Diesel freezing

[helen&tony]

Hi
I know diesel coagulates, or goes waxy, but I always call it freezing Yesterday, I started the Bongo...registering minus 13 C. on the TM2 (head reading)....it always shudders a lot, until the panels and door seals warm up, and I suspect it had been lower than minus 15 in the night. On the way to the local town, the revs would not pick up well, and would not go above 2000rpm....this was after 8 Km or so. At one point I thought the engine was going to cut out. Later in the journey, everything returned to normal, and we finished a 100Km. round trip with no further problem. The same occurred to a lesser degree today.
I am curious as to the reason why....It could be either that the transmission was so cold it would not change gear properly due to cold fluid, or, it could be the diesel started to freeze up, as the already chilled fuel became colder with the wind chill of forward motion on the fuel tank, and the better running after a while was due to the engine warming the underside and the tank as the journey progressed....plus the weather warming up.....my thoughts, and Tony's are with the latter
Any opinions?
Cheers
Helen

[francophile1947]

I agree Helen, although I'm surprised the Bulgarian diesel isn't modified for such temperatures.

[helen&tony]

Hi John
It is winter diesel....but I guess it was very cold the other night....The News agencies have been saying the night temperatures will be VERY low.... ....but it's warming up again ....I just haven't experienced that before....diesel sometimes freezes up when it's parked, but on the move is a new one for me
Cheers
Helen

[scanner]

Hi John
diesel sometimes freezes up when it's parked, but on the move is a new one for me
Cheers
Helen

Apparently from reading the Shell leaflet in the other thread on this it's the movement of the wax crystals through any pinch points in the supply line and into the filter that creates the blockages.

After the surplus diesel has circulated through the return line a few times it warms enough to dissolve the wax and stay liquid.

[helen&tony]

Hi Scanner
It makes sense....I just imagined a "log- jam " of waxy diesel at the pumps/ filter etc. but thought that these components were being warmed by the engine, and the tank was warmed by the warm air from the engine, and the day gradully warming. I did notice the slowing as we went through some freezing fog, and that may have started the problem kicking in.....it was a marginal freeze-up of a few kilometers.....my only other thought was the transmission, but it cleared up almost too well to be that.
When we were walking the dogs before going out, it was very bitter, and the snow had crystallised into little peaks, and the snow was blue rather than white....I've seen neither state before....when we filled up at the town (18Km. from home)...the fuel attendant said it was minus 18 when he came in at the start of his morning shift....so it must have been minus 20 or below in the night....it fascinates me!!
Cheers
Helen

[bigdaddycain]

Hi Helen, yes what scanner says is correct, the diesel that isn't consumed is returned to the tank, but warmed in the injector pump when the engine has reached operating temp. Do you allow the bongo to warm up before embarking on your journey?

The addition of Kerosene to the tank is suggested for REALLY cold conditions.

I wonder if a narrowing of grille apertures would help?

Some scandinavian truckers use low output sleeved heaters to shroud the fuel filter.

[helen&tony]

Hi Ste.
Yes, I warmed the Bongo up from an indicated minus 13 to around plus 20....about 5 mins. I just haven't had the fuel freeze on the move before....I suspect the airflow under the tank just cooled it a mere fraction enough to impede flow, and when the warm air from the engine was enough, it stopped it chilling until the ambient air on the last stretch was warmer. We went through the same stretch today, and, believe me , the air outside suddenly dropped in temperature...just a cold pocket , I guess, but enough to chill the fuel......but I may be wrong
Cheers
Helen

[Doone]

On Allans Landcruiser, there's a 'roller blind' inside the grill - lots of Landcruisers have them. The blind pulls right down across all the front, so no cold air gets in as you drive. It helps it to warm up much more quickly, but you have to remember to open it when the weather warms up. I expect you could make one for the Bongo - it's made of a thick vinyl, like the 'blackout' blinds you can buy for the home. It's attached by 2 brackets, just like blinds for the home. It's simple to operate, like a normal window roller blind, with a heavyish bar in the bottom hem. He pulls a cable to lower the blind and rolls it back up by hand (because the return spring has broken) and flops the bar over the top of the blind to hold it up.

[bongomaan]

when i was visiting peeps in canada they use an engine warmer that keeps the oil/coolant/diesel at a usable temperature but this is expensive and scroats have a great time going around unplugging them and laughing,but they can be retro fitted(worth a thought!) but as well as using winter diesel when it gets really cold they add paraffin to the diesel,again worth a thought,good luck and keep warm,regards neil...ps if you have any surplus snow please send it to abercarn,south wales as my three year old daughter is bending my ears off to go sledging.....

[helen&tony]

Hi Lorna
That's a god idea....I used to have a radiator muff on one of my Landys...I bought one instead of the roller blind, as my "forgettory" would ensure that I left the blind down when spring came. I may make one for the Bongo....The TM2 registers at least 10 degrees colder in the chilly weather over here, and even colder in the low temperatures. I'm not going out today as we have sheet ice...the ground air (or just above the ground) is so cold, that the rain is freezing on contact.....our dogs can't even stand up it's so slippy....so i won't mind if the pee in the house today ....There have been warnings on the local internet news agencies.
Hi Neil
I know what you mean about Canada...my father went there for a while in the War....he said that some of the heavy industrial trucks and earthmovers started their engines in late autumn, and only turned them off in spring....the temperatures being so severe, that if they stopped, the engines would freeze. I also remember that all UK produced quality cars that were exported (Jags, Rovers, etc.), were fitted with all the equipment needed to run in any foreign land, be that hot or cold, and for cold climates they used the electrical engine block heaters fitted as standard, and folk in Canada simply purchased a lead, which you plugged in at the supermarket, as parking spaces had hookups.....if you didn't plug in, your engine could freeze by the time you finished shopping in some areas. The practice of fitting all the extras stopped when the "cost-cutters" came to most firms.
Regarding the Snow For Wales appeal ...I'll see if I can mail some
Cheers
Helen