What is my best option on my cooling system???

[wildman7798]

I am getting ready to install mechanical water temp gauge and thought since the coolant is sort of a orangish - greenish bilge water looking stuff I might flush it and change the coolant while I was in there. I have about 1500 miles on the truck now since it's 9 years behind the barn. I strip tested and then added a recharge SCA bottle from Car Quest as I read about the cooling system issues here about 2 months ago when I got it running. I go to my International Dealer today as I was in the area. WOW was that ever a cluster ... the parts guy goes and talks to the service manager when I tell him what I am driving. He comes back and offers me basically green Prestone and bottle of SCA, they had a type 2 and a type 4, he was kind of guessing which one I should use. Then out of nowhere the parts guy drops this on me "you know you are going to have leaks in your cooling system"... I'm like... excuse me? He goes on to say that the flushing will wash all the old SCA's out and probably cause leaking, and so I am like.. head gaskets and such? He goes on to say that about 40-50% of older rigs will leak after flushing but most of it should seal back up over time. In 40 years of wrenching I have never heard of such a bucket of crap... however, with that said I promptly decided to buy nothing from him and leave..quickly. So lets see what the IDI minds have to say on this topic.

 

[79jasper]

Maybe if you use too heavy of a cleaner.
Can't remember what it's called.

But if you mean just plain water, no problem.

On final fill, use only steam distilled water.

 

[texcl]

Im using zerex hd elc and have been happy with it. It is supposed to be rated for our older engines seals so I've heard and like the fact you dont have to worry about recharging for 300k miles.

 

[whiteboyslo]

I'm convinced that flushing mine led to my radiator starting to leak, but as far as I'm concerned, that's more a situation where I proactively found the weak spot before it left me on the side of the road.

Mike

 

[tbirdfiend281]

I think that *poopy* mechanics have made up the whole changing X fluid out causes Y component to failed because everything they work on doesnt go back together correctly. I have honestly nerver had any flush cause a leak, but as started above, sometimes the fresh stuff just pushes out a lot easier. I have changed out more then a few older rigs coolant out and they have just randomly started leaking. I wouldnt sweat it, but anyways, are you asking for a coolant recommendation or a flushing procedure?

Coolant recommendation...
I am going to be testing it out on my own rig, but I will be going to http://marine.partsmate.net/marine_...ne_Boat_Products_UPC_021400740112_223516.html

the Shell Rotella ELC that we put in all the IH trucks that come through the shop now a days. I am going to be running it in the 6.9 diesel, and my 318 jeep will also be getting it. The jeep is at 172k, and I completely redid the whole cooling system a few years ago, I just wanna see if it makes a difference, I have some issues cooling wise with her over the years.

Flushing procedure, I just use cheap degreasing dish soap and water, seems to always work well.

 

[icanfixall]

If you had an oil cooler o ring leak oil into the cooling system then Dawn Dishwashing detergent cleans the cooling systems very well. you wont remove all of the oil but any thats left will carry over to the over flow bucket. Then its easy to get out by sticking a paper towel in the fluid and its soaks it up. Once its in the over flow bucket it will never get back into the radiater. That line in all the way at the bottom of the bucket. One would have to have a huge leak and al that extra coolant get sucked back into the cooling system. Not likely hopefully. I feel a fresh water flush is all thats needed.., Just be sure the recharge is done with steam distilled water. Not the reverse osmosis crap. Steam distilled is what you want. Any grocery store has it on the shelfs too ..

 

[riotwarrior]

I'm convinced that flushing mine led to my radiator starting to leak, but as far as I'm concerned, that's more a situation where I proactively found the weak spot before it left me on the side of the road.

Mike

Hmm....I tend to concur with the above statement ^^^^^ for my calamity of horrors with my cooling system...

Needless to say it was not fun,

I'd suggest nothing more than auto dishwashing detergent for flushing agent and lots and lots and lots of fresh water rinses...

I did a heavy chemical cleaning, and thoroughly flushed with water 3 times, then added fresh coolant only to find a nice water pump leak a few days after installing the fresh coolant.

K fixed that, flushed with water, tested with water, add coolant, damn...few days later RAD blows holes...yes HOLES through itself in a few spots...

K another job, buy champion rad add to that new Motorcraft thermostat, and install...well that lasted till I either dropped a valve and cracked a block or cracked a block and dropped a valve...not 100% on the order of KABOOM quite yet.

Thus I suggest mild flush, if truck has been sitting like mine was flushing can dislodge years of accrued crud and thus cause those leaks we speak of!

JM2CW

Actually that's a lot more than 2 cents worth to tell ya the truth.

Al

 

[redneckaggie]

only time I have ever seen a coolant flush cause a leak was when the flush was done with a mild mix of muriatic acid, actually it was suppossed to have been mild but ended up being pretty damn close to full strength

 

[tbirdfiend281]

Ford recommends dawn to flush a cooling system. Tech services told me to use it to flush 6.0s that had mixing oil and coolant. So that shows you something.

I honestly don't think the white rhino died from the flush, maybe more of the sitting.

 

[riotwarrior]

Ford recommends dawn to flush a cooling system. Tech services told me to use it to flush 6.0s that had mixing oil and coolant. So that shows you something.

I honestly don't think the white rhino died from the flush, maybe more of the sitting.

Nope me either I'm just saying that the water pump and rad where likely due to all the flush with chemicals...

The engine was just not what I'd thought/hoped I suppose.

I'll know more about what was reason for failure once I get it apart more for further Post Mortem...

 

[wildman7798]

I have been giving this some thought along with your feedback. I have not installed the gauges yet, will probably get them done in the next day or so. I think I will take out the Temp light sender and use my mechanical sender in that spot. Rather than do a complete flush of the system I think I will just replace as needed - never put the old coolant back in, just start adding fresh green and go with a 50-50 blend of steamed distilled water. Use my strips and just re-charge the SCA's as needed. At near 100k miles now I surely will be opening up the cooling system on occasion for hoses, thermostat, water pump ect. I'll just maintain as I go instead of opening up a can that is probably well off left closed. I see some orange stains in the rug under the heater box so that probably will be down the road as well.

 

[tbirdfiend281]

I have been giving this some thought along with your feedback. I have not installed the gauges yet, will probably get them done in the next day or so. I think I will take out the Temp light sender and use my mechanical sender in that spot. Rather than do a complete flush of the system I think I will just replace as needed - never put the old coolant back in, just start adding fresh green and go with a 50-50 blend of steamed distilled water. Use my strips and just re-charge the SCA's as needed. At near 100k miles now I surely will be opening up the cooling system on occasion for hoses, thermostat, water pump ect. I'll just maintain as I go instead of opening up a can that is probably well off left closed. I see some orange stains in the rug under the heater box so that probably will be down the road as well.

Thats what I do with all my fleet (except my baby 300zx)

 

[tbirdfiend281]

Nope me either I'm just saying that the water pump and rad where likely due to all the flush with chemicals...

The engine was just not what I'd thought/hoped I suppose.

I'll know more about what was reason for failure once I get it apart more for further Post Mortem...

That truck sounds like my one idi I warped the head/block on so bad I had number 7 pushing compression gasses into the atmosphere, truck still ran.