New guy with big cavitation and oil ????

[4x7.3NE]

Hey Guys, Just signed up this looked like the best place to be for idi owners!

I have a couple of ?? for you already! One is on this cavitation, I have 4 idi pickups two drivers one parts and one that could go either way. My ? is what should I do for this cavitation and not spend a lot of money hopefully. The first pickup I drive everyday has a new overhauled motor by a really good mechanic I know, it has new antifreeze but Im not sure what brand or anything, on this one I added a product called safe made by conklin products.
It is supposed to protect from electrolysis and corrosion. Has anyone used this and is it ok or am I going to have to dump it and start over? The other pickup I drive some not much it has 400,000 on the clock and antifreeze was changed within the last yr , not sure if it has any additive. Should I star with some test strips and see what these two read and go from there or do I need to dump it all because I dont know the brand of antifreeze they have?

The other one has a good strong motor with anti freeze in it and oil I started it last fall and it ran strong added some antifreeze. This one is just a motor I am saving to replace the one with 400,000 is it fine like it is or what do you guys recommend.

Sorry for a long first ?


Also I was planning on running rotella in these engines is that ok?

 

[RLDSL]

Do you have a way of testing that stuff to see if it is at the proper ratio in the cooling system( i.e. test strips for it, it's an off brand, so it may require a specific type of test strip )

Personally, I wouldn't go with Rotella, If staying with dino oil, Delo usually holds up much better. Rotella has a habit of burning off more quickly.
Whatever oil you go with , running a couple of full treatments of Auto Rx will help your engine perform better. It will consume less oil and start easier when cold

 

[ne buckeye]

I have extra test strips, If you need some let me know, I will mail them to you for free, I will seal them in a zip=loc.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Personally, I wouldn't go with Rotella, If staying with dino oil, Delo usually holds up much better. Rotella has a habit of burning off more quickly.
Whatever oil you go with , running a couple of full treatments of Auto Rx will help your engine perform better. It will consume less oil and start easier when cold

I dunno about that, I use Rotella. I tried Delo in My 6.9 and it burned twice as much oil between changes. 4 quarts, compared with the usual 2 quarts.

I think You should run what ever oil the truck is used to. If the previous owner used Rotella, use Rotella. If they used Delo, use Delo.

I will agree that AutoRX is the cat's meow. I'm on My first rinse cycle, and can see the difference. My RDT is putting out noticeably less smoke.

 

[Michael Fowler]

Hey Guys, Just signed up this looked like the best place to be for idi owners!

I have a couple of ?? for you already! One is on this cavitation, I have 4 idi pickups two drivers one parts and one that could go either way. My ? is what should I do for this cavitation and not spend a lot of money hopefully. The first pickup I drive everyday has a new overhauled motor by a really good mechanic I know, it has new antifreeze but Im not sure what brand or anything, on this one I added a product called safe made by conklin products.
It is supposed to protect from electrolysis and corrosion. Has anyone used this and is it ok or am I going to have to dump it and start over? The other pickup I drive some not much it has 400,000 on the clock and antifreeze was changed within the last yr , not sure if it has any additive. Should I star with some test strips and see what these two read and go from there or do I need to dump it all because I dont know the brand of antifreeze they have?

The other one has a good strong motor with anti freeze in it and oil I started it last fall and it ran strong added some antifreeze. This one is just a motor I am saving to replace the one with 400,000 is it fine like it is or what do you guys recommend.

Sorry for a long first ?


Also I was planning on running rotella in these engines is that ok?

First off, you are right!!!--This IS the best place for information on the IDIs.

Secondly, it would be helpful to know more about your trucks. Cavitation is not much of a concern for the 6.9 engines. The 7.3, have thinner cylinder walls, and so, suffer more from this problem.
Anti Freeze is NOT sufficient to stop cavitation; you need a supplement. Most of us use either the FoMoCo or International stuff. The International stuff is cheaper--and they made the engine, so its not like it is inferior.
If I read your post correctly, you do not currently have any cavitation; you are simply trying to do what you can to avoid the problem, right?
Are there any symptoms that the 400,000 mile engine needs a rebuild? How does it start when cold?

 

[icanfixall]

I personally wouldn't jump to the cavitation issue at this time. The oil in the coolant probably the oil cooler o-rings. They get hard and leak when you run up plenty of miles on the motor. They are lots cheaper to change than pulling the motor and heads... Only to find thats not the oil issue. Also welcome to by far the best sourse for current information on these idi motors.

 

[sootman73]

i dont think he has a mix of oil and antifreeze. he just said he has antifreeze and oil in it sitting and that he started it up last fall.

i would start that engine more often than once a year though. thats quite a time for an engine to sit and not do anything. you ought to winterize it and wrap it tight i plastic. then you know it will last much longer not running. the guys can tell you what you need to do to do that. actually there was a thread not too long ago about doing that....

 

[4x7.3NE]

Ok Guys I will clarify , The motors are all 7.3 s. The one with 400,000 runs fine but has a injector or two that need replaced att. The one that is setting there not being used does not have oil and water mixed, I was just stating that it does have antifreeze in it and oil and runs great , I was curious as to weather its better to leave it as is or drain all the antifreeze. And last but not least the one I drive everyday has a fresh motor in great shape, I just want to do what I need to to keep it that way! I did add antifreeze additive as I stated , it said it is great for diesels but I am not sure as its a product made by conkiln called SAFE. I have used other products off theirs such as 4power carb and injector cleaner and had exc luck. As for the oil I think I will still most likely stick with Rotella, I also have driven a semi for 15 yrs prior to going to work local and trust rotella in the big trucks so why not in the small ones. If anyone can tell me why and what oil is better for a 7.3 I will listen though.

Thanks for the help!

 

[4x7.3NE]

I have extra test strips, If you need some let me know, I will mail them to you for free, I will seal them in a zip=loc.

I tried to pm you but it said no!

 

[Michael Fowler]

Thanks for the additional details. Glad to hear that cavitation is not already a problem. With 7.3s, you are already ahead of the game by understanding what is cavitation.
Have you read the link in the IDI tech articles? It is exhaustive.
If the additive you used did not specifically that it works to stop cavitation, do not assume that it does. It may be good for diesels, but that doesn't mean its doing what you want.

 

[4x7.3NE]

Thanks for the additional details. Glad to hear that cavitation is not already a problem. With 7.3s, you are already ahead of the game by understanding what is cavitation.
Have you read the link in the IDI tech articles? It is exhaustive.
If the additive you used did not specifically that it works to stop cavitation, do not assume that it does. It may be good for diesels, but that doesn't mean its doing what you want.

Thats what Im worried about , it is recommended for diesels but does not state it stops cavitation, it does mention electrolysis. I may end up just starting over so I know what I have in it for sure!

 

[Michael Fowler]

Thats what Im worried about , it is recommended for diesels but does not state it stops cavitation, it does mention electrolysis. I may end up just starting over so I know what I have in it for sure!

That sounds like the wise course of action.