What is the right coolant for my 04 6.0 and how much?

[2004F250XLT]

Im getting different results on what proper coolant to use for my truck, even on those powerstroke help videos. I plan on doing a coolant flush soon, so what's the right stuff? And roughly how much of it?

[NYC F-350]

There are many different answers to that question, and the real answer lies with what exactly you are going to do for a flush?
The best coolant for this engine is a CAT EC-1 rated ELC, but to be able to put that in your truck requires a two-chemical flush, PLENTY of distilled water and your time.
Oh, and do yourself a BIG favor, stop watching that idiot on powerstrokehelp.com

[U235a4]

You have to basic joices Ford gold Premium or CAT EC1 rated. The gold is cheaper 14 vs 26 (my prices here), but will require more maintance with testing and additives over time. The ford coolent has silicates, this is one of the reasons for oil coolers clogging if not maintained. ELC does not contain silicates. I myself was tore to which to use but in the end I moved CAT CAT rated ec1.

[2004F250XLT]

Well i doubt a flush is really necesary, my coolant looked pretty clear last time i checked, i forget the color though. But i bought my truck used with 224k on it and im at 228k miles right now and I want to change all the fluids and filters for peace of mind. Can i just drain out the coolant and put new stuff in? Sorry if this seems like a dumb question but im somewhat new to these trucks and im just a senior in high school and i dont want to do anything to screw my engine up.

[kdogg85]

DO NOT DO THAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!

you will cause a lot more and bigger problems. Just read Pgreensvt's writeup on the coolant flush proceedure, it tells you what is needed and what to do. It is not difficult at all, it is just time consuming. After the old is flushed out, put in the elc concentrate to the lower line on the puke jug. Make sure to get the concentrate, any big rig shop should have it.

[2004F250XLT]

Originally Posted by kdogg85

DO NOT DO THAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!

you will cause a lot more and bigger problems. Just read Pgreensvt's writeup on the coolant flush proceedure, it tells you what is needed and what to do. It is not difficult at all, it is just time consuming. After the old is flushed out, put in the elc concentrate to the lower line on the puke jug. Make sure to get the concentrate, any big rig shop should have it.

ok thanks!

[kdogg85]

I wasn't trying to scare you or anything. Just making that point. Honestly, it should take around 4-6 hrs and the hardest part is taking the thermostat off of the housing. It took my dumb butt 10 minutes to figure out twist and pull.

[PGreenSVT]

Originally Posted by 2004F250XLT

Well i doubt a flush is really necesary, my coolant looked pretty clear last time i checked, i forget the color though. But i bought my truck used with 224k on it and im at 228k miles right now and I want to change all the fluids and filters for peace of mind. Can i just drain out the coolant and put new stuff in? Sorry if this seems like a dumb question but im somewhat new to these trucks and im just a senior in high school and i dont want to do anything to screw my engine up.

A flush is absolutely necessary to clean your block of the residue and buildup that the G-05 Ford gold coolant leaves behind. Also that coolant seems unable to maintain an adequate nitrate level to prevent corrosion in the block. You need to do both a Restore and either a Restore Plus or VC-9 flush to prepare your cooling system for the ELC. You can find both my procedure and Nylon's in the 6.0 Tech Files section under Maintenance Info. Figure all day to do it right.

[2004F250XLT]

Is there a certain type of the cat extended life coolant i need to use? I see some variants of it when i googled the stuff.

[WarChild]

I just went to a CAT dealer and got CAT ELC