Quote Originally Posted by Crusty View Post
Nope they weren't. Before electronics you just had mechanical pumps which squirted fuel into the cylinders at the right time and the heat of compression caused it flash. If your fuel was already jello however it would never even get through the fuel filter ahead of the pump so you had to take measures to keep your fuel flowing. At the truck stops where it gets really cold there are #1 diesel (kerosene) pumps along side the #2 diesel pumps and truckers there mix their own magic proportions of #1 and #2 diesel in their tanks to hopefully keep it liquid.
My friend just returned from a Canada run his fuel turned to jello on him over night. poured some of that liquid heat in his tanks to get his fuel liquid again but the only way he could get the engine to start was to wave a propane torch on each of the unit pumps and the fuel line to them finally after a couple tanks or propane he and the call out mechanic got it started. Said he learned as valuable lesson either leave the engine running so the return fuel will help keep the diesel in the tanks warm or be low on fuel when you cross over into an area where they offer winter fuel at the pumps This ultra low Sulphur stuff they call diesel today is not supposed to be as bad as the older diesel but it will still thicken up when it gets cold enough.