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Coolant Flush Qestion

23K views 59 replies 17 participants last post by  zman 
#1 · (Edited)
At 103K my EGR cooler went out with that my HG's let go, thankfully no damage to any thing else.. I had an EGR Delete, new cooler, head gaskets and ARP's installed. Should I do the coolant flush routine that I have read about? My worry is that I will clog my my new oil cooler with the crap that is still in the engine. Should I just install my new coolant filter and go with it?
I'm the original owner.
 
#2 ·
We just flushed my dad's '03 with Fleetguard Restore (alkaline) then Restore Plus (acidic, similar to VC-9). I was also concerned about knocking too much crap loose so we did a milder mixture of each, just two quarts instead of the full gallon of each. It takes lots of water flushes after each, so don't bother with distilled water until the final two flushes. We have a distiller and after going through about 25 gallons gave up and used tap water, then did a final flush with distilled. Pulling the block plugs lets a lot more drain out too, you only get about half when you just drain the radiator.

As far as the oil cooler efficiency goes, I was monitoring it during each flush with AE on high idle. After the Restore, I started to see abut 7-8 degrees difference, then after the water flushes, Restore Plus, and more water, they were within 1 degree again.
 
#5 ·
Good info Cartmanea. Just curious though, what type coolant did you refill with?

Harry
 
#3 ·
I use Arm and Hammer washing Soda and Dawn dishwasher soap if there is oily residue. The fleetguard products are great, but why pay the extra cash and from what I have seen the arm and hammer removes the scale build up even better than anything I have ever used. Dawn is by far the best at getting any oily residue out. If it is your daily driver, fill it up and take it to work, drain the block, if you have access to an air compressor blow out the heater core. I mix it up in a pail with warm water and mix with a paint mixer then pore into another container, to fill the unit. top it off in the morning you want it as full as possibler so it blows out the overflow, cleaning the recovery tank. If you do it on a cement driveway, or into a drain pan you can see the crud coming out. disposal is pore it on your lawn when it cools it is fertilizer. You keep doing it until it comes out clean it does take a while.
 
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#4 ·
Thanks! now I need to figure out where the block plus are.
 
#6 ·
We used Zerex HD Extended Life, it's a red ELC similar to CAT and Fleetgard ELC. Since that is what International specs for the motor, I figured we couldn't go wrong, and get rid of the Premium Gold crap with the oil-cooler-blocking silicates.

Another benefit, the red coolant is much easier to see inside the yellowed degas bottle. With the Premium Gold in there you couldn't hardly see where the level was.
 
#7 ·
I just flushed my engine at 73000 with restore and VC-9.
I put back the Premium Gold because of warranty reasons.
I checked my EOT vs ECT and it never exceeds 7 degrees, so I think the oil cooler is still flowing enough to get me by for awhile.

I was thinking of switching over to ELC when my warranty ends.
Does anyone know how the ELC stacks up on corrosion protection?
In the descriptions of the silicate type coolants they seemed to say that the silicate coats the metal parts and in this way protects them.
 
#8 ·
IMO, the ELC is better in every way. They just use different corrosion inhibitors than silicates. In our engines, the silicates can precipitate out of the coolant at high temps, such as in the EGR cooler, and this creates the sludge that everyone finds in their plugged up oil coolers.
 
#9 ·
OK. I guess I will switch over as soon as my warranty is up, however, I may extend the warranty if I think it will be worth the money. The Ford 48 month 48,000 Baseline Extended Warranty looks pretty attractive to me at this point. It has the extra coverage I'm looking for. For example it covers the injectors and high pressure oil pump, as well as the oil and egr coolers. They will need to examine my truck before they will sell it to me. And before I buy the extended warranty it I will make sure they will still honor the warranty if I do my own service. I'm pretty sure they will, since it will most likely be handled the same way the new car warranty was handled. The dealer that you take it to has a lot to do with your experience, and the way my dealer handles my service is not perfect, but it's pretty good.
 
#12 ·
I searching this topic I came across one example of how to flush the system, it states flushing several times is needed. This is going to be time consuming, somethime I don't have much of. Is the power flush like the dealers offers any good or is it a waste of money? Does using a coolant other than their Gold void the warranty?
 
