You might want to include the best brand of oil in your question.

There are many good brands. Do you have a favorite that you are wanting to know if it is ok to use? My favorite brand is Fleetguard. But there are many others that I would be satisfied with.

 

The intent was for compatability. I've had several concerns on silicate issues and just wanted to make sure that I put the right type, not necessarely brand, as not to harm the engine.

 

If you are flushing and refilling your cooling system there are many good choices. If you are adding to what is currently in there, you should use the same as what's in there. Your truck came with Ford Gold coolant. The same coolant can be purchased at auto parts stores. Look for G-05 on the jug.

As for silicate concerns, you will want a low silicate, less than 250 ppm, formulation. Most of the ELC coolants have no silicate.

 

I agree. I use Motorcraft Gold Coolant.

 

Im glad this topic came up as I am about to replace the coolant in all 4 of our PSD's. Also can someone tell me the benefit and the reason guys are installing coolant filters? And are they needed for an everyday driver?

 

Guys are installing coolant filters for two reasons.

1. In the casting process, some sand is left in the engine block. Apparently, some of the sand is nearly impossible to wash out, but it comes loose slowly over time and gets into the coolant. This sand is abrasive and can accelerate water pump failure. The coolant filter filters out this sand.

2. Sometimes, there is a precipitate that is formed from chemicals dropping out of solution from the coolant. This is one reason why low silicate or silicate-free coolant is preferable, because silicate could precipitate from high-silicate coolant. There are other types of precipitate that can sometimes form. This precipitate can also accelerate water pump failure. The coolant filter also filters out this material, thereby extending water pump life.

Apparently, the new extended life coolants are much better than conventional antifreeze, because the chance of formation of precipitate is much less. However, you still have the casting sand to worry about; so a coolant filter could still be beneficial even with elc.

The other traditional use of a coolant filter is to slow release SCA into the coolant. However, with elc, this is not needed.

 

Heavy Duty ELC's are what the manufacturer of the engine, International, recommends. My favorite brand is Chevron Delo ELC. But others including CAT ELC, Fleetrite ELC, Fleetguard ELC, Rotella ELC, Texaco ELC, Mobil 1 ELC, are excellent too.

These coolants are made specifically for diesels and meet the most strict coolant specifications in the industry, like EC-1. Unlike the G-05 and conventional coolants they are silicate-free to make your water pump happier. They are maintenance-free with operating lives and flush intervals many times that of conventional and G-05 coolants. They will provide significantly better heat transfer, and they contain a more robust cavitation and corrosion inhibitor, particularly as operating time adds up.

As mentioned, when adding to existing coolant, it's always best to be consistent. Mixing types of coolants is not recommended. There are thorough flush instructions listed at this site for a proper switch-over to a different coolant technology. Installing a coolant filter is always a good idea. Most all coolants are good, with some better than others. Properly maintaining them is the key, no matter which one. The choice is really yours, and how you define "best".

 

Wow, they should take one of the previous versions of this topic and make it a sticky.

When the weather gets descent, I am going to the Chevron Delo ELC. It is the only one I could find in town that is not pre-diluted. It's not cheap at $21 gallon, but it has an 8 year life.

 

Or maybe a list of acceptable brands sorted by type in the FAQ section.

 

I would use either the factory fill of Motorcraft or I would use Amsoil. If you are changing coolants a flush would be recommended.

Jared

 

I would use either the factory fill of Motorcraft or I would use Amsoil.
Jared

You have to ignore a lot of good coolants to get the list down to those two.

 

I got IH Fleetrite ELC concentrate for $12 a gallon this summer. Try to locate an International dealer nearby.

 

Check the local heavy truck service and parts suppliers. Look for the concentrated ELC's as they will be cheaper than using the pre-mix and you may luck out if they have a sale. I grabbed some Texaco ELC for CDN$16.

 

Be sure to get the concentrated coolant, not the 50% prediluted, if you are going to flush and refill the coolant. There will be some water left in the engine after flushing. This water will dilute the coolant; so if you use 50% to start, the water in the engine will dilute it to less than 50%. You want 50% as the final concentration. Manuals & Warranties Result - Ford

The link above will give you the Scheduled Maintenance Guide, the Owner's Guide, and the Diesel Supplement. On page 36 of the Diesel Supplement, it says that your refill capacity for coolant is 32.75 quarts; so you will need about 16 quarts, or 4 gallons of the concentrate for the refill. Fill the rest with water.

 

flush it, i used distilled water and delo elc. gooch method! gooch approved!

 

So as not to start anything I would send Gooch a PM and see if he will elaborate a bit.

ORRRRRRRRRRR, you could do a search and get you about a months worth of food and beverage, sit back and read what has been covered here in detail!!!!!

