diesels

[Captn. J]

u guys do anything to your diesels for winters?  do u guys add anything to your fuels?  obviously my first diesel and want to see what u guys do 

[betterbeaters]

when its really cold I use deisel 911 in my fuel so it dont gel up.. other than that I cover my rad and plug in the block heater (if it works).  my truck never really warms up in the cold and hates to start but its a 6.2 n/a and the glow plugs dont work so I give mine alittle starting fluid and away we go lol

[Mudbuster]

I don't use any special adatives in the winter that I don't use in the summer. I do put the bra on the front so the engine will actually get some heat. I also plug it in if it's gonna be below freezing but mine will still start if I don't it's just easier on the motor if it's pluged in.

[Hammerlane]

Most fuels are already "winterized" at the pump.. and will typically prevent gelling down into the single digits..
a cheap "fix" or additive that the ole' skool truckers used was to add gasoline/kerosene to diesel to extend that to below zero temps.
bout 1 gallon of gas for every 50 gallons of diesel.

keep your block warm (block heater) they have heated dipsticks you can purchase also.. makes starting much easier especially in sub zero or near zero temps.  a winter front or pc. of cardboard over no more than 1/2 the radiator will help with warmups and cab heat issues. 
other than that keep an xtra fuel filter handy and keep the one in the truck in good shape in the event of a bad batch of fuel.

P.S. - winterfront/cardboard.. it is best to use or install one of these that allow for even air flow over the engine fan blocking just the top or bottom will exert different pressures on the fan itself and potentially take out your water pump bearing/seal prematurely.

[lilred]

^ what he said.  Oddly, my 6.2L fires right up without the block heater and runs 180-210 degrees going down the road.

[BigFrank]

mine sounds terrible  if I don't plug it in for a 1/2 hour   fuel mileage has went down since its gotten cold out

[TopFist]

I love this stuff! run it summer and winter.

http://ktperformance.net/i-10782240-archoil-ar6200-combustion-catalysis-and-burn-modifier-fuel-treatment-8oz.html?gclid=CJ7V0aLgprsCFa9aMgodv0kAew

[xjs3667]

You should never use ether/ starting fluid on a diesel unless its an absolute emergency, use wd40 instead or a diesel specific starting fluid, ether will wipe the cylinders walls clean of oil, and until a diesel warms up there is a lot of play between the piston a wall... hence the piston slap you hear is much louder when she's cold, with no oil on the cylinder wall from the ether, it is a very high chance of scoring or gouging the walls, which will result in compression loss or worse,

[Hammerlane]

X2  ^^^^

[camok10]

X3 also if the glow plugs are by chance on when the ether is sprayed it pre detonates and can cause immense damage to the head's, block, starter, flex plate/ flywheel. So if you do have to use it only have some one spray while cranking and imedietly turn the ignition to off once you are done cranking. It's best to disable the glow plugs if you have to resort to it.

Also I run power service, I probably don't have to as much on my powerstroke, but the rack style and rotor pumps on cummins, idi fords, and gm 6.2l and 6.5ls like the extra lubrication. Sulfur was part of the lubricant in diesel and the old diesels not always but can run into pump issues. A qt of Ashless 2stroke oil per tank also works very well.