#13 ·
As far as I know, the dealers don't have a "power flush" for coolant, only for transmission fluid. Yes, other coolants could void your warranty, but you can use Zerex G-05, which is the same as the Motorcraft Premium Gold at a lower cost. After your warranty is expired, dump it and put a silicate-free ELC in there, like CAT ELC, Zerex HD, etc.
 
#16 ·
What I do is add the soda to a pail of hot water and mix with a paint mixer for 20 seconds then pore the liquid off leaving about 1/2 gallon. I try and get maximum saturation.
I did a 1984 Chev two years ago that was disgusting, heavy rust and scale, it took time but I even got the heater resurrected, It was in a farm truck and the motor was worn out then, well they brought it back and the motor is totally junk. Compression is 70 to 100 lbs, the coolant is clean. I had to dig out the crud to get it to drain, the block
 
#17 ·
You can't over-flush. Baking soda, Dawn, even vinegar work great. (I only use vinegar on clean systems- I don't want heavy buildup to come loose ever). Just flush it really well. I like to take a short trip down the road with the flush (no WOT or high load of course for very long), then take same trip on the SECOND batch of plain water rinse, and follow by draining ALL the water (if customer wants to pay for it to be done right). Then only use distilled water for re-fill mix.

As far as what coolant to use, I'll stay away from that one for now.
 
#18 ·
is it safe to drive the vehicle to work say a thirty minute drive each direction with Backing soda in the system? Curious if this would be abrasive
 
#19 · (Edited)
That is what I did lots of times even with customer vehicles, I would take it to work, 35 miles mostly freeway, and back, then drain, have supper, if dirty refill with solution, drive it till it was hot to purge any air, loosen cap to blow out air. In the morning top it up so it was as full as possible. I worked three 12 hour shifts, so I would do it multiple times and only charged the customer for the 3/4 hour it took to pull the plugs and fill. He saved and I saved fuel to work.
That is why I never just pored in the powder I mixed it in anouther pail and it settles out then I pore it into a second container to put into the vehicle.
Add the Dawn as needed. It makes a very smooth solution.
 
#21 ·
You got it, that is why you let it settle then transfer to a smaller pail to pore into the unit. I have used every combination of dish soaps and specialty cleaner over the years and this works by far the best, If you have access to air I use a long air nozzle to mix it up and you have to remove it to clean and drain it. I have done units where it took a up to ten times to clean it out. On a class eight with fuel in the system and a top pipe with a bleeder you want to bleed off the pressure out that, to get as much fuel and oil, as possible out. Many unit that I am going to do multiple times, I add a valve and hose so I can blow out the coolant, under pressure. I have a modified coolant filter base, and a fitting and 3/4 heater hose to drain the coolant into a pail if wanted, with no mess.
Just a thought!
 
#23 ·
Yes!
 
#25 ·
I plan to do a flush and refill with Zerex HD Extended Life ELC. Afterward do I need to monitor the nitrates and or add any coolant additive like VC-8? I've heard of coolant test strips but never used them.
 
#26 ·
Here is the flush i did, used 48 gallons of distilled water 1/2 gallon Restore 1/2 gallon Restore+ new t/stat and 1/4 tank of fuel and 12.5hrs of my time must have gauges to do a flush the right way, add nothing but the ELC coolant nothing to monitor:happydance

Flushing and cleaning the 6.0

Restore is for cleaning out any silicate goo. VC-9 is for cleaning out iron and scale. Restore Plus is the same as VC-9 and cheaper.

To flush drain the coolant by removing the lower radiator hose from the radiator, and removing the drain plug from the driver side of the block. There is a drain plug on the passenger side also but you have to remove the starter to get to it. I don't bother with that one.
I also highly recommend you pull the thermostat out on your first drain and put the housing back without the thermostat. It only takes about 10 minutes and will save you 2.5 hrs or so in doing this whole procedure.

Ok now put the lower hose back on and the drain plug back in the block if you removed it. This is the procedure you will use each time to drain the system, except you will not touch the thermostat again until you're finished the whole procedure. Make sure that you set your heater to high while doing this to flush out the heater core as well.

Fill the cooling system with distilled water, start the truck and let the water circulate for 5 minutes. (if you did not remove the thermostat you must run the truck until the thermostat opens + 5 minutes to circulate. This takes 15 to 20 minutes each cycle and is why you should just remove the thermostat) Stop the engine. Drain the system and repeat the flush.

