Everyone asking questions about coolant filter kits got me to thinking....... how often does everyone change their filters for coolant. I can't imagine it's as often as oil as it is just a by-pass filter. What say you?

 

When the exterior shell gets rusty enough that I worry it may leak. Then I cut it open with a muffler cutter it is still relatively clean on the inside.

 

1st one about 2000 miles, cut it open and look at it. Then after that do like Jack says.

 

Every March it gets done. I cut it apart everytime and wouldn't be comfortable going any longer than that based on the weakness of the media. It tears by hand very easily and I use Napa gold filters.

 

The first in 500 miles, the second in 5000 miles and now annually. I cut the first two open and found virtually nothing....I don't fret over the others. But then again with 133,000 and still on Ford Gold and the original Oil cooler with 6/7 degree deltas I don't believe my system is very dirty.

 

I changed mine after the first 1000 miles. It caught a good amount of 'junk'. The next change came 10,000 miles later. Clean as can be. Then 20,000 miles later. Clean as can be again. I'm thinking of changing again just because what 87crewdually said above. Don't want the media to break down. I'm at about 20,000 miles. At some point, it may be time to just remove it.

 

To add to my brief message as it was past my bedtime, after installing the filter on my trucks conversion to ELC I found that after my initial short interval of changing and inspection that caught both particles and slime after flushing, I've been able to go as long as possible with the changeout, to the point of rusting of the shell. If you look at my Facebook photo album on filter installations on my 7.3 then transfer to the 6.0 you'll understand better. At this point in time my intervals on the Baldwin unit are around 35,000 miles, 3 to 4 years Last filter exam a year ago, posted 6 months ago:

 

I installed my coolant filter system several years ago. The first time I changed the filter it had a very small amount of sand. Every one since then was clean.
Word of caution...If your system has the plastic T-fitting that goes in the heater line, then find a replacement for that T-fitting. Mine failed at an inopportune time while towing my 5er. Knowing that my system was clean, I went ahead and removed the filter system completely.

 

I've had a different experience. I've changed mine in the middle of two road trips of ~ 600 miles. First filter had rust in it with some black/dark grey sand in it. The second one I changed in the middle of the same route (went to OK City twice) with this time towing my Mustang on a car trailer. Just like the first filter, got a fair amount of black/grey sand in it. My deltas have also gotten a little closer since the install of the filter.

 

With the engine hot and running when the in hose to the filter is hot and the out hose is cold, it needs changing.

 

I've changed mine once a year for about 3 years now.... after the 1st year it's been clean. I'll change it again after it starts leaking.

 

Same here. My system must have been dirty as it only took a few hundred miles for the first 3 filters to get this way. All of them had a bunch of sand come out. Current one has been on over a year and still gets fully hot so I guess I'm finally clean.

Half tempted to take it off just to eliminate failure points.

 

Went through 3 filters in the first 5000 miles (no flow). Next one lasted a year and was still flowing but reddish particles still came out. I've changed it once a year (about 15-17K miles) keeping check along the way and it's never plugged in that time since the first install. However, everytime I've changed it I still get a fair amount of reddish particles so I'll stick with the yearly change.