Crisis in Corn Country

I have heard that there is enough corn grown in Iowa to feed the world. That is a lot of corn. Today, we were exposed to corn in a different way than through buttered corn-on-the-cob, hot jalapeno cornbread, or crunchy corn chips. 

Near Mason City, on I-35, about 20 miles past where we blew a tire and damaged our RV last year, we pulled off at a Kum&Go gas station to get fuel. Our trucks runs on diesel. Bill pulled up to a pump and accidentally put in 2.37 gallons of E-85 flex fuel before he realized that is was not diesel. He pulled the truck to another pump but he was concerned. What would happen to our motor with the E-85 flex fuel in it? If it would damage the motor, should he have the tank drained?

He saw a fuel delivery truck and went to the driver. They talked and the driver – Greg – thought that the tank might need to be drained. That could run into the hundreds of dollars. He went to a place nearby where he gets stocked with fuel and asked the those guys what they thought we should do.

In the meantime, Bill calls Cummins, who made our motor. Jim tells him that if he fills the tank with regular diesel, the motor should be fine. The E-85 will unclog the fuel lines and clean out our system, thereby clogging up our fuel filter. We would have to change our fuel filter, but the E-85 would not hurt the motor.

But this gas station does not have regular diesel. All they have is biodiesel. We’re in corn country, remember? (Biodiesel is fuel with corn in it.) Bill wondered if that would cause more problems. Bill calls Jim at Cummins again and is assured that everything will be okay if we use biodiesel. (The manager in the gas station had told Bill that he might melt down his pistons if he mixed E-85 with biodiesel.) So Bill filled the tank with the biodiesel.

Bill puts in the biodiesel and tries to start the engine. It runs for a few minutes but becomes really rough. Sure enough, the fuel filter is clogged, just like Jim said would happen. Bill thought he would have to change the fuel filter now. (Fortunately, he carries a couple of spare fuel filters with him and he had a quart of diesel so that was doable.)

Next to our pump is a bearded guy by the name of Rob Pigman. He suggests that we call a local diesel mechanic – Dan Miller – for advice. Charlie, another mechanic, answers the phone and advises Bill to crank open three fuel injector lines and open up and drain the fuel filter reservoir instead of changing the fuel filter. He says this will clean the deposits that clogged the fuel filter. Bill does this as Greg, who has come back and said that the guys across the street said that the E-85 should not hurt the engine, looks on. I crank the motor, and after Bill fiddles with the injector lines for a few minutes, the engine comes to life. What a sweet sound.

If Rob Pigman would not have been near us at the next pump, and advised us to call Charlie, who told us what to do, Bill would have spent at least an hour changing the fuel filter. As it was, it only took a few minutes to clean the sediment out of the fuel filter by draining the fuel reservoir. Oh, the mercies and timing of God!

Now, we are driving down the road. Bill is watching the gauges and says that both his fuel pressure and boost pressure are better. Our accidental addition of E-85 must have cleaned out our fuel lines, causing our truck to run better, thanks to Jesus, the greatest diesel mechanic in the universe.  Nice, huh?

It was only an hour or so setback and thanks to the Lord, Greg, Charlie, and Jim, we are back in action. It was not really an immense crisis, I suppose, but “Crisis in Corn Country” makes for a good title, don’t you think?