Radiator flush time for me. 

Just throwing this pic out. 

Had a heck of time searching to find exactly what I needed and how much.

 

What do you think?  Helpful or not or correct or wrong?

Looks accurate to me. 

That's the same info I go by.  Mine doesn't take quite that much now since I deleted the heat exchanger but it used to take around 5+ gallons of 50/50.

Dont worry too much on specs. I've used just about every coolant out there. I tend to fall back to the original green coolant of the past. Yellow universal works just fine too. The only one I won't use is the modern HOAT. 

 

The biggest thing is NOT trying to run all the way to the limit of the coolant. If it labeled for 5 years 150k miles I would cut that down to at least 75k (3yrs) to 100k miles (4 yrs). Our diesel engine tend to turn corrosive quicker (pH dropping).

 

Made 392k on the OEM radiator before the rubber header seal failed from, pH issues.

Edited September 20, 20195 yr by Mopar1973Man

Even to this day my radiator is still clean on the inside of the old one. Never had a scale problem and never used distilled water. Only well or creek water used for all those years and nearly 400k miles. 

(Bought 6 gal fri.)

 

Out of couriuosly...

What all types of metals does 2nd have?

 

All ferrous?  Any brass?  Any alum?

 

 

I think the oe heater core was brass, the radiator aluminum. Then the block. Both my heater core and radiator are now for sure aluminum.

I think I only did 3 gal of actual antifreeze and did 50/50 mix. I went with the Zerex G05 yellow as was doing two different Ford Focus timing belts and WP at the time, they run the yellow so was easier to use all the same. Did the flush, fill and run deal, then final fill with the 50/50. So you wind up with some extra buckets of water to recycle at the end of the deal.

 

 

So far in all this I've never seen a vehicle freeze up yet in our member group. I've seen plenty of pH corrosion damage over the years. 

 

Kind of like myself. I over extended a coolant change and paid the price.

• oil cooler gasket $70
• radiator $280
• head gasket $2000

These failure could of all be avoided by just flushing out the coolant earlier and resetting the pH balance again.

Would there be any benefits on running an OAT coolant like the newer diesels use?

Personally no. Still has to be changed at about the same intervals because of pH balance is gone and turning corrosive. Then like GM's version of OAT coolant has had several failures with coolant. This stuff is scary and the amount of damage it will do.

 

 

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/gm_dexcool.html

 

Quote

Nevertheless, the automaker has alerted mechanics that vehicles operated for 15,000 to 20,000 miles with low coolant levels "may be susceptible to the formation of a rust like material in the cooling system."

 

Edited September 28, 20195 yr by Mopar1973Man

5 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Personally no. Still has to be changed at about the same intervals because of pH balance is gone and turning corrosive. Then like GM's version of OAT coolant has had several failures with coolant. This stuff is scary and the amount of damage it will do.

 

 

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/gm_dexcool.html

 

 

Wow, I've seen what Dexcool can do but was thinking of using the OAT coolant used in heavy duty tractors since I pretty much get it free at work ( from left over jugs after coolant services etc) 

Dexcool and OAT are the same.