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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 04:46 PM
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Question Coolant Filters

I Just joined a forum for the fiance's grand prix, and a guy was wanting to known if i used any special brand of coolant filter on my diesel, because he was working on a kit for the grand prix's because he felt that they should have them too. i told him that the only thing i've heard about was preventing electro-scaring with coolant additives. I refered him to this site and specifically this forum to ask all you smartie pants here about it. so what do you guys think?
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 05:29 PM
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I installed one after I replaced my water pump. I noticed a lot of sand, scale & lime caught up in the crevices of the pump. The pump showed signs of sand blasting too. I removed both block drain plugs and flushed out even more sand so I decided it was time for a filter. I use a loaded filter that keeps the SCA in check. Not much dirt after the first one.

My 99 Taurus had the same thing...too much sand and it plugged the heater core so bad your couldn't get any heat on the cab. I flushed it twice the first year... I put a filter on it too. After about 3 months I changed the filter and had even more sand. Ford must not be cleaning the casting sand out good enough.
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 06:23 PM
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What about brands? He was asking about that too?
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 07:02 PM
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napa 4070 which is a non SCA charged filter
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 10:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Cuda_jim
I installed one after I replaced my water pump. I noticed a lot of sand, scale & lime caught up in the crevices of the pump. The pump showed signs of sand blasting too. I removed both block drain plugs and flushed out even more sand so I decided it was time for a filter. I use a loaded filter that keeps the SCA in check. Not much dirt after the first one.

My 99 Taurus had the same thing...too much sand and it plugged the heater core so bad your couldn't get any heat on the cab. I flushed it twice the first year... I put a filter on it too. After about 3 months I changed the filter and had even more sand. Ford must not be cleaning the casting sand out good enough.
What do you mean by "loaded filter that keeps the SCA in check"?
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 11:08 PM
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From: Ft Scott
Originally Posted by oldbird1965
What do you mean by "loaded filter that keeps the SCA in check"?
You can get coolant filters that have SCA's inside, as the coolant flows thru the filter the SCA's are released into the system. They come with either 2, 4, 8 or 16 units.
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 11:17 PM
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From: Ft Scott
Originally Posted by cowmilker08
What about brands? He was asking about that too?
Fleetguard, Baldwin, Wix, Donaldson, Luberfiner, NAPA
 
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Old Apr 1, 2009 | 11:30 PM
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Originally Posted by BlueMule
You can get coolant filters that have SCA's inside, as the coolant flows thru the filter the SCA's are released into the system. They come with either 2, 4, 8 or 16 units.
Rodney, How would this work? Would you start out with no SCA's and let the filter do the rest? Or, would you charge a fresh supply of coolant and let the filter maintain it? Thanks, Glenn
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 04:36 PM
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I'm new to this coolant business, what does SCA stand for and how does it work? I know that if something isn't kept in balance it can electro-scar the block and other components.
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 05:47 PM
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SCA is supplumental coolant additive used in our diesel engines. It forms a barrier on the cylinder walls on the coolant side to prevent caviation or pitting which can eat its way through into the cylinder if allowed. Gas engines dont need sca charged coolant or filter.
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 06:00 PM
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A word re Installation of a coolant filter:

The heater hose that comes from the passenger side head is the PRESSURE line. The heater hose that connects to the top of the water pump is the RETURN line.

Rog
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by kawa
A word re Installation of a coolant filter:

The heater hose that comes from the passenger side head is the PRESSURE line. The heater hose that connects to the top of the water pump is the RETURN line.

Rog
Yep Rog is right!! Ask me how I know.....

Thanks Rog for keeping after me on that one....

There is a Napa kit for a coolant filter. The base is handy and the rest isn't but its a nice base anyway for the 4070 series filter.
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 07:20 PM
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From: Ft Scott
Originally Posted by kawa
A word re Installation of a coolant filter:

The heater hose that comes from the passenger side head is the PRESSURE line. The heater hose that connects to the top of the water pump is the RETURN line.

Rog
Rog
You , me and TJ know that, but the Helms manual has it bass ackwards, it says the pump is the pressure side.
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 07:32 PM
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From: Ft Scott
Originally Posted by oldbird1965
Rodney, How would this work? Would you start out with no SCA's and let the filter do the rest? Or, would you charge a fresh supply of coolant and let the filter maintain it? Thanks, Glenn
Glenn
You can do it any way you want. I've used new coolant with no additive and a 16 unit filter to bring it up the the proper level, 4 unit filters to maintain a level and zero unit filters if the level was good but it was time to change a filter.
Even after 8 years with a coolant filter I still find particles that have been trapped. The 1st 2 or 3 filters had a lot of sand and pieces of rust. After a while I stopped seeing the sand but still would get white flakes that I think are the SCA's which build up and then flake off and for a while I had a bunch of black from the inside of the hoses starting to detereorate
 
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Old Apr 2, 2009 | 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by BlueMule
Glenn
You can do it any way you want. I've used new coolant with no additive and a 16 unit filter to bring it up the the proper level, 4 unit filters to maintain a level and zero unit filters if the level was good but it was time to change a filter.
Even after 8 years with a coolant filter I still find particles that have been trapped. The 1st 2 or 3 filters had a lot of sand and pieces of rust. After a while I stopped seeing the sand but still would get white flakes that I think are the SCA's which build up and then flake off and for a while I had a bunch of black from the inside of the hoses starting to detereorate
Rog, I've had mine on (coolant filter) for 25 to 30K and I cut them up and don't find anything. I guess that's good. Are this filters NAPA filters because mine is NAPA 4070? Its white, does that mean anything? If you want a charged one I'm assuming you have to ask for it and I'm guessing they are different colors? Thanks, Glenn
 
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