I got test strips from NAPA and checked my coolant yesterday. My PH level was around 8, however the test kit says nothing about what's normal, or what needs attention. What should my PH read? And how do I adjust it if it's not within desireable range?

Also I read on this form that regular Prestone in yellow bottle was bad for my PSD, problem is I flushed system and refilled with Prestone in yellow bottle before I read that. Should I reflush and fill with something else? I hate to waste all that anti freeze & DCA not to mention polluting the environment but if will harm my stroke I'll bite the bullet and do it.

 

Wrong test strips. Ford, International, or a host of online places can sell you the correct Fleetguard test strips.

Fleetguard considers the safe SCA levels to be between 1.5 & 3.0.

If you mixed plain old green coolant 50/50 with water and added 3 pints of FW-16 I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Cookie, you sure they are not the right ones? It has three readings, 1 for SCA, 1 for Ph,& 1 for freeze point.

I was looking at your pics and your clamp on pyro thermo coupling caught my attention. Where did you get that? Is it as accurate as the ones you have to drill into exhaust manifold? I have a 97 F350 that I want to install gages on, but there is not much room to drill a straight hole in manifold, the clamp on would be great.

 

Yeah...I'm pretty sure.

I got my thermocouple mount from Diesel Injection Service. It's only about 2" downstream from the manifold, so the temperature difference is virtually nil.

 

Rockyrider - You're better off using test strips that measure both molybdate and nitrite, like the ones that Fleetguard sells. The ones you described above only measure nitrite. If you know you're running an SCA that doesn't have molybdate in it, like the SCA that NAPA sells, then the test strips you have are OK. But the Fleetguard strips will measure both styles of SCA (with and without molybdate).