Is it worth it to add a davco?

[dhirocz]

My truck came with a prefilter before the lift pump and the filter under the ifsm. That's it.

I noticed alot of other trucks have a davco installed, but my truck was an ex fleet truck...no fancy options other than an apu.

Within the next year I'll be moving out west where it snows every year...and I'm sure I'll be running through places like Denver on a regular basis. Here near Savannah, I practically never have to worry about fuel gelling while I'm home. When I move that will change as the lows in the winter get down into the low teens to single digits.

Is it worth it to replace my pre filter with a heated davco before the lift pump? Also, even if I set up the truck for tank heating while on a 34, wouldn't the fuel between the tanks and the davco still gel up and interfere with fuel flow?

[Hammerhead]

I don't know about the other stuff, but...

(04-15-2018 )dhirocz Wrote:  ... Also, even if I set up the truck for tank heating while on a 34, wouldn't the fuel between the tanks and the davco still gel up and interfere with fuel flow?

It would have to get aweful cold for the fuel to gel inside the lines.
The most common place for fuel to gel is in the filter media, because the peraffin wax molecules congeal together and become larger than the media pores, thus reducing the filters flow capacity.
Even when you look inside tanks with gelled fuel, once the suction draws it into the lines the friction breaks it back up and it will flow...all the way to the filter media where it causes the real problem.
It rarely gets that cold, even in CO. And if it does, 20-30 gallons of #1 will cut the fuel more than enough.
I run 80/20 or 60/40 % (#2/#1) down to -20°C or -30°C respectively and very rarely have issues.

[dhirocz]

I wasn't aware of that. I figured gelled fuel was gelled fuel...

I don't see how adding a davco could hurt. My apu has an Arctic setup on it as well. If I'm not mistaken, it doesn't recirculate fuel, but has coolant lines that loop through the tanks to keep the fuel warm. So between the davco and the apu, I should be OK for intermediate cold if the davco was heated if the lines aren't that big of a deal.

Out of curiosity, how cold would it have to be to gel up the fuel lines?

[Volvo8873]

I have ran my truck down to -30 in northern MN and never had an issue with gelling on #2 fuel which I run all year round. I could never run without one they are worth every penny IMO.

[Rawze]

I like my davco. I use 10 micron filters in it and my tanks and fuel system has always been sparkle clean.

[Hammerhead]

(04-16-2018 )dhirocz Wrote:  I wasn't aware of that. I figured gelled fuel was gelled fuel...

I don't see how adding a davco could hurt. My apu has an Arctic setup on it as well. If I'm not mistaken, it doesn't recirculate fuel, but has coolant lines that loop through the tanks to keep the fuel warm. So between the davco and the apu, I should be OK for intermediate cold if the davco was heated if the lines aren't that big of a deal.

Out of curiosity, how cold would it have to be to gel up the fuel lines?

#2 diesel has paraffin wax in it, that's why it burns hotter and produces more BTU, which translates to more power/efficiency.
When it gets cold, the wax congeals in standing volumes, like your fuel tanks. But as soon as it starts moving, as it's being drawn into the fuel lines, the fluid motion and friction breaks the wax back up. The motion of going down the road actually helps keep fuel from gelling too bad.
I don't know the exact temperature, and different areas have different fuel formulas and all of that will play a part in the actual gel point, but it not only has to be cold, it also has to be stagnent.
The real problem with #2 comes into play when the fuel tries to pass through the filter media. Although the wax breaks up and re-enters suspension during flow, it doesn't break up fully. It is these small clumps that plug up the pores of the filter media disrupting the liquid portion of the fuel flow, starving the engine.
Most places actually cut their #2 fuel in colder climates by some percentage. All of these facilities have filters as well, and changing plugged filters constantly disrupts their ability to move the quantity of product required.
If your APU runs coolant through lines in your fuel tanks, you would most likely be fine. If it's going to get really cold, cut it with 10-20% #1 fuel. #1 fuel has no wax, that's why it doesn't gell filters.
Most people that have fuel issues and blame #2 actually have condensation issues, so it actually water, not fuel. When it gets cold, fill your fuel tanks AT THE END OF THE DAYS RUNNING! Your fuel is warm. The air in the fuel tank is warmer than the outside air. Exactly what happens to an ice cold beer bottle on a hot summer day happens...backwards, inside your fuel tanks! Fill them, and the condensation can't form on the inside wall and contaminate your fuel!
Now 871 and older engines return more fuel volume than 2250 and later engines, so without the heat transfer from the engine to the fuel tanks to help keep cold fuel from gelling when it hits the filter media, the common rail engine guys should double the #1 percentage, depending on temperature of course. I try to run #2 as much as I can. It isn't available in most of Canada in the winter, so I will load up before I cross the border, because I can notice a difference in power/efficiency even at 50/50. If it's going to be -30°C or colder, then I make sure to leave room to cut it at the end of the day.

[Ironsled]

Well I’ve got myself in a predicament and I filled in Texas and topped off in Ogallala Nebraska which was number two before I came up here to South Dakota I ended up having to sit for two days and ran the truck off a well I’ve got myself in a predicament and I filled in Texas and topped off in Ogallala Nebraska which was number two before I came up here to South Dakota I ended up having to sit for two days and ran the truck off and on . I unloaded Monday read loaded when I was headed out of Rapid City lost all power in my fuel filter gauge went to the roof red light. I had put some power service cetane boost and the 911 and change both filters I didn’t make it down the road 20 minutes and in my water separator filter was clogged again no power I replaced it but the paccar filter at the Lowe’s then took off after a nap 20 minutes down the road and I couldn’t do 10 miles an hour And ended up with the Injector Metering Rail 1 Pressure - Data Valid But Below Normal Operational Range - Moderately Severe Level. lower than average moderate to severe. And resulted into a filter housing you could not see through I finally got the truck to run for more than five minutes and could see through water separator filter housing but yet still read 10 on my fuel filter gauge I can only get up to 20 miles an hour shifting back-and-forth back-and-forth to get to where I am now I don’t know what else to do and there’s nobody around in this little town and no more filters till noon tomorrow although they didn’t help to begin with any help would be appreciated I don’t know what else there is I can do thanks in advance

[Rawze]

911 is not an anti-gel. It acts more like a hand warmer,.. good for about 5 minutes then fades to nothng. It only activates for a very short time then tanks will gell right up again.

use a couple big bottles of howe's anti-gel,.. put one bottle in each tank.

[Ironsled]

Yes sir I did just that after I read your reply . I also had a bottle of PS anti-gel split between the tanks . Only have about 130 gallons but that stuff is junk cause it was Gell bad by morning . I lost the prime on filters now when it sucked the filter on the motor dry and haven’t been able to get it primed back up . Got so damn cold out there I had to quit for the night .

Espar been running good not gelled yet hopefully the batteries stay strong
Hopefully the Howe’s will fix the issues with the motor being restricted and not being able to roll or stay running .

Never been gelled up this is new experience for myself
And it don’t help the situation being it’s -1 and -19 with wind chill