Coolant and flushes

[Doss]

So, I see a lot of people on here are running CAT coolant. So, I decided that's what I'm going to replace mine with. I went down to my dealer and checked for it and they had the 50/50 and the straight (both ELC).

Now, here's the problem: Everyone says run the red but not 50/50 (not that the 50/50 is bad). Well, the 50/50 is red (like maraschino cherries) and the regular ELC is more of a pink-violet color. Plus, the 50/50 is almost the exact same price ($1 difference!). So, the 50/50 would be pretty much twice the price as the straight ELC.

Which one do I run?

Also, give some recommendations on good coolant flushes to get AND where to get them (exact location).

I'll probably do this at my house and go ahead and get a coolant filter too (probably the Sinister).

[jesilvas]

Get the one with a CAT EC-1 rating, concentrate, then you dilute to fifty/fifty in the end

I made my Samsung SGH-I997 send this.

[superduty6.4]

Buy the concentrate. When you do the flush you will never get all the water out so buying 50/50 will put your coolant to water ratio under50% coolant.

[Doss]

Yeah, that's what I wanted to get was the concentrate exactly for the reasons y'all stated (plus, why pay so much for the 50/50 which is 50% water?).

So, the color sounds right? That's the only thing I was unsure of. Everyone says red but to me that concentrate wasn't red (they had samples in 2 clear bottles for everyone to see).

4 gallons should fill it right (plus 4 water)?

Flush recommendations?

Also, anything good or bad to say about coolant filter brands?

[superduty6.4]

For myself I have my EGR deleted along with the coolers and even though I read to put 3 gallons of concentrate and then top off with distilled water I didn't do that and now I have spent the last little while trying to get it up to about 50/50 or so. If your EGR coolers are still functioning then I believe I read 4 gallons on concentrate and top of with distilled but you may want to check for sure on that. As for he color, as long as it is ec-1 rated you should be ok.

[superduty6.4]

For the flush I didn't use any chemicals due to reading posts of people having issues of the oil cooler clogging after the chemical flushes. Not everyone had that issue but the couple people that did sort of scared me away from the chemicals for now. I just drained, filled with tap water and got it up to operating temps for awhile. I did this about5 times. Then the same amount of times with distilled and after the last one I added coolant. I did it over the course of a couple days.

[Farmrod]

I hate to burst everyones bubble but elc is elc doesnt matter the color or name on the bottle... Im an ASE master tech been to so many classes on coolant and all the same conclusion elc is elc, green is for cars, throw dex cool in the trash and keep up with your services buy a bottle of strips check your coolant every oil change and if you really want to go cheap on coolant buy green throw an additive filter on and boom you have elc in the making just make sure you keep your additives in check

[superduty6.4]

Originally Posted by Farmrod

I hate to burst everyones bubble but elc is elc doesnt matter the color or name on the bottle... Im an ASE master tech been to so many classes on coolant and all the same conclusion elc is elc, green is for cars, throw dex cool in the trash and keep up with your services buy a bottle of strips check your coolant every oil change and if you really want to go cheap on coolant buy green throw an additive filter on and boom you have elc in the making just make sure you keep your additives in check

The reason people switch to a cat elc is because of the low maintenance unlike the ford gold. There are no nitrate levels to keep on top of with the ec-1 rated coolant. It is when the nitrate levels drop below the 300ppm level that issues start arising. Had I not been in these forums I wouldn't have even known that I needed to keep on top of those. That's the reason I switched anyways.

[jesilvas]

ELC is not ELC.
Prestone Antifreeze/Coolant - Choose your region | Prestone® Meets: ASTM D-3306 and ASTM D-4985
Final Charge Antifreeze Meets: - Cat EC-1
- Cummins 14603
- Detroit Diesel
- MTU 5048
- Behr Radiator
- ASTM D-3306
- ASTM D-4340
- ASTM D-4985

[superduty6.4]

Personally I just put this type of coolant in because of the ease of maintenance and not the "elc" term of it. I did a flush of the ford gold and found that the nitrate level dropped very quickly so I figured this would be a better option since a lot of people were talking about it.