[1997_Old.Bart.Simpson]

I wasn't sure where this should post so I chose General Diesel.

I just did a super flush on a NTM 189k miles 1997 7.3 F-350 in good condition.

Since I didn't know how well the cooling system had been maintained and due to the mileage I did a thermostat gut out, system drain including both block plugs, Simple Green flush for an hour, multiple flushes.

I backflushed the radiator, heater core and block seperately twice then system backflushing twice. I could sure smell the Simple Green but the suds were minimal.

Followed by two quarts of VC-9 run for about two hours followed by multiple distilled water flushes (40 gallons) draining both block plugs each time.

I installed a Gates brass petcock in the plug over the starter. I am sure there are higher quality valves like Fumoto and if I could source a higher quality drain valve that would fit my block plugs I would use it. F108N doesn't fit OBS 7.3.

I am not all that impressed with Gates having ordered replacement hoses. They dont seem as good quality as the OEM. OEM just seems more beefy & OEM reinforcement braiding seems more uniform & heavier. Maybe it's all in my mind? I'll probably keep them for emergency spares. And replacing my hoses with lifetime silicone.

Yes, this super flush was the PITA get-up-get-down-up-down12 hour flush ordeal cause I never did one before and I'm slow with a bad arm and kept getting interrupted. And, being winter makes it all the more "fun" getting splashed and mucking about. Everyone else seems to have been through this ordeal so I decided I should too. Derp :grin: Besides, the real learning comes by doing. Just working down the maintenance task list.

So the good news is the coolant system was NOT that bad at all. It didn't seem as bad as some of the stories I read. I never saw the horrible "mud", slime or "super nasty" flush fluid. But It definitely needed flush and replace. I saw moderate silicate / casting sand drop out. Checking along the way with clear catch jars. The VC-9 was a dark drain out, about like a weak medium coffee color but not all that bad. It's supposed to blacken and chelate out any system rust, no?

So, I have the Dieselsite coolant filter kit. It comes with instructions and I have read threads and watched the Youtube video.

Question:

Is there a better way to route the Collant Bypass Filter plumbing? What if I NPT nippled into each engine coolant block plug then looped back together through the water pump spare port tap, then through the filter, then tap into either the overflow bottle line or the heater hose or ______? Other suggestion?

Is this idea dumb? What would happen? I'm wanting a coolant bypass filter with optimum, betterflow. Anyone done a unique set up?

I know, the "safe" way is to just follow the instructions. Usually that's the best path but I'm just bouncing this off The Diesel Gods. I read on a Cummins forum where the guy ran his coolant bypass loop off the head coolant port so that's where I started thinking about it.

 

[mouseys_7.3]

I am going to be throwing MY OPINION out here.
I would not personally use the block drain plugs as either the supply or return for your filter. I would use the heater hose as the supply and return to the overflow bottle.

 

[bugman]

I left the heater hoses alone when I did mine. I just picked up a 90 degree 1/2" brass fitting and plumbed it into the plug on the drivers side of the water pump. So mine goes from the water pump to the filter then into the return on the plastic tank. It isn't a degas bottle or overflow tank, it is actually part of the radiator and cooling system. Did you notice the pressure cap on the top of the plastic bottle and no radiator cap on the radiator?

Then after a couple of years of having to run the truck 20 miles to warm up I picked up a ball valves so that I could turn it off during the cold winter months.

 

[1997_Old.Bart.Simpson]

I am going to be throwing MY OPINION out here.
I would not personally use the block drain plugs as either the supply or return for your filter. I would use the heater hose as the supply and return to the overflow bottle.

Mouseys, I'll take your advise and I'll install it the normal way for now as you suggest. Thinking more about it, while it probably would work and guys do mount them on frame rails, it's probably too much extra hosing dangling around near the underbelly of the beast to not be worth the risk. Thanks guys.

BTW I like the 203 thermostat, it seems to run smoother, quieter, and warms up faster though I'm still in initial stage of assessment. Went with the Dieselsite billet Tstst housing, heavy branded upper around belt hose too.