Coolant
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
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From: Oregon
I used 48 gallons of distilled water 1/4 tank of fuel and 12.5hrs of my time, here is the flush i did.
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
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New User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I have read a lot of posts saying to use a SCA free ELC Cat-1 red coolant. I have looked all over my area and could only find the Rotella brand coolant. This coolant is ELC, Cat-1 rated red concentrate. On the back it says not to use SCA charged filters or add SCA in tablet or liquid form. However it dose not say "SCA free" on the jug. My question is this an acceptable coolant to use?
Thanks
Tom
Thanks
Tom
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
I have read a lot of posts saying to use a SCA free ELC Cat-1 red coolant. I have looked all over my area and could only find the Rotella brand coolant. This coolant is ELC, Cat-1 rated red concentrate. On the back it says not to use SCA charged filters or add SCA in tablet or liquid form. However it dose not say "SCA free" on the jug. My question is this an acceptable coolant to use?
Thanks
Tom
Thanks
Tom
There are many modern Heavy Duty Extended Life Coolants specifically designed for diesels. Delo ELC, Rotella ELC, International's Fleetrite ELC, <ACRONYM title="Catalytic Converter or Cat Rebel">CAT</ACRONYM> ELC, Mobil 1 ELC, and a host of others. They will address diesel cavitatation, provide superior metal corrosion protection, provide better heat transfer, require no testing and maintenance, be free of harmful abrasive silicates, borates, and phosphates, and have an operating life up to 1 million miles (Delo ELC). In fact International, who made your engine, recommends and factory-fills with these Heavy Duty Extended Life Coolants (Fleetrite ELC/Shell Rotella ELC). And in fact almost all heavy duty diesel manufacturers use Heavy Duty ELC's meeting the most strict requirements in the industry...Caterpillar's EC-1.
If you have any question about it just go to Napa and get this.
Valvoline.com > Products > Antifreeze Radiator Products > Antifreeze > Zerex® Extended Life Antifreeze / Coolant
Just remember you must have gauges to check deltas first to see where you are on temps.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
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From: Oregon
The idea is to save your motor not kill it that is the same stuff that kills the oil cooler from the silicate drop out.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Scio, OR
There is nothing wrong with switching to a Cat EC-1 rated coolant. But the statement "Gold will plug your oil cooler" is simply untrue.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: IA MN SD
Most folks that have a Ford ESP warranty on their truck are likely running Motorcraft Gold or Zerex G-05 so as to not void their warranty.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
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From: Oregon
A speculative statement that has never been proven to be true. In fact, there are far too many 6.0L trucks still running on the road with the Gold coolant without any problems for it to be true.
There is nothing wrong with switching to a Cat EC-1 rated coolant. But the statement "Gold will plug your oil cooler" is simply untrue.
There is nothing wrong with switching to a Cat EC-1 rated coolant. But the statement "Gold will plug your oil cooler" is simply untrue.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,180
Likes: 669
From: Scio, OR
Why is there so many oil cooler taking a dump then when the only thing in common is the coolant. Yes if you change the coolant every 25k and use it as a grocery getter where there is no large build up of heat then they will last even Ford does not have any faith in the coolant because they went from 100k to 50k wonder why. Yes there are a lot of truck on the road still running the gold junk and ready to blow what goes first the egr cooler, everywhere you look there are shop now with lifts to pull the cabs on the 03-07 fords wonder why because there is good money in it I pull a large 5er and build heat do i want any down time NO so i was proactive and got rid of the problem Ford Gold junk.
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If the coolant were the problem, like you say, then every Ford truck running the coolant would be having the problem. They are not. And it's not just the grocery getter's. My truck is a good example. It works hard, it has Gold coolant changed at 6 years (1 year past the 5 year recommendation) and it is fine. No indication of oil cooler plugging at all.
This is ranch country. There are 1000's of Fords out here, all working, pulling stock and heavy equipment and all running the original coolant. And there isn't a long line outside the only Ford dealership in the county for repairs.
If you (or anyone else) wants to run Cat EC-1 coolant that's great. Go for it. But when you spout the "Gold is junk" nonsense over and over again, you send the new guys who don't know better off on a wild goose chase potentially just causing them more problems.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 345
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From: Oregon
I said the only thing in common in oil cooler failing is the Ford Gold yes they are all 6.0 now if you put a good set of gauges on the 1000 trucks working see how many of them are ready to blow, as soon as these new guys put a good set of gauges on the new trucks that they just spent 20K+ on see there deltas 30+* what do they do come here and ask why and why has the 6.0 been dumped on because they have problems and the problem is the egr and oil coolers bad design yes but the gold does not help. You can run the Gold and i will run the ELC
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