| Author | Message | ||
| david anderson (Davidanderson)
Rating: N/A |
We've got a ski trip planned to Wolf Creek on Dec 19 and will stay in the bus in Pagosa Springs. I've got a Webasto preheater, but I'm a bit worried about congealed fuel if it gets really cold. I'm not sure if there is any #1 diesel on our planned route from Fort Stockton up U.S 285 to Espanola, Chama, Pagosa. Any ideas, or am I worried about nothing? David | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
They have a "dry gas" for diesel fuel at Walmart and other fine goods markets. Dump a few bottles in and fuggetaboutid. Oh..... Do carry new fuel filters and make sure you drain your air tanks at the beginning and end of each day! A skinner valve freeze is a pain in the arse (not to mention the "no brakes scenario)! | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
The additive sold at Wal-Mart is called Power Service. | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Rating: N/A |
"The additive sold at Wal-Mart is called Power Service." __. At the Wally Whirls in e North Carolina, they have a range of Power Service additives. What you want for cold weather is the white bottle stuff (the silver bottle additive makes my VW TDI run really smooth but it's probably not needed for bus engines). There is stuff called "911" which is said to un-gel fuel but it's supposed to be pretty tough on fuel systems (it has some pretty active chemicals) and if you use the white bottle stuff, you should be OK anyway. I'll carry a bottle of "911" any time I go into below-freezing temps but I'll use the white bottle so I should never need it. With the anti-gel stuff you should be fine. And they blend fuel by climate areas anyway so if you buy most of a tank of fuel in the cold area, that will help too. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Rating: N/A |
Hello David. If you buy fuel from good suppliers, if you keep the fuel tank full at home to ward off condensation, if you drive your coach a good distance on a regular schedule you don't have to worry about the fuel having a problem until you get into arctic type temps, and you don't want to ski when its that cold! Unlike a truck, a motor coach fuel tank is sheltered by being enclosed in the body of the bus, the old two stroke detroits pass a huge volume of fuel back to the tank, which has been warmed by the engine. It is a lot harder to get the fuel in a bus as cold as a truck saddle tank. If you leave the fuel level down in your tank, you more than likely are accumulating water in your fuel tank due to the condensation forming on the inside from the humidity in the air in the tank. In various temp conditions, open your fuel cap. That sweat on the inside of the cap is water. water freezes in the pick-up, or in the filters/water seperator, blocking the fuel flow. FWIW, I don't know of any bus companies that put additives in their fuel here in southern Ontario. That being said, if you want to put a jug of stuff in, go ahead! It's you that needs to be happy, not us. Ask around and see what the truckers in your area are using. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| R.C.Bishop
Rating: N/A |
A really good friend of mine....from the northern PA area told me a long time ago a coke can (6-8 oz) of Gasoline in the tank, as you are filling, will do anything a $12-$20 jug of "stuff" will do..... Works for me.....so far  FWIW RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC) | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
Mercedes called for a 50/50 mix of <a href="http://www.google.com/search?num=30&hl=en&lr=&newwindow=1&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=Mercedes+die sel+fuel+gasoline+winter" target="_blank">gasoline and diesel</a> in their 4 stroke diesels! I guess there isn't a problem with any 4 stroke diesel, since I used the same mix with VW, and Peugot without a problem. Some knocking and advance fireing to be expected! (and overheating?) | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
Any truck stop will have Howes (SP?) anti gell. Fill up with as much winterized fuel as you can and add the dr gell. Happily a half hour of driving will mix at stuff just fine. With the proper antigell you can operate at -20F , if you can get started! I would run the heater immediatly on arriving , to be sure to fill its filter & fuel lines with winterized fuel while its still thin & warm.. A 10% addition of kero will help the furnace get started in REAL cold , although a seperate kero fuel tank works best . FAST FRED | ||
| Doug R Rating: N/A |
John, 50/50 mix of gas/diesel is NOT recommended for VW's. My older 86 Golf manual, 1.6 NA specified UP TO 25% gas/diesel. I never had a problem with up to 10% gas, that's 1/2 gallon every fillup in wintertime (I never let it go below 5 gallons), but it was a 4 stroker. It started in the -10 degree F temps in the Dec/Jan 2000/2001 with about 7 hits of the glowplugs then turnoverand start on about 1 1/2 -2 seconds of starting, typical of the starts of the engine in when cold in warm weather. My concern isn't about the gelling or effect on performance (lower power). I'm wondering if the gasoline had something to do with my large fuel filter failing prematurely after that..basically turning the cardboard into sludge. I was lucky, I happened to check it on the next warm day (above 20 degrees F) when it kept acting as though it was starving for fuel. We put the car in the garage, (the "nice" car had to endure the snow and cold for a change outside)warmed everything up to above 40 degrees; and no water or fuel drained out of filter, the first sign of something wrong. I put a new filter on, cut old one apart, and found the carboard basically was fragmenting apart and setting in the bottom of the filter. The situation still puzzles me to this day. How could a 3 month old filter turned bad like that so quickly? I'm thinking at some point wax must have built up inside the filter, and as the gas or mineral spirits disolved the wax, some of the cardboard must have broken down with it. (I did use anti-gel when I remembered to buy it, but found gasoline cheaper and easier just to use two pumps at the station.)I replaced my filters 2 times year, Spring and Autumn. Any ideas? Are the filters on the DD 2 strokers similar? Should he be concerned about this as he travels northward? Just my 2 cents and some change. Doug Roote | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
That's why I added the comment, to make sure he takes new filters along! I had the filters clog on our Mercedes also, but I found it was likely from the wax/sulfur buildup, rather than the filter itself. Oil is oil and gas is only better refined diesel, right? If one won't dissolve an item, the other won't either... I would assume? I have had more problems with the older gas line anti-freeze, than the newer type. The older stuff would ruin carburetor seals and O rings in one season... The anti-gel additive could loosen the wax, and could clog a filter.... but if the buildup is that bad, it's due to have some problems anyway. This reminds me... I have to go get some filters. Today. | ||
| david anderson (Davidanderson)
Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the help. David |