Cavitation question

[phmezz]

I bought a '93 F250 with the 7.3l IDI about a month ago. It has 156,000 miles. I asked the prior owner about SCAs and he had no idea what I was talking about. They guy is a retired mechanic and was meticulous about maintenance. He did have green anti-freeze in it. The radiator was leaking from the top tank so I replaced it with a champion radiator, replaced the thermostat, flushed the system and filled it with Fleet Charge.

The truck runs good with no issues. The transmission is original and according to the prior owner has never been rebuilt. This truck is eventually going to need either a new transmission or a rebuild. I don't mind doing this when the time comes but I don't want to put a new transmission in along with a new engine.

From what I have read, this engine has cavitation issues at around 150,000 miles. My question is, since I now have the correct coolant with SCAs am I in the clear on this issue or could I end up having a cavitation problem in the future?

Thanks

 

[TronDD]

If you keep your SCA level in spec, it should stop any erosion from cavitation. You won't have to worry about it.

I bought my truck with 233,000 miles on it and the owner had never heard of cavitation either. So...you're probably fine.

Tim.

 

[gatorman21218]

Cavitation is an interesting thing. Some use SCAs and still get it. My friend has a 91 also and with over 400,000 miles without protection his engine still runs. I say don't worry about it and check the levels every oil change. Without tearing the engine apart and sonic testing, there is no way to know how thick the walls are.