Or you could just follow your owners manual and the instructions here and change with what came in it originally. Or you could follow Gouch's coolant changing instructions, change to a true ELC coolant and be done with it. The choice is yours. Me, I switched to Cat ELC.

Now get'r done..........

Oh yeah, please use distilled water as per instructions here.

Paul B

 

sabir

Hi, This post is very informative, however I would like some specific information. If someone can help me then please send me a private message. Best Regards,

 

Anyone know where you can find or order Rotella ELC from? I've been wanting to use it in my truck but it seems kinda hard to find... :thanks:

 

Anyone know where you can find or order Rotella ELC from? I've been wanting to use it in my truck but it seems kinda hard to find...

Call one of the nearest Shell Rotella distributors and ask where is a good place to buy Rotella ELC.

"Northwest Indiana" is a big place. If you're close to Lafayette, try:
Trueblood Lubricants LLC
520 Farabee Drive
Lafayette, IN 47906
Phone: 765-448-1299
Fax: 765-446-8590
E-mail: tt1@one-eleven.net

If South Bend is nearer, try:
Waggoners Fuel Co., Inc.
1402 Kessler Blvd
South Bend, IN 46616
Phone: 574-234-2171
Fax: 574-233-9331
E-mail: waggonersoil@sbcglobal.net

If you mean Gary or the Chicago 'burbs, then go to Rotella.com, click on "where to buy", then on "National distributors", then click on the Illinois map. Or maybe click on the Indiana map to see if there is one closer than Lafayette or South Bend or Chicago.

 

This should help you find the Rotella ELC:

Shell in the US - Shell Distributor Locator

LocalShell.com

The Shell Rotella ELC is the exact same coolant as International's Fleetrite ELC. It's just labeled for International. I believe CAT ELC is the same Shell product also. So check with your CAT or International dealer for their brand too.

This might help you find the Delo ELC:

Chevron Products - Where to Buy Chevron Lubricants


Welcome Sabir. Interesting sig. Check your PM's.

 

Thanks Gooch...

SmokeyWren... Sorry for the vagueness about my location... Most Hoosiers would refer to the Gary area as Northwest Indiana... :thumbsup:

 

evans coolant

I have evans coolant, I even had a bad water pump and the pressure didn't push it out, I was able to collect it and re-use it after I put a new pump on. The stuff is expensive but awesome. I use it with a 203 thermostat from the diesel site. ADAM

 

cat antifreeze has the most lubricant

 

jnyost, you're barking up the wrong tree with 444-4D. He knows coolants.

Clearly some coolants are "better" than others, particularly in the PSD. The two you mention, Motorcraft Gold and Amsoil, are simply not at the top of the list. Neither one is recommended by International, who made your engine. However, I am open to any information you have that would explain why you believe those two are the "best".

First, the Amsoil is a PG (propylene glycol) coolant, not an EG (ethylene glycol). What Ford says doesn't always hold water with me, but PG is one type of coolant that they specifically say not to use, and they have published TSB's to the like. The Amsoil coolant has a shorter 7-year life compared to other 8-year coolants. And it's not approved by any major diesel manufacturers that I know of. It's lacking the industry's most strict coolant spec, EC-1. You can use it if you want. But lots of people like to "pimp" Amsoil products here, usually because they are a dealer. I see you have a dealer link in your sig.

The Motorcraft Gold you mention is a universal, one-size-fits-all coolant that Ford uses for their entire line-up, all gasoline engines. It contains silicates, has a weaker cavitation inhibitor package, a shorter life, and lacks approval by most of the popular heavy duty diesel manufacturers, including EC-1. We've been over it a bazillion times here. Again, you can use it if you want.

Coolant specs and testing standards are extremely important, and they dictate what the coolant can do. If you took the time to explore exactly what the specs require of the coolant's performance, you'd understand coolants better. In basic terms for example, Ford's gold WSS-M97B51-A1 spec is a light-duty spec that requires much less out of a coolant than say CAT's heavy-duty EC-1 spec, or International's B-1 spec, particularly where diesels are concerned.

Certainly use what you want, and be happy. But realize that there are opinions, facts, and then there are educated opinions based on facts. I educated myself on your opinion when I saw that "Amsoil" link in your sig. :icon_wink:

 

Correct, I am a dealer. That doesn't mean Amsoil doesn't make a great coolant. Obviously I'm going to be a bit biased. I also didn't list that as the one-all fix-all. You'll also find that I think there are many many great oils out there. I've used amsoil for years because I believed they made the best oil. It wasn't until recently that I decided to be a dealer. I was stupid and paying retail for it. I didn't know any better or know there was a cheaper way to buy it.

 

I can't find a diluted ELC anywhere. Everyone has the 50/50 mix. Is the concentrate available on the internet anywhere?

