Coolant color after flush
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 139
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From: Henderson, Nevada
Coolant color after flush
I did a flush with distilled water/VC9 with thermostat out until it came out clear and installed a dieselsite coolant filter with Ford Premium gold. 6 days later it looks like I added a little too much and suctioned some out of the degas bottle. The color wasn't light yellow (when it came out of the coolant jug), it was an amber color similar to iced tea. I was told this was normal. I just want to confirm with you guys that it is. If it isn't any ideas of what could be causing it?
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 971
Likes: 1
From: IA MN SD
That's exactly what happened to mine as well, after flushing the system and installing a new oil cooler last summer. I presume the cause is residual VC-9, even though I flushed over 30 gallons through the system after the VC-9 cleaning.
I changed out the lower radiator hose this past weekend, dumping the coolant into a white 5-gal bucket. It is still clear and clean, but it is the color you described. It went back into the engine after I changed out the hose, but I'm probably going to switch to Shell Ultra ELC sometime soon.
I changed out the lower radiator hose this past weekend, dumping the coolant into a white 5-gal bucket. It is still clear and clean, but it is the color you described. It went back into the engine after I changed out the hose, but I'm probably going to switch to Shell Ultra ELC sometime soon.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
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From: Oregon
To do a coolant flush and to switch from the Ford Gold junk coolant to a ELC CAT EC-1 Rated coolant is a good move because the Gold can't take the heat the silicates will drop out and the first stop oil cooler then the difference in EOT and ECT go up max 15* but i think when it hits 10* your coolers are getting plugged, need to use the Restore products to flush with, the Restore removes the slim, goo from the silicates and the Restore+ removes the mineral build up less money than the VC-9 you can get these product from your Cummins dealer. Here is the difference in the 2 product and what they do. You only use 1/2 gallon of each
http://www.fleetguard.com/pdfs/product_lit/emea_brochures/LI33024-GB.pdf
If interested here is the coolant flush
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. You can skip the block drains if you want except for the final drain before adding fresh coolant. You will just have to flush a few more times to get the block clear.
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 tap 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 tap water. Drive truck or run on high idle for 60-90 minutes. Drain and flush 3 or 4 times.
Add 2qts VC-9 or 1/2gal of Restore Plus, top with tap 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 if you are draining the block or 5 times if not. This is to replace any tap water in the cooling system with distilled water and very important.
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
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http://www.fleetguard.com/pdfs/product_lit/emea_brochures/LI33024-GB.pdf
If interested here is the coolant flush
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. You can skip the block drains if you want except for the final drain before adding fresh coolant. You will just have to flush a few more times to get the block clear.
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 tap 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 tap water. Drive truck or run on high idle for 60-90 minutes. Drain and flush 3 or 4 times.
Add 2qts VC-9 or 1/2gal of Restore Plus, top with tap 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 if you are draining the block or 5 times if not. This is to replace any tap water in the cooling system with distilled water and very important.
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
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,347
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From: Eagle Mountian, Utah
I had minor pukeing issues with ford gold. I think it was breaking down and flash boiling in the partly clogged oil cooler and egr cooler. Anyway after my flush with vc9 and about 8 distilled water flushs later. I went with rotella elc. Since then I have not had even a drop of coolant leave the bottle. It did not improve eot's bu at least I don't have hg prob's. No more ford gold for me.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Yes the Gold is a killer of the 6.0 my truck had 28k on it when i did my flush my temps were real good ECT 190* EOT 192*-194* but i pull a heavy 5er 14k even with the max difference in temps of ECT 218* and EOT 228* on a 7 mile 6% pull and 90*+ outside i new thing would not get better so i did the flush and the junk that came out was like honey useing the Restore first with O casting sand coolant filter on for about 15k first filter sand then it dropped off. I'm running Delo ELC coolant and my temps are 190* and 192* i did 5 and 5 total 40 gallons of distilled water, do it one time but do it good then it will be the last flush you will have to do ELC coolant good for 300k
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,180
Likes: 669
From: Scio, OR
I had minor pukeing issues with ford gold. I think it was breaking down and flash boiling in the partly clogged oil cooler and egr cooler. Anyway after my flush with vc9 and about 8 distilled water flushs later. I went with rotella elc. Since then I have not had even a drop of coolant leave the bottle. It did not improve eot's bu at least I don't have hg prob's. No more ford gold for me.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 115
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From: Northern California
Heres mine. The first jug was the initial drain, the second jug was after the first flush, and the third jug was after adding the VC-9.
This is what settled in the bottom of the first jug the next day. Mmmmmm casting sand.
This is what settled in the bottom of the first jug the next day. Mmmmmm casting sand.
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 139
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From: Henderson, Nevada
Thanks for the pics. Thats exactly what mine looks like. Since i just did a flush and a coolant filter install, I think I will replace the gold with ELC this winter as well as install the fumoto valve on the block drain plug.
