I'm a Cummins guy but this is a problem that we all share so now that my problem is fixed I'm sharing it with you Ford and GM guys so you hopefully don't have to go through this or at least have ideas on how to deal with it if it happens to you. These are quotes from my messages (edited) on the TDR site:
1: I got my first bad load of fuel this weekend. I put 19 gallons in at a Shell station and within 2 miles of leaving the place the truck started hesitating and I checked my fuel pressures - 2 psi differential across the filter whereas I had none before the fill up. I drained some fuel out of the water seperator and it ran ok for a little while then started hesitating again. I stopped back by the station on my way back home and got the managers phone number and let them know about the situation. I changed my fuel filter that night and had no restriction across the filter after getting the engine going again. Within 2 miles I had a 2 psi restriction again! Talked with Dave's Diesel (a GLTDR supporter and where I was on Saturday for their grand opening) and with their advice it looks like I've got algae or bugs in the fuel (there is a sulfur smell and the fuel is brown). They recommended draining the fuel out of the tank by running the engine and opening the drain valve to pump most of the fuel out of it, then once the tank is down close to empty to turn off the engine and bump the starter to just run the lift pump and get the rest out. Then put in fresh fuel, treat it with a biocide, and a double dose of stanadyne fuel treatment and change the filter again. I'm going to be doing all that in about an hour here.
Now the bad part - talked with the fuel supplier and they say they pumped 450 gallons this weekend and noone else has complained so they don't want to do anything. I'm going to send in a sample of the fuel I drain out tonight and send it in for an analysis and will go back to them with those results.

2: I just got done for tonight, drained the entire tank until it was dry, refilled it with premium diesel. I put 36 gallons into my 34 gallon tank, btw - and after pulling 5 gallons into it from a can (the rest was 5 miles down the road) my gauge was still WELL below the E mark. Treated it with a shock treatment of biocide (1.7 ounces for 34 gallons), and a double dose of Stanadyne performance formula. After all of that and then changing the fuel filter YET AGAIN and driving 15 miles I saw no hesitation but at the end of it saw a 1 psi restriction again (0 psi up till that point) - looks like one more fuel filter change and hopefully I'll be done with this episode other than recouping my costs! I'm just REALLY glad I had my fuel pressure gauge on the truck and was able to read pre and post filter pressures! Without that data and having changed the filter 3 times now (4 times total when I change it again in a couple of days) I would have been second guessing myself big time! I'll be VERY interested to hear the suppliers thoughts tomorrow and I'm sure he'll be VERY surprised to hear my response back if I don't like what I hear! I never thought I'd have to deal with bad fuel (it ALWAYS happens to the other guy, right?) but I've learned my lesson - truck stops only from now on period, I may even buy a bigger tank to be sure I can always buy at a truck stop.

3: Good news to report - put 70 miles on the truck today with no misses or hesitation . I have a 1 psi restriction across the filter right now which is well within specs but I'm going to change it out once more in a week or two to get the last of the crud out. I think I'm going to add the biocide to the next couple of tankfulls too, just to be sure. I left them a message today letting them know it was definately there fault and that the truck was running fine again and to call me so we can figure out how to remedy the situation by reimbursing me for my expenses. $290 in parts, supplies, and fuel plus about 7 hours of my time - I'll settle for $710 from them - if they aren't willing then the GLTDR will be paying the station a visit turning their parking lot and pumps into one big parking lot for an entire Saturday.


I'll post how this eventually turns out on here and if anyone's near Michigan and wants to join us for our park in (assuming they don't pay off) at the Shell station on M-50 in Charlotte, MI if they don't take care of this properly then let me know.

-Steve St.Laurent
President of the GLTDR