Coolant change

[Crosshead]

Reading the different articles on changeing the system fluid,it looks as if one would use city water to flush/refill system.I've have always been taught to use distilled water.Question is to use city water when one must also use an additive to keep a ph balance right.Oh,by the way,how much coolant/water mixture will be needed to refill. Thanks in advance.Mike..........

[mschn99]

Originally Posted by Crosshead

Reading the different articles on changeing the system fluid,it looks as if one would use city water to flush/refill system.I've have always been taught to use distilled water.Question is to use city water when one must also use an additive to keep a ph balance right.Oh,by the way,how much coolant/water mixture will be needed to refill. Thanks in advance.Mike..........

i would just use the city water and the additive. the additive is also a water pump lube, and distilled water doesnt garantee getting proper PH a few months from now. the additive is cheap and one bottle treats a whole cooling system. you will need about five gallons of mixed coolant (50/50) to do a complete service. it varies how much comes out depening on a few factors.......but bet on putting at least three mixed gallons in if you are just drainig the pet****.....another gallon or so if you actually pull the lower rad hose.........and all five if you plan on unscrewing your block heater and draining it that way (make sure to use a thread sealer on the block heater if you do it that way)....possibly even part of a sixth.........Marc

[mschn99]

and that was all assuming you dont have gold coolant in your truck (some 01-02 and all 03's).....then you need no additive, only mix and pour.......

[Crosshead]

Thanks for the reply Marc. Where can you get this "gold" coolant, maybe I'll just use it .I'm assuming it's still 50/50 mixture?

[mschn99]

Originally Posted by Crosshead

Thanks for the reply Marc. Where can you get this "gold" coolant, maybe I'll just use it .I'm assuming it's still 50/50 mixture?

u dont want to run gold in a mixture that was green........gold is the new factory color for the long life coolant but we are being told not to put it in a cooling system that was green from the factory.......Marc

[SCOTTY82]

Will just the standard green Preston work.??..Or is there something I will need specifically for the 99 PSD..I plan 0n doing mine this weekend.

[gbear]

I'm not sure what coolant the 99's came with but if it's green, then green preston should be fine. You might want to test the coolant and add the motorcraft additive (don't remember the part number) if necessary. I test about every twelve month (around this time of year before winter) and use the additive if needed.

Jim

[Worm Drowner]

FWIW, I just flushed my system and replaced the coolant with Cat ELC 50/50 premix. S/B good for 300k miles. Of course it's kind of handy to have the oil & coolant testing lab just downstairs from my office..

[nsrchofpwr]

Originally Posted by Marc

and that was all assuming you dont have gold coolant in your truck (some 01-02 and all 03's).....then you need no additive, only mix and pour.......

hope i didn't mess up. i just came across this info. i checked my coolant with a test strip and then put in the additative. if it had the gold, is this a mistake?

[mschn99]

Originally Posted by nsrchofpwr

hope i didn't mess up. i just came across this info. i checked my coolant with a test strip and then put in the additative. if it had the gold, is this a mistake?

the additive shouldnt hurt anything with the gold coolant, i wouldnt worry bout it!!