Zerex ZXED1 at NAPA for less than $15 a gallon. Just got Restore at the local International dealer for $23. They were out of Restore+, said it was on back order.

 

Can you mix the Zerex with CAT? I have lost some coolant and need to top off. I can't find the CAT. Can I just add the Zerex 50/50?

 

In Canada we have cat dealers in very city it seems. I would go with the previous post of trying a truck shop like Kenworth, Mack, Peterbuilt. The shops here all seem to have CAT -ELC even if their trucks don't come with CAT engines. Would stay away from mixing brands. I have seem some gelling disasters on heavy equipment.

 

Will a standard antifreeze tester, meaning one of those Prestone testers with the flat face, short hose and black squeeze bulb, work for testing how cold your ELC antifreeze is good for? I need to make sure mine is good for -60*F.


Thanks, Bill

 

I wouldnt trust the accuracy of one of those. CAT says to use a refractometer.
70 - $80. or find a shop that has one.

ELC FAQ.pdf

 

Genman - thanks for the info. Everyone interested in ELC antifreeze should read the PDF he attached. I also like the fact that Cat has a standard testing procedure if you think you've had a oil leak contaminating your antifreeze.


Bill

 

Amazon carries the Concentrate. With Prime you get free shipping. Downside is only a 6-pack for $78 which is only about $14/gal. My local CAT dealer wanted $30/gal!

 

On Amazon I can find various brands that Cat ELC equivalent, but I don't find the Cat antifreeze itself? I need to call the local Cat dealer and see if the have the concentrate by the gallon. My second choice is Rotella, but on Amazon it's $21.66 per gal plus another $6.15 per gallon for shipping. If you find the Cat on Amazon with Prime, let me know please.


Bill

 

So why looking for the Cat Brand versus something that meets the same spec as that brand does? Delo is another maker (re-packager) of EC-1 rated coolant... Just curious Bill, that's all...

 

Here's an example. I spent the 20 years in the telecom industry. If there's one thing we used a lot of, it was thousands and thousands of tyraps (cable ties) every year in all sorts of sizes, colors and capacities.


One of the vendors that came by a couple of times a year was Teyton. (I believe that's how you spell it and they may not be in business anymore.) I told them I wouldn't buy theres because they just weren't strong enough. After telling them this several times, they brought testing reports from an independent lab showing they met the same mil specs as the Thomas & Betts that we preferred.


I read the report while they sat there. Then I went out to the warehouse and got some of the T&Bs. I formed a loop out of a small 4" one and had them put the loop between their two little fingers and try to pull it apart. They couldn't do it. Then I made the same loop out of one of theirs. They broke the keeper apart on it without a lot of struggle. They had to agree that while theirs may have also met the same mil spec, but the T&B tyrap obviously far exceeded the mil spec. They never came back again to try and make a sale.


So I'm sure there's a lot of coolants out there that meet the same spec as Cat or Rotella do, but I believe Cat will exceed the other brands. Do I know that or have proof of it (?), no I don't. It's not as easy to prove as which tyrap is the strongest. I've just spent a lot of time around heavy equipment and therefore prefer Cat coolant if I can get it. If not, I know I can get the Rotella here, it just won't be cheap, but of course almost nothing about a owning a 6.0 is cheap, is it?


If anyone had any scientific test reports on which ELC protects the best, I'd really like to read them so I put the best coolant in my truck.


Bill

 

ELC 1 is a forumla specification based on a Caterpillar invented forumla.
Cat 1 is a generic name many use to describe it not actually a specific brand,
altho Caterpillar does sells one.

None of the documentation I have read says they beat Cat's formula they just meet it. The formula has become a industry standard.

Now I am not shure compareing a tensile strength test to a Formula is quite fair. We have done that pull apart test many times ourselves. It useually fails at the latching mechanism not the strap material itself [another formula] lol.

 

I guess you could go back and see what exact coolant Navistar recommends, since they built your motor, not Caterpillar

Kidding aside, there is tons of information out there on sites like BobIsTheOilGuy, etc. Bottom line for a bunch of us was to go to an Organic Acid Technology based coolant that meets the Cat EC-1 spec. Which is the best, or is one better? Can't say, but what helped me decide was what was widely available, should I need some on a trip.

This is the one I found all over:

http://images.peakauto.com/Final%20C...heet_hires.pdf

Beyond those words of quasi-wisdom (why I chose what I chose), it is somewhat up to you...

I like the tie-wrap analogy btw...

 

So I have just been told by my friend that works for freight liner as a mechanic that rotella has changed their elc formula saying that it had to many nitrates in it causing issues to cooling systems o rings among other things. He added that he believes international was the reason behind the change. Complaining about the issues to their motors.
I had just had him pick me up some elc and now he's getting me the updated jugs so i can do my coolant flush/change over. Something to think about I guess. Would nitrates really be that bad

 

For decades coolant has contained nitrites to prevent cavitation and corrosion. Modern OAT coolants provide that protection without nitrites, using the organic acids instead. I'm not sure why there would be any nitrates in any OAT coolant as it would be defeating (or at least duplicating) the function of the OAT (and limit its sale in some European markets).

 

I'm not sure either. But I'll see if he can clarify what the difference is. Or if the bottle says something about it.