modustollens
8th February 2014, 11:22 PM
My old patrol was doing fine the last five weeks. It was starting, albeit roughly, at temperatures down to -30 C. But one night it dropped to about -37. The next morning it would not start. Two days later it started after I poured some hot water on the fuel filter.
Now, after two more nights below -30 it won't start. I am making arrangements to move it to a warm car warehouse which is kept around 20c. Perhaps after a day or two in there it will start again.
But my question is about the fuel filter: normally the priming pump on the top of the filter is easy to push in; but it is absolutely rigid. I am assuming the fuel gelled and clogged the filter. Will it be necessary to replace the filter or will the filter clear up after it warms? Would it be best practice to replace the filter anyway?
I have been buying winter diesel and I was adding some anti-gel to the fuel too; but I really don't know exactly to what temperature the winter diesel and anti-gel additive lowered the clouding and congeal point.
Let's just hope that it is only the cold which is the problem and I did not ruin the injection pump.
I will rent space in this warm warehouse for at least the next month.
Is there some definitive test that will determine whether the fuel is flowing?
I will see what happens after it warms up a day or two in the warm warehouse for even if clogged fuel lines are not the problem there is no way one can do repairs when the daytime high is below -20.
This morning I checked to see if there was power to the fuel cut off solenoid; that tested positive as the meter showed power going to the solenoid. But perhaps the solenoid has failed and is not allowing fuel to flow? I did not remove the solenoid - it was -22 when I was testing the power and one can feel the cold being sucked out of anything touching metal outside.
As bad as it sounds given the age of my old machine I am surprised it started and ran well at -25 to -30!
The manual transmission was really stiff too and a couple of days I could only get it to shift smoothly by double clutching; I suppose the prudent thing to do is to take a taxi until the temperatures are consistently no lower than -20.
I had a leak into the cab of anti-freeze - the heater core developed a crack - which is not surprising given the temperature change from start to shut off. I paid the guys here to replace the heater core. The old one was mouldy, full of dust and old leaves etc.; with the new one the air temperature coming out was so hot it was uncomfortable on the bare hands and the air forced out by the fan was like a gale force wind compared to the gentle breeze of the old heater core - I suppose it was so clogged with dust air could not flow. Anyway, for the replacement heater core to be installed it cost 300 dollars, including all the labour - does that sound like a good deal ;) ?
MT
Now, after two more nights below -30 it won't start. I am making arrangements to move it to a warm car warehouse which is kept around 20c. Perhaps after a day or two in there it will start again.
But my question is about the fuel filter: normally the priming pump on the top of the filter is easy to push in; but it is absolutely rigid. I am assuming the fuel gelled and clogged the filter. Will it be necessary to replace the filter or will the filter clear up after it warms? Would it be best practice to replace the filter anyway?
I have been buying winter diesel and I was adding some anti-gel to the fuel too; but I really don't know exactly to what temperature the winter diesel and anti-gel additive lowered the clouding and congeal point.
Let's just hope that it is only the cold which is the problem and I did not ruin the injection pump.
I will rent space in this warm warehouse for at least the next month.
Is there some definitive test that will determine whether the fuel is flowing?
I will see what happens after it warms up a day or two in the warm warehouse for even if clogged fuel lines are not the problem there is no way one can do repairs when the daytime high is below -20.
This morning I checked to see if there was power to the fuel cut off solenoid; that tested positive as the meter showed power going to the solenoid. But perhaps the solenoid has failed and is not allowing fuel to flow? I did not remove the solenoid - it was -22 when I was testing the power and one can feel the cold being sucked out of anything touching metal outside.
As bad as it sounds given the age of my old machine I am surprised it started and ran well at -25 to -30!
The manual transmission was really stiff too and a couple of days I could only get it to shift smoothly by double clutching; I suppose the prudent thing to do is to take a taxi until the temperatures are consistently no lower than -20.
I had a leak into the cab of anti-freeze - the heater core developed a crack - which is not surprising given the temperature change from start to shut off. I paid the guys here to replace the heater core. The old one was mouldy, full of dust and old leaves etc.; with the new one the air temperature coming out was so hot it was uncomfortable on the bare hands and the air forced out by the fan was like a gale force wind compared to the gentle breeze of the old heater core - I suppose it was so clogged with dust air could not flow. Anyway, for the replacement heater core to be installed it cost 300 dollars, including all the labour - does that sound like a good deal ;) ?
MT