Well, it was bound to happen some time. I finally had a load of bad fuel to deal with. This past weekend, ran down to the Champaign IL area to pick up my new "toy" truck (little '72 GMC 1/2 ton 4x4, pics will follow in a few days). Fueled up just north of Bloomington/Normal at a Shell station. I asked if they had good fuel on the radio, one guy said no problem. I pulle dup to the pump and was shocked when it had a sticker saying this was still Low Sulphur Diesel, I thought every had ULSD by now. *shrug* Anyway, truck ran like a champ the rest of the way home, Monday morning the temp gauge outside said -18F (Holy crap cold!) and the truck started up, 10 minutes later it started surging up and down, I gave the go pedal a nudge and the engine quit. Crap, figured the fuel filter was plugged (been on there about 6 months, I thought I'd be ok 'til it got warmer), changed that and couldn't get the beast to fire. Finally had it towed to a buddy's shop, he cracked some injector lines and spun it over a few times. Zoom Zoom, now I headed straight to a non-Shell station and filled the 1/2 tank up with good fuel and extra Power Service. The injector lines had air due to starving out of fuel, I think the fuel I got at Shell was straight #2, that's why it plugged the fuel filter, even though I had 16oz of PS in there. I'm NEVER buying Shell fuel again.

Edit: fixed it.

 

The bad fuel clogged your flter ??

How come it wouldn't start after you changed the filter ?

 

Bad fuel has too much parafin (wax) in it, when it gets cold the wax turns into little crystals (clouding if you could see in the tank). If you have a fuel filter that's been on the vehicle for a while and already partially full of gunk the wax crystals will clog it up pretty quick. After I changed the filter I bled air out up to the injection pump, but because the clogged filter had caused the engine to starve out of fuel it got air all the way into the lines going to the injectors. Those lines had to be cracked to bleed the air out, then it fired up.

Side note: I learned a little abouthow the anti-gel in products like PS actually works. It doesn't stop the wax crystals from forming, it just changes their shape, instead of forming into little ***** and such it forces them into more needle-like strands. The "needle" shapes fit through filters much easier so it slows the clogging process down considerably.

 

I do believe your wrong about #1 diesel as #1 diesel has a much lower cloud and gel point then #2 does. FYI, #1 diesel is what they mix with #2 diesel to make our winter fuel blend that is useable at colder outside temps. It is possible that you got some straight #2 diesel or winter fuel with water in it and you didn’t have enough PS in it for –18 below zero so it started to gel on you and it plugged up your fuel filter.

 

Dead wrong....I intended to write that I got Straight #2.....my bad.