Now add at least 1/2 gallon of Restore and fill with distilled water. I used cardboard in front of the radiator because you have to get to 185* 190* for these products to work. Drive truck or run on high idle for 60-90 minutes just before you get back from your drive remove the cardboard this will help in the cool down same on the Restore+ flush. Drain and flush 3 or 4 times. or tell clean

Add 2qts VC-9 or 1/2gal of Restore Plus, top with distilled water, and drive the truck or run on high idle for 60-90 minutes. Now drain and flush until flush water comes out clear and clean. When you get clean flush water, flush 3 more times using distilled water while draining the block.

After your final distilled water drain it is time to put the thermostat back in. I recommend you install a new thermostat at this point. They are only $20 or so and it is good maintenance procedure to do so. Fill with 3.5 or 4 gals of ELC concentrated coolant and top off with distilled water. Drive the truck or let run for a while topping off with distilled water. Check the truck over the next few days and top up as required while any air left in the system works its way out.

Keep some 50/50 ELC on hand to use to top off the cooling system from here out and you are good to go.

new t/stat from Ford it should all come together (housing-t/stat-o-ring) in a box. The part number is RT-1169

Here is the Restore Product from Cummins dealer
http://www.fleetguard.com/pdfs/produ...LI33024-GB.pdf
2 stroker
 
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#27 ·
Thanks 2 Stroker for the detailed write-up! Holy smokes, 48 gal! I have about 20 setting in my garage along with a new t/stat. I'll run out and get some more tomorrow.
 
#29 ·
You will never see tap water in my motor to save about 15$
2 stroker
 
#30 ·
That's what I used to think too, but after two flushes with distilled, I had the hose jammed in the degas tank and it went a lot quicker. Two final flushes with distilled, including draining the block plugs, and 99% of the tap water is out of there. If you think that small amount of tap water is going to cause any problem whatsoever, you must have some pretty nasty well water.
Also, we have our own distiller, so this wasn't a cost issue, just time.
 
#53 ·
That's what I used to think too, but after two flushes with distilled, I had the hose jammed in the degas tank and it went a lot quicker. Two final flushes with distilled, including draining the block plugs, and 99% of the tap water is out of there.
Two flushes with distilled water will leave 75% of the water left in the block as tap water. It will NOT get you 99% of it out of there.
First flush: 50%
second flush: 75%
third flush: 87%
Fourth: 94%
Fifth: 96%
Sixth: 98%
Seventh: 99%
It will take you seven flushes to get 99% of the tap water back out of the block.

If your water is not good enough to put into your truck. what about your family?
Oh please. Your family does not have innards made of iron. Your truck does. Tap water (even those that claim the best water in the country) has minerals and chemicals in it that you don't want in a cooling system, however your Family needs those minerals. That is the difference.

Ford has a TSB (number 10-12-1 if anyone wants to google it) that is for "water quality when servicing the cooling system" for the 6.0 and the 6.4
It requires that testing be done to the water you intend to introduce into your engine.

The coolant in the Fords is the Ont (only??) one I have herd of having a coolant problem, I can test the coolant in my unit for protection Can you.
If you choose to use the FORD Gold coolant, Ford REQUIRES that you test the Nitrite level (as well as freeze point and Molybdate) in this coolant every 15,000 miles, 6 months or 600 engine hours... whatever occurs first. (read Ford TSB 09-8-5).
The lack of maintenance on the coolant is responsible for the creation of the junk that clogs the oil/egr coolers. Had Ford made this fact abundantly clear to the Owners, and the Owners actually did the testing and required maintenance, this engine wouldn't have the reputation that it does. Laziness strikes again. :sleep
I agree that the Ford Gold is not exactly the best coolant to run in this engine. I went with what the REAL manufacturer of the engine (International) used, the Fleetrite ELC. I wouldn't even consider something such as Dex-cool.
Here is what Havoline posts on their own website as a description for Dex-cool. Tell me what you see wrong with this:
Virtually all automobile and light-duty truck cooling systems can benefit from the increased cooling system protection of Havoline Extended Life.
 
#31 ·
I have city water that is not the problem i want a clean block and that is mineral free. Yes you can do it in 2 or 3 flushes but if i'm going to do the job right it will be the right way mineral free and yes it took a full day and i have deltas of 4-6* ECT 194-196* EOT 200* not into down time when pulling my 5er.
2 stroker
 
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