Coolant - Summary Information Requested
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Coolant - Summary Information Requested
I am trying to collate the details about using green, non-ELC coolant. I bought my F-250 30K miles and 2 years ago. I changed the factory water pump out shortly afterwards, and now it may be chirping again - since I changed out the idler and tension pulleys.
So, if i need a new water pump, I need to justify the extra cost of the ELC.
Why does the green coolant need to be checked, and how is it done?
What happens if it is only checked for temperature suitability?
Does the grit just appear?
Also, is green coolant destructive to the external side of the upper cylinders? If so, is it the additives or the ethylene glycol?
Anything else I need to know?
Thanks for the patience and the input!
So, if i need a new water pump, I need to justify the extra cost of the ELC.
Why does the green coolant need to be checked, and how is it done?
What happens if it is only checked for temperature suitability?
Does the grit just appear?
Also, is green coolant destructive to the external side of the upper cylinders? If so, is it the additives or the ethylene glycol?
Anything else I need to know?
Thanks for the patience and the input!
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 29,380
Likes: 118
From: Central Coast of CA
Why does the green coolant need to be checked, and how is it done?
Does the grit just appear?
Also, is green coolant destructive to the external side of the upper cylinders? If so, is it the additives or the ethylene glycol?
Anything else I need to know?
Thanks for the patience and the input!
Does the grit just appear?
Also, is green coolant destructive to the external side of the upper cylinders? If so, is it the additives or the ethylene glycol?
Anything else I need to know?
Thanks for the patience and the input!
Unlike gas engines, almost all diesel engines are subject to cavitation if not properly maintained.
What is cavitation and how does it relate to your coolant? Well, when it comes to coolants, I always like to quote Gooch, noted coolant expert, so here is a cut and paste excerpt from one of the many documents I have saved on my hard drive
Where diesel cylinder cavitation is concerned, the bubbles are formed by the rapid flexing of the cylinder wall liners as the high compression, high energy diesel combustion process takes place. Much like if you filled a plastic liter pop bottle up with water and rapidly flexed the sides of the bottle back and forth with your hand. Bubbles form without any heat present. The bubbles in diesel cylinder wall cavitation don't explode, they implode due to pressure. It is this implosion against the metal surface that causes the pitting to form in the outside of the cylinder wall. Eventually the prolonged pitting become a hole. Water/coolant enters the cylinder, and thus we have engine failure (usually via hydrolock). Unlike gasoline engines, all diesel engines experience some level of inherent cavitation, some worse than others. FWIW, the Ford 6.9L and 7.9L IDI's origianlly had serious cavitation issues because Ford did not initially require (or add) SCA to the coolant. Ford later issued a bulletin to address that, and problems decreased dramatically.
SCA's are one method of inhibiting cavitation by providing a barrier on the coolant side of the cylinder wall. However, I would like to say that it is not necessarily the SCA's displaced layer that can cause scale and coolant system plugging, but the components in the SCA itself, particularly when mixed with H2O or glycol. The use of conventional SCA is effective, but it requires testing, careful dosing, and frequent flushing. It will reduce heat transfer, and exacerbate water pump and other engine component failure.
SCA's are one method of inhibiting cavitation by providing a barrier on the coolant side of the cylinder wall. However, I would like to say that it is not necessarily the SCA's displaced layer that can cause scale and coolant system plugging, but the components in the SCA itself, particularly when mixed with H2O or glycol. The use of conventional SCA is effective, but it requires testing, careful dosing, and frequent flushing. It will reduce heat transfer, and exacerbate water pump and other engine component failure.
More from Gooch...
There are 5 choices for your Powerstroke....
1. Conventional coolant (usually green) with the addition of SCA at initial fill. Frequent SCA testing and maintenance there after.
2. Pre-charged coolant (usually purple or pink). Comes with an initial dose of SCA. Frequent SCA testing and maintenance required thereafter.
3. G-05 coolants. Comes pre-charged with SCA package. Fush required at 50K miles. Semi-annual SCA testing and maintenance recommended.
4. Heavy Duty Extended Life Coolants. Come pre-charged with carboxylate inhibitors. No testing or maintenance. Super protection. Super long life.
5. Specialty coolants. Evans. Waterless, pressureless. Long life. No maintenance or testing. Expensive.
Not to be used - Dexcool, Universal coolants, All-makes-all-models, etc.
I use Chevron's Delo HD ELC. Good for 750K miles/8 years or 1M miles with addition of an extender.
1. Conventional coolant (usually green) with the addition of SCA at initial fill. Frequent SCA testing and maintenance there after.
2. Pre-charged coolant (usually purple or pink). Comes with an initial dose of SCA. Frequent SCA testing and maintenance required thereafter.
3. G-05 coolants. Comes pre-charged with SCA package. Fush required at 50K miles. Semi-annual SCA testing and maintenance recommended.
4. Heavy Duty Extended Life Coolants. Come pre-charged with carboxylate inhibitors. No testing or maintenance. Super protection. Super long life.
5. Specialty coolants. Evans. Waterless, pressureless. Long life. No maintenance or testing. Expensive.
Not to be used - Dexcool, Universal coolants, All-makes-all-models, etc.
I use Chevron's Delo HD ELC. Good for 750K miles/8 years or 1M miles with addition of an extender.
After a complete back flush, I refilled with Delo ELC when I replaced my water pump a couple years ago.
Stewart
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
ELC is the way to go. I can get Cat ELC for $18 a gallon from the local dealer. Not really that much more than conventional. I think the Gold stuff is like $13 a gallon. International also sells an ELC, but I forget which one. Might be Delo...
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,288
Likes: 269
From: North of Greenville
One more input here, just to add more... check out the issue of electrolysis, which is another real potential source for the pitting that Gooch talks about. There are abuundant online resources which discuss this issue in great detail, but I'm in a rush at the moment and cannot post any links right now... maybe later. The electrolysis occurs, though, when the SCA's are depleted and/or when some stray voltage has input to the radiator itself (or its brackets) through a potentially improper ground connection.
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