cab, and the whole fuel system under the truck is insulated, the fuel steams when you pop the cap........ As far as running, my truck runs better the colder it gets, nice crisp cool dense air. Engine temps when not running down the road are kept up by the ex brake, and a stick for high idle that fits between the pedal and the dash.

About diesel fuel inthe cold.... All diesel fuel gells, the #1 just gells at a lower temp. It gets thick, and is harder to pull through the filter, a slightly dirty filter, or a filter with little ice crystals, will plug off pretty easy. You know how a leaky line gets the white ice crystals in the cold, but when they melt on your fingers, it is gas/diesel? Those stick in a filter.

The 911 power service is bad for your injector pump, if you use it, I would mix it like 50:1 with 2 stroke or something. The best anti gel additive I have found, is the black bottle of pyroil, don't know why, but it is pretty good stuff.

But then again, I could run #2 in my truck with the fuel tank heater thingy I made.

[Ace]

Ace you said you have a helper pump what are U running?

http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/PhotoAlbum/1 ... CTD_96.jpg
it's an Edelbrock 160gph 15psi electric plumbed using a check valve in parallel with the piston pump.

I think Pete's suggestion sounds like a good idea. I also agree that it doesn't matter how cold it gets as long as you have #1 and/or some type of anti-gel add to keep things flowing. 2-stroke is good for it's moisture absorption ability, as well. I suspect the WMO might be what's negatively affecting my viscosity/pumpability. -18 isn't really "that" cold.

[PToombs]

-18 isn't really "that" cold.

Speak for yourself!

[Mark Nixon]

Mine just did it on me, fired it off, ran rough, started to clear up, then acted like it was running rough again, then died and won't re-start.
I'll admit, I didn't service the fuel system before this weather set in.
I'm sure it's partly gelled, but I also suspect the LP is weak and the filter is likely dirty.

Might end up using the P/P set-up regulated to 15 psi, with an electric "starter" pump, for first fire-ups and emergencies.

It's snowbound, and it's not life or death if it runs, so I'll deal with it later.

Mark.

[smilesyota]

I was talking to a friend yesterday and he said the same thing as PToombs! So that is the next step. There is no filter in front of the lift pump so this makes sense that the screen could be clogged. I only installed it about a month ago but that's what makes the most sense! I will report back with what i find and if it is clogged I will be putting a filter on the suck side of things!!! I was also thinking I might put a walbro 6000 fuel pump to help things move forward.

[Ace]

This is what I use for that purpose:

http://www.wixfilters.com/filterlookup/ ... Part=33270

120 screen just to catch the big stuff. It's not a paper-type fuel filter, but an actual metal screen. The older they get the more you need it, especially with steel tanks and if it spends time sitting around getting spoogy. Will last alot longer than the tiny screen on the LP.

[cougar]

Something to remember; when fuel jells, it jells all the way to the injectors and back through the return line. Mine was DOA all last winter because I couldn't get all the jello out until spring. It was straight #2.
I am running a 50-50 mix with a PS/MMO additive now.
And yes Pete, I do have a fuel heater.
These people make heated fuel lines
http://www.arctic-fox.com/
And there are others that make "in line" fuel heaters.

[dodgetkboy78]

Where are you getting your 50/50?

I been running the #1 heating oil for 3.15 a gallon.... My truck also is spoiled, and stays inside when it gets cold......


If you run #1, there is no need for a fuel heater tho.

[PToombs]

I've been eyeballing Davco water seperator/ fuel heaters on e-bay. You run coolant to the unit and it heats the fuel there. Some have a 12v element too. Used ones go from $20 -$90 or so. There are new ones listed, for $300. I was thinking of one for my 97.