Time To Flush Coolant

[Beachbumcook]

I flush my coolant every 50,000 miles with distilled water and new Ford premium gold coolant.

I have installed (since 50,000 miles) a Dieselsite coolant filter which I change the filter once every year.

I have also never had any EGR, head gasket or oil cooler problems... so I think that I am OK from coolant sand and crud plugging up this parts.

My questions is.....

1) Would I need or benefit from using the VC9 coolant cleaner or the other stuff (not sure what it is called)?

2) I kow that one kind of cleaner is for one kind of problem and the other is to clean or remove another???

If my system and coolant has been changed on a regular basis, should I hassle with it or just continue with the flush procedure of fresh/distilled water and fresh coolant as I have always done?

What kind of cleaner should I use and why if I am not experiencing any problems... or do I use one cleaner (VC-9) then the other... so I get it all!!!

What are the two types of cooling system cleaners Ford uses and why?

Thanks,

 

[blacksnapon]

Beach, my advice...don't stir a turd just to make it stink!

 

[lil_dq]

From the title, I thought, OH boy if the EPA hears about this..... HAHA

 

[Beachbumcook]

Beach, my advice...don't stir a turd just to make it stink!

That's a great quote... never heard that one before, but yes, I would agree with you.

With that said... what does VC-9 remove/clean and what is the other cleaner (forgot the name or model #)?

One removes one kind of sediment or deposit and the other cleaner removes something else if memory serves me correctly?

Thanks,

"Mr. Turd Stirrer"

 

[bismic]

VC-9 is the iron, corrosion, and scale cleaner (acid-based chelating cleaner).

The International products are Restore and Restore+.

The Restore+ is the equivalent of the VC9. The Restore is for the gelled silicate type stuff that some people have found.
http://www.fleetguard.com/pdfs/product_lit/emea_brochures/LI33024-GB.pdf

 

[73F100Shortbed]

From the title, I thought, OH boy if the EPA hears about this..... HAHA

 

[Truckin4life]

Im with vince, it seems you are very vigilant on the up keep of your truck and that it has paid off. So why start changing things now? Especially when they have been working? By trying to improve something like this, you could quite possibly make it worse...

 

[Beachbumcook]

Im with vince, it seems you are very vigilant on the up keep of your truck and that it has paid off. So why start changing things now? Especially when they have been working? By trying to improve something like this, you could quite possibly make it worse...

Like anything mechanical... even though I do not have "problems", I was wondering if using VC-9 would be just good preventitive maintenance and worthwhile... figured it wouldn't hurt and maybe I have some sediment that maybe needs to get cleaned out???

Even with my coolant filter, can I still get deposits in my cooling system even when flushing and changing it every 50,000 - 60,000 miles???

 

[blackhat620]

This might help you Jeff
View attachment DIESEL COOLANT MAINTENANCE—SERVICE TIPS tsb09-08-05.pdf

 

[Beachbumcook]

Flushed my cooling system (drain and refill) with only distileld water (used 20+ gallons). I wanted it well flushed!!!

Then used fresh Ford Premium Gold coolant (3.6 gallons) for a perfect 50/50 mixture.

I also changed my coolant filter and it still is filtering out small black sand particles (no white silicates).

I now have 200,100 miles on my motor and flush the cooling system every 50,000 miles or so.

I never worry aboout checking nitrate levels or anything and just figure that flushing with distilled water and new Ford Gold coolant that all will be well... especially since I am doing it every 50,000 miles.

Have no way to test the various internal temps to see how well my oil cooler is doing (or not doing) - wish I had..... but to date, I have had no issues with overheating, blown heads or the like!!!

Thanks for the advise guys.... "My turd has been left alone" as Vince said I should (no additives or cleaning agents were used).

 

[john112deere]

I now have 200,100 miles on my motor and flush the cooling system every 50,000 miles or so.

At risk of a quasi-hijack...

Why do you use a mileage-based interval rather than a time-based one for coolant?

Is it the temperature-cycles that break it down more than just time, or is it just easier to track miles since that's how most other maintenance tasks are tracked?

(I got thinking about this the other night...I really have no idea.)

 

[Beachbumcook]

At risk of a quasi-hijack...

Why do you use a mileage-based interval rather than a time-based one for coolant?

Is it the temperature-cycles that break it down more than just time, or is it just easier to track miles since that's how most other maintenance tasks are tracked?

(I got thinking about this the other night...I really have no idea.)

I use mileage since that is what all/most people base their service intervals on. Once can can test the nitrate level in their coolant, but whose is to say that the coolant isn't dirty or has other contaminants in it?

The Ford manual states to flush the initial coolant at 100,000 miles and then 50,000 miles thereafter (with the assumption that regular water is used and not distilled).

I have just chosen to use the 50,000 miles interval and never worry about my coolant or have to worry about "testing" it.

Clean fresh coolant, just like oil, fuel and air is key!!!