Whats the best antifreeze to use in the super duty's??
Its got green in it and I read somewhere something but I can't remember...I usually use the extended life stuff cause its good on aluminum but I wanna make sure I get the best stuff cause I have to put in a block heater......for those 30 below mornings....

Thanks

 

I have an 03 with the extended life coolant. The owners manual list both types and advises to use what came with the vehicle and not to switch.

 

I have an 03 with the extended life coolant. The owners manual list both premium and extended life. Ford advises to use what came with the vehicle and not to switch.

 

Ya but I wanna switch to EL
Ya but I wanna switch to EL


Thanks

 

Changed mine yesterday. Used Zerex 5 year 100,000 mile stuff. It has the correct Ford spec on the container. Stay away from low silicone silicate antifreeze, it's not really formulated for multi-metal systems.

If you haven't changed your Super Duty's before (like me) to give you an idea of how long it takes to get all the old coolant out (in the V10 anyways), after running a cleaner with plain water it took about half an hour to run clean after the thermostat opened using a garden hose in the tank and the rad petcock.

Hope this helps.

 

Z it is thanks

 

Deleted

 

Read the lable carefully. The extended life types that are DEXCOOL COMPATIBLE do not mix well with the old style antifreezes, usually green stuff sometimes red. The Dexcool is usually red and is sold by GM and Texaco, I have not yet seen another DEXCOOL compatible from the aftermarket. Note there are extended life that are not DEXCOOL and are compatible with the old stuff.

If you mix "green" with DEXCOOL, it sludges up and may clog your cooling passages. I am on a Chebby website where this problem has been discussed since 1996, it is a constant problem for those who follow extended drain intervals.

There was also a website from the US Radiator Society or something like that where many radioator shops, GM and Texaco ran a study to discover the cause of problems with the DEXCOOL compatibles. Regular and DEXCOOL are both good coolants but they do not mix, and DEXCOOL is more susceptible to dirty cooling systems and problems caused by air in the system.

My personal opinion is that extended drain(regular stuff or Dexcool) is a bad idea. I think extended drain is the main reason so many Dexcool users saw problems with clogging. I went about 60,000 miles with the original dexcool in my car and while the coolant stayed relatively red, it had a lot of oily film and left rusty looking deposits in the tank, and of course it clogged my heater core, twice. Now I do a chemical flush and replace on a much shorter interval than 60,000 miles. In the old days coolant was changed every 25K. I might push to 50K but no more. I think it would be extremly stupid to go with the 150K claimed by some makers. Antifreeze is cheap, jeez.

Extended change intervals are a marketing ploy. Go with maybe half the interval and I think you will come out with a decent compromise between extended drain and cleanliness. Same goes for oil.

If you are changing fluids do a thorough flush and chemical clean, then use the fluid of your choice and stick with it. I am still using DEXCOOL compatible from Texaco in my Chebby but I am not yet convinced that it is good stuff, at least until I get another 50K change interval. I use Valvoline Zerex in my 460 Ford and the wife's Villager van, no complaints, but then I change every 30K or so.

Do not mix DEXCOOL COMPATIBLE with the regular, even regular extended drain.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Thanks I wasn't gonna mix I wanted to use the red stuff for the anti corosion properties on aluminum...I think now I'll just stay with the green. Or maybe go with the red or but ,,,um,,, aw sh#t.

Thanks

 

The local Car Doctor radio call in show here recommended changing extended life every 2-3 years and not go 5 yrs and regular coolant to change every 1-2 years.

 

PSR. " Power Stroke Registry-1313 South Park Street, #200. Carrollton, GA 30117, fax 770-834-0134" had a fairly complete article on coolants in their Summer 2002 issue. I have no connection with the mag other than being a subscriber. It is a quarterly mag devoted to Ford diesels.