Any CAT Acert owners on here?

[jedeka]

A buddy of mine traded up to a KW T600 with Cat Acert engine. This us the 1st winter he has ran this truck. He has had issues twice already this winter with fuel gelling. He plugs truck in the night before he is scheduled to leave. Truck will start up and idle the next morning. If he throttles up the truck and tries to let it idle, the engine will die. I think he had to change filters 3 or 4 times to get 2 miles back to the farm. Fuel gets treated, but think the owner got carried away and over treated the fuel today. Looking for a fix to the root of the problem. Both my older Pete's have coolant heaters in the fuel tanks. His KW does not have any kind of fuel heater. I think he needs some type of fuel heater. The shop he talked to says he will have problems all winter because of the small micron fuel filter on the truck and cannot switch to a larger micron filter or he will cause issues with injectors. Any ideas? Thanks.

[jfaulkner]

Originally Posted by jedeka

A buddy of mine traded up to a KW T600 with Cat Acert engine. This us the 1st winter he has ran this truck. He has had issues twice already this winter with fuel gelling. He plugs truck in the night before he is scheduled to leave. Truck will start up and idle the next morning. If he throttles up the truck and tries to let it idle, the engine will die. I think he had to change filters 3 or 4 times to get 2 miles back to the farm. Fuel gets treated, but think the owner got carried away and over treated the fuel today. Looking for a fix to the root of the problem. Both my older Pete's have coolant heaters in the fuel tanks. His KW does not have any kind of fuel heater. I think he needs some type of fuel heater. The shop he talked to says he will have problems all winter because of the small micron fuel filter on the truck and cannot switch to a larger micron filter or he will cause issues with injectors. Any ideas? Thanks.

What filter numbers are you running?

FYI other than a slight difference in the injector tip spray pattern and flow rates there isn't anything different about an Acert injector vs any other C15\3406E. All can be interchanged between engines so the filter doesn't matter.

[jedeka]

I will find out what filter numbers they are using. I was thinking the primary filter was a 5 micron unless he told me wrong. I hope they are not using a finer micron filter in primary than in secondary filter. I received a call back from Davco today about their fuel filter/heater setup. Think this is what they need to look into.

[jfaulkner]

Shouldn't need a fuel heater. The return fuel is hot and will make the tanks hot even in the winter. I'm in Ohio and rarely even treat my fuel. The 1R-0749/0750 is a 2 micron and should be on the block mounted filter base. Should have a 5-10 micron between that and the tank. I had a truck that came factory with 2 micron filters on both and would plug all the time.

[biggy238]

Check to see of this engine has the recirculation circuit between the fuel return at the filter base and the lift pump.

Monkey Fist Rage

[jedeka]

I am told both filters are 5 micron. I will check for fuel return circuit.

[jedeka]

Biggy238, I see the feed hose going to the lift pump at the front of the engine and the pressure line that comes off of pump and to secondary filter housing. I have a steel line going to the injectors. There are two hoses that come off the rear of the secondary filter housing, one is injector return and other goes back to the tank.

[02Dmax]

I agree with Jfaulkner. Tank heaters are a waste of money on a truck with a common rail engine. The fuel constantly circulates through a 190 degree cylinder head, so I don't see the need to take 190 degree coolant to the tank.

What have the temps been when he's having problems and where does he get fuel? The source of your fuel is more often than not the problem, not the temp or filters IMO.

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[02Dmax]

Btw according to that pic, it does have the recirculating circuit line.

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[biggy238]

Originally Posted by 02Dmax

Btw according to that pic, it does have the recirculating circuit line.

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Being that it does have the re-circulation circuit, make sure it is closed. If the suction from the tanks exceeds suction from that line, it will run intermittently until it shuts down and the filters are refilled.

Monkey Fist Rage

[jedeka]

How do you close it? The Donaldson filters are a 10 micron primary and 2 micron secondary.

[jedeka]

Temps have been around zero with -10 wind chills when he has had problems. Tries to buy fuel at reputable truck stops and splits a bottle of Howes between tanks when filling up. I'm trying to get him to switch to an anti-gel and separate de-icer that I gave been using in my farm tractors. It figures out to 3 1/2 cents/gal, which is comparable to the Howes that runs 4 cents/gal.

[02Dmax]

Howes is good stuff but there are fuels out now that it causes problems with. Some fuels have additives already in it and when you add howes it creates some sludgy nasty crap. Honestly 0 isn't that cold and windchill has no effect on fuel other than cooling it to the ambient temperature faster. I'd get ahold of someone at a station that can answer questions about the fuel and what's the best addidtive. A lot of the fuel today is junk when it enters the tanker truck, long before it goes into a storage tank at a truckstop then on to our vehicle tanks.

This is just how I would approach it. We've had very similar weather here and I'm around those engines everyday. We buy a winter blend fuel and don't even consider an additive unless its going to be -20 or colder. However, we know whats already in the fuel, we fill up the same place, EVERYTIME, we keep our tanks full at night, and the trucks run everyday even if its just to earm them up at a high idle for a couple hours. And I realize a lot of guys just can't control the variables like we can. Just my 2 cents.

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[biggy238]

Its a quarter turn valve with a yellow handle. It may already be shut. We delete them completely on trucks having issues.

Monkey Fist Rage

[smalley]

Not to hijack, but what is the re-circulation circuit for? I have had problems with Howes in 2 different trucks this year. Nice to hear an explanation.