My tractor Wouldn't run

[Carl]

Ran my tractor for about 20 minutes Thanksgiving day. Just long enough to put some sand in front of the new shed door. It started ok and ran ok for about 15 minutes. Then it sputtered and lost RPM for a few seconds, and ran ok until I put it in the shed and shut it off.

Today I bought some anti gel additive for the fuel and put some in the tank. Put tarp over it and light under the tarp to warm it a little. It started and ran for about a minute the sputtered and quite. Would fire but not start. I thought of the fuel gelling. Found my new fuel filter and took sediment bowl off to put new filter in. The bottom half of the filter was covered with (slush?). So what does gelled fuel look like? I let fuel run out of the inlet to the sediment bowl for awhile to get any water out of the bottom of the tank. Never saw any come out.

I bled the fuel filter, and line to the pump. Then I bled the lines at each of the injectors. It would then sputter for awhile then stall. About the 4th try it started and ran okay. I ran it for a couple of hours and then parked it again. It ran okay for the whole time.

[mbkerk]

Just how cold is it there Carl?

Sounds like the gelled fuel was the problem. Keep some anti gel in the fuel, and maybe run a blend of #1 fuel. When I used to drive my pickup in the winter, I ran a 75% / 25% blend (25% #1) and never had trouble gelling.
The company I work for puts iso-heat in the diesel route trucks to keep the water from condensation under control.

[Carl]

Thanks, Mark.

If it was gelled then it shouldn't be a problem in the morning. I did run it long enough to get the stuff all mixed in the tank. Is Iso Heat an additive for moisture? Like drigas for a gasoline engine?

[Argee]

Carl...I ran mine on Thanksgiving also...it was about 10* out..I had trouble starting it but I believe it was battery issues...once running it didn't seem as responsive on the throttle as I thought it should be..probably a gelling issue.

[slkpk]

Also keep your fuel tank full to reduce any condensation. This is the reason most diesels gel up. slkpk

[Carl]

I took a good look at my fuel filter this morning. It was definately ice. Melted some with cigarette lighter, and it beaded up rather than spread out.

My tank was between 1/2 and 3/4. So what do you use for dry gas in deisel fuel?

[Uncle Daddy]

Howdy,
I assume you folks are running "RED" fuel. The off road diesel has NO additives in it. The "Green" fuel for road use in the northern states often has an anti gel
additive in it. That is not to say you will be safe from fuel gelling.
You can buy fuel treatment from Wal-Mart., no too expensive.
If you use "ALOT "of diesel in sub-freezing temps, I used to use the stuff
that the oil companies sell for home heating oil.
It does the same thing, but at a lower cost per gallon.
Oh, by the way, I don't think the DOT approves this additive.