How's all this mixing compare to the pre charged antifreeze?

 

Yeah I would have jumped on that if it were an option

 

I've never run the pre charged, but it does take some patience getting everything dialed in with mixing

 

You all make me realize that I got to get my asshwabagan out of park and get on this up keep!

 

The stuff I have is just an additive to the coolant you put in the system. You can but it by the pint or by the half gallon. The jug says that you should add one pint (16 oz.) for every 4 gallons of capacity in your cooling system as an initial charge and then that a maintenance dose of 4 oz. or so is suggested after that every 10,000 to 15,000 miles. I added about half the 64 oz. jug to the system as my initial charge. I have the test strips to test the levels, so I will run it a couple days to be sure everything is mixed thoroughly and then test it to see how things look. I can just use the strips to test the coolant after that and keep an eye on t he levels.

 

I just figure that preventative maintenance is always money well spent. This truck has not been pampered, but as far as it is up to me, it will be taken care of. I would much rather maintain something than repair it....

The next thing on my list is a coolant filter.

 

I have had my truck for eight years now and just after I got it and about two years after that I replaced water pumps. I put on a coolant filter and haven't replaced one sinse.

 

What did you go with for a coolant filter setup? I've looked at the dieselsite setup, butu it seems a bit pricy to me for what you get. I'm thinking of just building my own with parts I can pick up locally (NAPA again). You can also get the coolant filters from NAPA pre-charged with this additive.

 

Ya, I got it at Dieselsite but it would be easy to make your own. I've thought about the NAPA pre-charged filters, do you think all the additives are the same thing? I would hate to mix stuff together that's not compatible.

 

That I can't say. I don't know how this stuff would mix with say the Motorcraft stuff. I guess you could always switch coolant the next time and then go with whichever product matches the coolant you put in, or for that matter, put in straight coolant with no additive in it and then add whatever you want...

 

diy. how far did you go with your coolant flush/change. block plugs, hoses, ect...

 

I had the engine out of the truck, so I lost all the coolant in the radiator when I drained everything. Then I pulled the block plugs and put in brass drain valves for future use. There may have been a little coolant left trapped in the block and heater core, but I think I put 6 to 7 gallons of coolant/distilled water back in it so there wasn't much left.

 

i was just thinking. i think i have a small leak at the water pump. should i can the pump at the same time i drain the coolant or should i run the old water pump for awhile with the new coolant and then change the pump a few weeks after. just in case there crap running thru the system. what are your thoughts

 

I would think you will loose all (or at least most of) your coolant when you change the water pump, so if it were me, I would change the coolant and the pump at the same time. But that's just me...

 

i agree. when i change water pumps i flush the system first before removing the old pump, then drain as much of the water as i can, and refill with new after putting the water pump in