CAT, like other equipment OEMs does not formulate or package coolant, lubricants or filters. All of it is purchased with CAT labeling under contract manufacturing. Most of CAT ELC actually comes from Chevron or at least has for years. They may have changed vendors.

Nothing wrong with this, just do not think that its made by CAT. Its not. They label and sell just like Ford and others do.

 

AFAIK, there are a few companies that make stuff. That said, I think the comparison should be on the specs. Just because they were private labeled for 5 companies DOES NOT mean that all 5 companies got the same spec just because they all came from the same factory. I hear people say that all the time. "They come from the same factory" and with that, it is assumed that it is made to the same spec with a different label or bottle.

 

maybe ill just put walmart supertech in it and call it a day.

 

I wouldn't. But hey, it's your truck.

In our 7.3L's a switch over to ELC allows us to get away from SCA and the need to recharge it, etc.

I have Zerex ELC. Get the concentrate so when you finish your last flush with distilled water (you cannot get it all out), you can put in the correct amount of concentrate and top it off with distilled water and get the correct ratio

 

so your saying the blue lable one is better then the precharged sca rotella elc?

 

Here is your misunderstanding. SCA is NOT ELC.
SCA is the coolant with an additive package, that requires periodic testing and replenishment. There are test strips you use, and you buy small bottles of the SCA additive and add it to your coolant in the radiator.

ELC is the replacement for the SCA type coolant, and it doesn't have an additive package.

I think 2000 was the switchover, maybe earlier, but e99 - like mine - used SCA coolants. One of the internal differences are the materials used in gaskets and more importantly the sealant for the injector cups. Using ELC in an engine designed for SCA may lead to leaks, but some have switched without any adverse effects. Another issue with SCA is that the additive package may "drop out" of solution after awhile - hence the need for testing and replenishment. It's the drop our sediment that had IH install coolant filters in their engines, and why it's a mod for us.

 

This is about the most correct response I have seen so far. The only other issue with ELC in the pre-2001 7.3 is that the ELC did not play well with brass injector cups. It deteriorates the metal and causes compromise. Not everyone has experienced this, but the fact that the science is out there, why risk it if you have brass cups? The newer cups ar stainless, so the ELC works fine. It's not like one coolant is more expensive or performs better than the other. Use the correct coolant for your application and there will be no worries. JMO...

 

Cat ELC exceeds Caterpillar’s EC-1 rating. Cat ELC is developed, tested, and approved by Caterpillar. Cat ELC Extender will need to be added at half-life, which is 300,000 miles.

 

So which one doesn't need these extenders?

 

It is exactly that! Cat ELC exceeds the performance of other ELC’s. Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies were always better than store bought.

 

Stainless cups? I have not seen those in any of the trucks (handful) I've worked on. They were all brass, as are the replacements in the kit we have from Rosewood Diesel with the tool.

In my 2002 Excursion, the cup I pulled out is brass and that is what I put back in.

Your comment about stainless cups and ELC being bad for brass cups, etc is something I have never heard or read about. Are you sure about it? Do you have a source for that info? I am always willing to learn, but it doesn't sound right

 

So if we get any of those, change at 100K we should be good to go and not have to worry about the additive, right?

 

I don't know what make/model your truck is?

If you are looking for ELC like many of us, then as mentioned above, the BLUE on the LEFT of your pic would be the one- if it has the CAT rating on it. That is the criteria you want to seek.

But I think now that you understand the difference between SCA and ELC, you likely know why you were confused about it. The "old" FORD documentation talks about SCA and such. ELC in our International engines is an upgrade.

Does that help?

 

I did a bunch of research a few years back when I had to do a water pump on my '97. I was stuck in a place that did not have Fleetcharge, which led me down a rabbit hole of research on ELC because it was all the parts stores had for diesel trucks. I found out that the ELC coolants did not play well with the cup sealants or the brass. As far as brass cups in the Ex, maybe they were a little different? I can't speak to that as I do not know. I know that Adam has done quite a bit of work on the SD trucks and found they had stainless cups. A few others on here have as well.

Long story short, I'll have to look back on that thread and look for the links. Again, my biggest point is why use something that MAY be questionable when there is a coolant that is not questionable? That's just how I think anyways. Fleetcharge is darn good and works well. Why are people so dead set on ELC because it's CAT and makes the claim of a 300,000 mile run? I, for one, would never let my coolant go that long unless I was an OTR trucker and ran that many in a year. It just doesn't make operational sense. Most WPs don't last that long, so you'll be dumping that coolant anyways before it "wears out". It's not going to cool better than a non-ELC, so again, what's the point? I am not being an a-hole, just sharing the questions I had to go through myself when I had to perform 4 flushes on my trucks that I have owned. Annnnyhoo, lemme see if I can find those links. It was 3 years ago when I posted them.

 

Even though I've replaced my cups, and I'm still planning on changing my water pump - there's a pretty Ford blue IH filter waterpump sitting in a box with all parts since May! - I will still run SCA as the precharged concentrate is readily available, and once the filter is installed, replacement filters come with the SCA charge included. I did this whole flush routine, and a lot of crap came out, when I replaced my cups and injectors. I don't really feel like doing it again.

"Flush" and "changing coolant" are two different operations for me. And finding a place to take all the flush waste was annoyingly difficult. I was able to take it to a local NAPA before, which is where I purchased the new precharge coolant for the WP replacement, but they told me that they don't accept coolant from private folks anymore, since most people contaminate it with oil and other crap. I'm hoping if I keep it clean and return it in the clear distilled water bottles they'll accept it.