Upgrades and Aftermarket - 99 & up 7.3L EngineUpgrading or adding OEM or aftermarket equipment to your 1999-Up Super Duty or Excursion with 7.3L Power Stroke diesel engine. Please confine discussion of topics in this forum to those items that are specific to the 7.3L Power Stroke engine.
im due for a coolant replacement and flush. where is the best place to take it to get it done? is the stealership someplace that i should stay away from?
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2002 F250 4x4. Dark Green, 285/75/R16 BFG All Terrain KO's, MB Wheels
Do it yourself. Buy flush kit from your local auto parts store and install. Flush with 14 gallons of distilled bottled water. Drain. Add Prestone Heavy Duty Coolant, in black bottle, top with more distilled bottled water. Do a searh for more details.
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2000 F250SD 4x4 CC LB SRW, 7.3L, 4" SS Exhaust, K&N Intake Filter, "A" pilar guages, Autometer Trans Temp, EGT, Boost, Amsoil through out, Amsoil 2 stage filter system, Mag-Hytec trans pan & dif cover, Banks Big Head Waste Gate, FactoryTech Valve Body, 315 BFG KOs & Yes I made the 315 spare fit, Rancho 9000 shocks, Tru-Cool Max trans cooler, Aux/BU Lights, T/C lock. Next: Fuel System Mods, Max A/C mod.
1975 TLC 2F, H42, 4.88 gears, Power Steering, Shackle Revearsal, Next: SOA, Rear Disc Brake mods
A Scouter Forever.
Nobody but you or me will do it right. "Right" means flush all the old coolant out of the heater core with tap water, then flush it several more times with distilled water to be certain nothing is in there except distilled water when you pour in the new antifreeeze.
Maybe have your dealerperson read those procedures and agree to do it your way. But even then, I'd watch the tech do the job to be certain he did it right.
Steve Pepin's procedure in the FAQ will work if you have great water, but nobody has great tap water, so you need to expand Steve's procedures to include the flush with distilled water.
The Ford procedures from the FAQ (taked from the workshop manual) will also work only if you have great tap water with no minerals in it. But again, nobody has that great tap water available, so don't let a dealer do it unless they agree to add the steps to flush with distilled water.
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My Sierra Blanca in the sig pic was a great pickup for 11.5 years. I sold it last year. Replacement is a 2012 F-150 EcoBoost SuperCrew Lariat.
Smokey's procedure requires about 8 flushes via the little petcock. That's a lot of wasted time and a lot of used coolant solution to dispose of. If you're going to pay a shop to do it that way, plan on a hefty $labor charge$.
Also Smokey's procedure fails to mention that you should always remove the lower radiator hoses prior to backflushing with the "T". That's the lowest part of the cooling system where solids, sediment, and gunk accumulate. Without removing the lower hoses, that nasty gunk will get forced back up and embedded into the cooling system when you backflush.
Smokey might consider removing the block plugs a "PITA", but not removing them is LA. Removing the plugs result in a more thorough and efficient flush. Cut your time and work in half. A small 1/4" socket wrench (without a socket attached) works perfect. And no, you don't need to remove the starter on the passsenger's side. I have big hands and can screw the plug in with my fingers. Finger-tight between flushes works great.
No good procedure should continually push using one coolant, as this one obviously does throughout. As I've said before, this procedure is one way for Smokey to push his "Gold". In fact, the Gold does not meet the ESE-M97B44-A Ford spec for those PSD's that came with Green. And many members here, including a Fleetguard Field Service Cooling System Engineer, have found inadequate levels of SCA in the Gold (as low as 800 ppm Nitrite). If the procedure recommends the Gold, then it should also recommend testing and adding SCA (like CAT and John Deere recommend when using this Gold in their diesels). The "Gold" is simply a universal one-size-fits-all coolant that Ford uses out of simpliciy, conveniece, and cost rather than because it's the best for your diesel. Really, and more honestly, the procedure should apply to any coolant, including those better ELC coolants that International (who made your engine) recommends.
Yes, there is a "right" way to do it. Smokey's way isn't necessarily that. But it is the long way.
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