Oil cooler thoughts

[jwsland]

Sorry if this has been covered but here what I'm thinking. My truck has been puking lately. I have had an egr cooler delete for a few months now maybe its time to put it on, also a coolant filter kit. So I'm thinking I might as well do the flush and cat elc switch and throw a new oil cooler in as well because chances are its bad too and if we're "in there" I only wanna go in once.

So from what I"ve read the problem with the oil coolers is they clog. I could buy a bullet proof one for $1800 but yeah freakin right I have dumped so much money into this truck and with fuel on top of that I could probably have two trucks and a sports car. So why not do all the above mentioned but use a stock oil cooler? wont the coolant filter catch anything and prevent it from going through therefore not needing the upgraded one?

[2 stroker]

You need to of installed the coolant filter when you got it to start cleaning the system of casting sand after 5k do a coolant flush with Restore then Restore+ then add the ELC coolant then do the repairs and the stock oil cooler will work. I used 48 gallons of distilled water and a 1/4 tank of fuel and 12.5hrs of my time. Have you tried a new cap 9C3Z-8101-B Degas Bottle Cap
This should be in the driverside block drain to ease the pain in draining and getting burned.
QuickOilDrainValve.com - the best way to change oil
Here is another great cooling flush if you have to back flush.
http://home.comcast.net/~lyon.family...ush%20v1-0.pdf
Flushing and cleaning the 6.0

Restore is for cleaning out any silicate goo. VC-9 is for cleaning out iron and scale. Restore Plus is the same as VC-9 and cheaper.

To flush drain the coolant by removing the lower radiator hose from the radiator, and removing the drain plug from the driver side of the block. There is a drain plug on the passenger side also but you have to remove the starter to get to it. I don't bother with that one.
I also highly recommend you pull the thermostat out on your first drain and put the housing back without the thermostat. It only takes about 10 minutes and will save you 2.5 hrs or so in doing this whole procedure.

Ok now put the lower hose back on and the drain plug back in the block if you removed it. This is the procedure you will use each time to drain the system, except you will not touch the thermostat again until you're finished the whole procedure. Make sure that you set your heater to high while doing this to flush out the heater core as well.

Fill the cooling system with distilled water, start the truck and let the water circulate for 5 minutes. (if you did not remove the thermostat you must run the truck until the thermostat opens + 5 minutes to circulate. This takes 15 to 20 minutes each cycle and is why you should just remove the thermostat) Stop the engine. Drain the system and repeat the flush.

Now add at least 1/2 gallon of Restore and fill with distilled water. I used cardboard in front of the radiator because you have to get to 185* 190* for these products to work. Drive truck or run on high idle for 60-90 minutes just before you get back from your drive remove the cardboard this will help in the cool down same on the Restore+ flush. Drain and flush 3 or 4 times. or tell clean

Add 2qts VC-9 or 1/2gal of Restore Plus, top with distilled water, and drive the truck or run on high idle for 60-90 minutes. Now drain and flush until flush water comes out clear and clean. When you get clean flush water, flush 3 more times using distilled water while draining the block.

After your final distilled water drain it is time to put the thermostat back in take a funnel and dump the ELC coolant down the t/stat hole 3 1/2 gallons or till full to the top of the hole that way you have O air in the block, I recommend you install a new thermostat at this point 3C3Z-8575-AA Thermostat with housing come with new o-ring. They are only $30 or so and it is good maintenance procedure to do so and top off with distilled water. Drive the truck or let run for a while topping off with distilled water. Check the truck over the next few days and top up as required while any air left in the system works its way out useing the 1/2 gallon left over but fill with distilled water that will give you 1 gallon of mix fill ONLY to the add mark this is the new full cald mark. Remember the system hold 7 gallons of coolant by draining the driverside block drain and Radiator you remove adout 3 1/2 gallons of DISTILLED water that is why you only use 3 1/2 gallons of concentrate coolant this gives you a 50/50 mix.

Keep some 50/50 ELC on hand to use to top off the cooling system from here out and you are good to go.

new t/stat from Ford it should all come together (housing-t/stat-o-ring) in a box. The part number is RT-1169
My advice is to get some ph strips from Napa and check the ph level before add ELC coolant because you what a ph level of 7.0 if higher you must keep flushing to get to a neutral balance in the distilled water then you can add coolant, for me it was 6 flushes or 24 gallons of distilled water.

Here is the Restore Product from Cummins dealer
Restore
Restore Coolant System Cleaner Gallon, CC2610, Fleetguard Cummins
Restore+
Cooling system cleaner restore plus, CC2638, Fleetguard Cummins
2 stroker

[Lilfarmrboy]

Here is a good question... how the heck do you get out a rusty side block plug? I got the Fumoto valves for the block but I can't get the block plug out on the driver side. Any ideas or tips???

[Lilfarmrboy]

Sorry for hijacking the post... What I have read Stroker is right. If you flush and use the ELC you should be good with a new oil cooler, just make sure you flush and run the truck for a few weeks before you swap the oil cooler so you won't plug the new one... if you use the chemicals that is.

[jwsland]

thanks for that info.

no problem Lilfarmrboy

[jwsland]

I need 4 Gallons of elc (going to use CAT) concentrate correct? Also get some 50/50 for the top off.

Got it, thanks guys

[Fly-Attack]

Maybe a stupid question but has anyone cleaned an old (existing) oil cooler with any success?

also just to clarify, if performing a complete cooling system flush;

1. I should install a coolant filter kit.
2. continue to run ford "gold" coolant for 5K, changing coolant filter once at 3K +/-
3. At 5K. do a coolant flush with restore and restore +

Then: ( at this time.......5K ????????)
4. change Oil cooler
5. up-grade EGR cooler (no delete for Phoenix, huh?)
6. switch to a ELC coolant

Am I missing anything.....?

Thanks, and i'm sorry if this was a hi-jack, just trying to clarify what you were doing.

Mike

[NYC F-350]

There is no way to clean out an existing oil cooler. It is designed much like a "P" trap (like under your sink). The liquids enter and exit from the top. The sediment will settle in the lower portions and pack itself in there tight and solid. No chemical is going to cut through that junk since the chemicals will flow through the oil cooler passages that are open.
I disagree with your plan. Mainly because you leave the Ford Crap in there for 5,000 miles. The faster you get it out, the better off you are.
Flush the cooling system
Replace the coolant with a CAT EC-1 rated ELC coolant
Install the coolant filter
drive it for a few weeks
replace oil cooler (if need be) and address the egr cooler (whether that be replace or delete).

[Fly-Attack]

Thanks for the quick reply NYC. You would think a someone would have come up with a way/system to clean these things by now. at $385.00 a pop.....there's some $$$$ to be made if you could figure it out.

So, earlier in the thread "Stroker" recommended to ( I think ) run the current coolant in the system for the 5K. The filter should catch all ( if not most ) of the sand, cleaning out entire system. Is this right?????

It seems to make sense. At the 5K mark, you should have pretty clean Ford "gold" flowing through the system, and the system should be as clean as it can get. (using the "gold")

Your thinking of replacing the coolant ASAP is even one better, but then I'm doing two flushes instead of one correct. Wouldn't you always want to flush (even the ELC) if you ran it through a suspect cooler for 5K.

[muddy650]

Oil cooler kits are $221 at Tousley!