[Dave Holl]

Hello,

I cut open the Baldwin filter and found about a teaspoon of sand, which was the reason for installing it in the first place. You'd think after 2 previous flushes and 100K miles there wouldn't be foreign stuff in the coolant.

Filter was installed after a pump, tensioner, belt replacement along with a coolant flush 12K miles ago. I'm still running the green stuff.

Dave Holl

 

[Jinco]

I had the same thing. Is it sand or some sort of build up from the coolant/additive/water? I changed my filter about 1k miles after a dealer performed "flush". It would not be a surprise me if the dealer just drained and re-filled though.

 

[mech2161]

It's casting sand from the mold. After about 2 filters it should be clean.

 

[redrocket]

what ^^^^ said, should be clean after a few filters

 

[vanmantraveler]

Casting sand from the block... the lowest parts of the block never really get flushed unless you hot tank the block and power wash it.

 

[UNBROKEN]

I still get a few grains out after 7-8 filters on my 6.0. The first 2-3 looked like a beach inside...

 

[JimTJr]

Yep, if you guys had ever worked in a Grey Iron Foundry, you wouldn't be surprised,, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif 11 years of my 30.8 Yrs with GM were in the Foundry in Danville, IL. (Long gone now,, tore down.)

 

[pabrannan]

[ QUOTE ]
Hello,

I cut open the Baldwin filter and found about a teaspoon of sand, which was the reason for installing it in the first place. You'd think after 2 previous flushes and 100K miles there wouldn't be foreign stuff in the coolant.

Filter was installed after a pump, tensioner, belt replacement along with a coolant flush 12K miles ago. I'm still running the green stuff.

Dave Holl

[/ QUOTE ]

Still running the green is a big part of the problem. It will give you drop out.(?) Better explained by Gooch. He is the coolant guru, OR try and do some searching and you will come across the explanation. It can also be some sand.

Paul B

 

[MarvinVR]

I just changed my green for Delo elc red and drained it four times with plain then distilled water, and didnt find a single piece of anything in the drained coolant or water. From reading these threads I exxpected a lot of stuff but nada, zip. I didnt ope the block plugs though but think that if the stuff wasnt in the lower hoses, there isnt going to be any showing up higher so see no need for a coolant filter. Is that correct thinking?

 

[Bomb_Guy]

Is there a reason you are still running the green stuff?? I did the bypass and switched to the Gold Stuff, still a little sand after 3 filters, but nowhere near as much. I think alot of it was the additive! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

[Jinco]

[ QUOTE ]
I just changed my green for Delo elc red and drained it four times with plain then distilled water, and didnt find a single piece of anything in the drained coolant or water. From reading these threads I exxpected a lot of stuff but nada, zip. I didnt ope the block plugs though but think that if the stuff wasnt in the lower hoses, there isnt going to be any showing up higher so see no need for a coolant filter. Is that correct thinking?

[/ QUOTE ]

The sand I find in my filter is super fine. I do not think it would be visible in the coolant or water. It piles up on the filter. I am glad to get it out of the system.

 

[pmurray]

If you can see 20 micron particles in any coolant hose and you didn't see anything 20 microns or larger then you don't need a coolant filter.

Most cooling systems have junk floating around in them whether it be from casting, chemical precipitating out of the coolant or any number of other sources.

Coolant filters are not necessary, but they do extend the life of components in the cooling system. That is why major engine, boat, truck and equipment manufactures still use them.

 

[redrocket]

over the road trucks use coolant filters, also

 

[Bomb_Guy]

They may not be needed, and I hope I don't jinx myself, but I have 100K on my engine and have never had a water pump or any other cooling failure!

 

[pabrannan]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a reason you are still running the green stuff?? I did the bypass and switched to the Gold Stuff, still a little sand after 3 filters, but nowhere near as much. I think alot of it was the additive! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Gold stuff will still give you fall out, and has been shown by NCHornet that even from the bottle that it DOES NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM PROTECTION that our engines need. So you still have to test and add the additive. On you next change you might want to switch to a true ELC.

Just my take on reading sever years of coolant threads, some minor research, and just doing it.

Paul B

 

[JimTJr]

I am now running FLEETRITE ELC, 600k miles and IH approved. Also kind of a pretty orange color! LOL

 

[Gooch]

Although there might be some foundry sand in the block, some of those small sand-like particles you're finding are coming from the coolant and SCA itself.

Coolants like the conventional "green" and the universal hybrid "gold" both contain dissolved silicates. In short, silicates are a form of silicon and silica...what sand and rocks are made of.

The silicates in the coolant don't stay dissolved forever. They can quickly become insoluable and drop out of the coolant as abrasives. This is especially true when they are combined with SCA buffers like sodiums and potasiums, allowed to oxydize, combined with metal alloy contaminates from the cooling system, or just left over time.

SCA's can also form a sand-like scale. Most contain phosphates. Phosphates naturally form a scale when mixed with H2O. Sometimes the scale looks just like dark sand.

Conventional coolants and SCA's are necessarily a "bad" thing. Maintenance is key. Silicate drop out and SCA scale can be reduced by frequent flushing and re-filling with fresh coolant, being careful not to OD on SCA. Silicate-containing coolants should be fresh, not sitting on the shelf for years. Conventional silicate-containing coolants have a shelf life of about 18 months before drop out can occur. Silicate-free heavy duty extended life coolants are good for about 8-10 years on the shelf.

A coolant filter is a great addition here. Prior to modern coolants, filters were originally called "SCA cartridges". These cartridges contained SCA concentrate. They primarily functioned as an automatic way to slowly dose the system with SCA. The filtering aspect was a bonus.

International used to install SCA filters on all their T444E applications. It was integrated into the water pump. But in July of 2000 International approved the use of heavy duty extended life coolants (HD ELC) on all 2/2/99-up engines (SN 940614-up), and they stopped using the SCA filter. HD ELC's are not only silicate-free, but they don't require SCA. Their shelf life and operating life is many times longer. In fact International makes a kit to plug off the filter housing for vehicles that switched to HD ELC.

Hope that helps. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jarheadatunm]

[ QUOTE ]

HD ELC's are not only silicate-free, but they don't require SCA. Their shelf life and operating life is many times longer.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is one area that I have yet to deal with on the upgrade side. I flush and refill with regular old "green" coolant and add the stuff from Ford that is recommended in the manual. What HD ELC is the best to use as I have never done, nor have a filter setup?

 

[BroncoGlenn]

[ QUOTE ]
What HD ELC is the best to use as I have never done, nor have a filter setup?

[/ QUOTE ]

General consensus points to Chevron Delo ELC. It is good for 8 years or 750,000 miles, or if given a bottle of additive at 500,000 miles is good for up to 1,000,000 miles or 8 years. Either way, 8 years is the limiting factor.

 

[pabrannan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What HD ELC is the best to use as I have never done, nor have a filter setup?

[/ QUOTE ]

General consensus points to Chevron Delo ELC. It is good for 8 years or 750,000 miles, or if given a bottle of additive at 500,000 miles is good for up to 1,000,000 miles or 8 years. Either way, 8 years is the limiting factor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cat ELC is good too. And it is red......

Paul B