 

You mean you want the concentrated correct?

Where have you tried and what brand are you particularly looking for?

 

I meant concentrated. I don't care about brand.

 

I meant concentrated. I don't care about brand.

That's one of the problems with flushing and switching to an ELC. Almost no one stocks it concentrated. Many of the places that have the 50/50 can order it for you. You will probably have to buy a 6 gallon case. Do you have a Cummins shop, a Cat dealer, or any kind of heavy truck dealer nearby? Look in the yollow pages for oil distributors.

 

jeffery, tell us where you're at and maybe we can help you locate some.

 

jeffery, tell us where you're at and maybe we can help you locate some.

Radford, VA 24141. I did the search on International and all 10 people I talked to said only in 50/50.

 

Finding Rotella / Fleetrite ELCs?? Tough luck!

Well, after all is said and done, I decided to use either the Shell Rotella, or the Fleetrite ELC. Unfortunately, after making my decision as to which ELC to use, I've found the 100% concentration nearly impossible to find in my area.

Oh well, moving on to the next brand.

Perhaps Chevron ELC?

Richard

 

Well, after all is said and done, I decided to use either the Shell Rotella, or the Fleetrite ELC. Unfortunately, after making my decision as to which ELC to use, I've found the 100% concentration nearly impossible to find in my area.

Oh well, moving on to the next brand.

Perhaps Chevron ELC?

Richard

That is precisely the route I took. Hopefully Gooch can steer us to the right place.

 

I have several diesel engines (perkins) that have green fluid. I have no idea what kind of fluid. Can I mix the types of fluid or do we need to drain, flush and replace.

 

I have several diesel engines (perkins) that have green fluid. I have no idea what kind of fluid. Can I mix the types of fluid or do we need to drain, flush and replace.

I wouldn't recommend mixing fluids since you don't know for sure what kind of coolant is in there. There are several different kinds of coolants that are green. There are some coolants on the market that say on the bottle that they can be mixed with any coolant, but I wouldn't take the chance with expensive engines. The best way to go is to drain, flush, and replace the coolant.

 

I do know quite a bit about coolants. I've done a of research for both my personal use and also for business. In one former position I was responsible for selecting lubricants and coolants for machine tools in a factory. In my current position we use PG coolants for X-ray tubes in the medical industry. PG coolants proved MUCH better than EG in transferring heat, corrosion resistance, and material compatibility. That's just one of the reasons I use Amsoil. Add on that it doesn't kill my dogs and kids and that makes it a huge plus.

Ok. Now you're getting somehwere....

First, we're talking about using coolants in a diesel engine, not X-ray machines.

Second, there's no doubt that PG coolants are less toxic than EG coolants. In fact that is why PG's originated, not because they perform better. If toxicity is the reason you recommend the Amsoil, then I would ask you to compare your Amsoil PG to other PG coolants, like the Evans or Fleetguard for example. However, understand that while EG-based coolants might be more toxic, PG coolants also become toxic and hazardous once they are used and contain the heavy metals of cooling systems. Even EG coolant is not considered a disposal problem for water treatment plants until it contains the toxic heavy metals from cooling systems. In fact there are programs and testing procedures available for EG users to test the EG for heavy metals prior to classifying it as an expensive hazardous disposal material or not.

As for the performance of PG coolant, I'll get right to the point...

SAE Technical Paper 1999-01-0129:
"This paper describes the results of laboratory testing comparing the heat transfer performance of heavy duty radiators with propylene glycol and ethylene glycol based coolants. Solution of 50/50 propylene glycol/water (50/50 PG/water) and 50/50 ethylene glycol/water (50/50 EG/water) were tested in radiators of different geometries. The tests showed that the performance of 50/50 PG/water is degraded at higher flow rates to a greater degree than either 50/50 EG/water or 100% water. Specifically, it was found that in typical truck radiators the cooling performance of water drops off below 2.52 L/s (40 gpm), while that of 50/50 EG/water drops off below 3.78 L/s (60 gpm) and that of 50/50 PG/water drops off below 5.05 L/s (80 gpm)."

SAE TECHNICAL PAPER 2001-01-1182:
"The data reported herein will support the conclusion that in the presence of an EGR, degradation is greatly accelerated. This degradation results in an increase in corrosive properties that attack engine components and cause premature failure. Although propylene glycol (PG) coolants have not been tested with EGR devices, PG is generally understood to be even less thermally stable than EG."

As for the additives and formulation of Amsoil's PG coolant, one need look no further than it's shorter life compared to other EG and PG ELC coolants, and its lack of any diesel manufacturer specifications like EC-1 or B-1. Again it is one of two coolants specifically not recommended by Ford via your Owner's Manual and TSB. Your engine manufacturer, International, recommends an EG ELC coolant.