6.0 cooling system
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2011
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6.0 cooling system
As most of you know I just traded my 97 7.3 in on a 05 6.0. Not knowing about the gold coolant being good 100k the first thing I did was checked coolant for SCA with my fleetguard test strips. According to the test strips I needed to add 1 pint of the additive as it called for in my 7.3.
Now that have read the owners manual and know that I should not have added this additive
, does anyone think this could damage the cooling system??
Now that I have read the owners manual and all these forums about the 6.0 and now that I am a little wiser on the 6.0 I am alittle concerned about flushing out and adding new gold coolant. I have well water and I live in an area where the water is very bad ( Lot of Iron ad Sulfer) so I don't think flushing with this water will be good. After reading articles that dealers don't refill the system with distilled water I'm hesitant about this too. Any suggestions??
Now that have read the owners manual and know that I should not have added this additive, does anyone think this could damage the cooling system??Now that I have read the owners manual and all these forums about the 6.0 and now that I am a little wiser on the 6.0 I am alittle concerned about flushing out and adding new gold coolant. I have well water and I live in an area where the water is very bad ( Lot of Iron ad Sulfer) so I don't think flushing with this water will be good. After reading articles that dealers don't refill the system with distilled water I'm hesitant about this too. Any suggestions??
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
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From: Oregon
Before you do anything get some gauges like the Edge Insight CTS to see the difference in ECT-EOT max 15* i think at 10* your coolers are starting to plug. If they look good do a coolant flush and go back with ELC coolant CAT EC-1 Rated but you must have gauges to do a flush. I used 48 gallons of distilled water 1/4 tank of fuel and took 12.5hrs here is the flush.
This should help you understand the reason to ditch the Gold junk it can't take the heat. Gauges are a must to do this need to know EOT-ECT
Replaced oil cooler still difference in temps - Page 21 - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
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
pop
This should help you understand the reason to ditch the Gold junk it can't take the heat. Gauges are a must to do this need to know EOT-ECT
Replaced oil cooler still difference in temps - Page 21 - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
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
pop
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,368
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
I would definitely flush with distilled water, which is relatively cheap at China Mart at $0.89/gal. 20 gallons for under 20 dollars will get you a good flush. I DO know that the SCA will cause you problems but I don't know exactly what the consequences are.
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 35
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Thanks everyone for the help
With all your advice I have decided to go ahead and do the coolant flush myself after all the local dealer quoted me a price of $165. and at this price I hardly think they are spending the time to do it properly!! Now my question is does anyone think leaving the vc-9 in over night will hurt anything?? Reason I ask is I was thinking about draining the system the first time the day before my doctors appointment and refilling with distilled water and vc-9 and then on the following day driving to my appointment which is approx. 50 miles away then when back do the remaining flushes and refilling the system
With all your advice I have decided to go ahead and do the coolant flush myself after all the local dealer quoted me a price of $165. and at this price I hardly think they are spending the time to do it properly!! Now my question is does anyone think leaving the vc-9 in over night will hurt anything?? Reason I ask is I was thinking about draining the system the first time the day before my doctors appointment and refilling with distilled water and vc-9 and then on the following day driving to my appointment which is approx. 50 miles away then when back do the remaining flushes and refilling the system
Elder User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 520
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Mayb I will b ok.
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