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How do I flush my 1997 F-250 HD cooling system to prepare to switch to Poly Organic coolant?
I plan to use vc 1 and vc 9 during the flush but I'm fuzzy on the details of the procedure. Also, is there a "best" brand of poly organic coolant? Thanks for any help you can give me! (The radiator does not have a cap)
Goosh's how to is good to follow. Depending on which starter you have the drain plug on the lower passenger sid may be a little harder to get to than the picture implies but the rest is the same.
Coolants are a fun topic. To me it's all about managing the boil point. There are spots within the engine, near the cylinders, that see temps much higher than the rest of the system and there are a few ways to make that. The 20 year old factory method is using SCAs which forms a coating to protect the block from the inevitable beating (cavitation) from the boiling coolant in those areas. However, the SCAs do get knocked lose over time and requires regulator flushing and replenishment. The be$t on the market is arguably Evans waterless coolant which raises the boiling point to almost 400 degrees, eliminating the cavitation effect. I went middle of the road cost wise and switched to Rotella Red ELC (mentioned in Goosh's article) and supliment with RMI-25 to increase the boil point.
I know that didn't answer your POAT question but keep the boil point in mind when researching.
When I switched to RMI-25, I flushed and also installed a coolant filter because it removes the SCA scale from the system over time. The first few filter changes were thick with sludge but the last couple have been nice and clean. I highly recommend adding a filter no mater which coolant you chose.
Thank so much for taking the time to share your knowledge with me. You've given me quite a bit of research work to do! Evans sure sounds great at first blush but not sure about it. Is there a source for me to review how to install a coolant filter? Many thanks, again.
Thank you, both for the tip about installing a cooling filter. After researching this, its a no brainer for me. Also, it appears that the thermostat should be updated with a 203 degree model. Are there any negatives to doing this?
The Evans coolant would be awesome but, a rock thru my radiator would be a challenge to deal with considering both timeliness and money to replace the coolant. Do you know if Ford has come out with a new coolant-POAT for my 1997 F-250HD? Also, is the Rotella Red coolant approved by Ford for my truck? If so, which is best for my truck; ELC, ELC Ultra or ELC Nitrite Free?
A lot of us use fleet charge concentrated, four gallons of that and four gallons of distilled water. If you tow heavy use the 180° thermostat from Riffraff diesel.
I guess I am wondering why this became sticky when Gooch's procedure is already pretty well known and proven? There is no need to reinvent the wheel with a 7.3 coolant flush. Use Fleetcharge and distilled H2O like Glenn suggested or traditional green coolant with SCAs added.
#1 and O'Reilly doesn't know what they are talking about. #2 will eat the glue on the injector cups and you will have problems. #3 I never heard of. Get the concentrated stuff, not the 50/50, 4 gallons of Fleet Charge and 4 gallons of distilled water. If you remove the plugs in the sides of the block you will get a cleaner install. I don't know why the picture came out sideways?
Glen, thank you! I have been wrongly advised at an Auto store before and that's why I came back here to ask, before I bought it. The wanted to sell me the "Final Charge" which is red. I will get the Fleet Charge. Thanks a million for clearing that up and sending the pic!
03-26-2018, 04:21 PM
