How often change fluid? Do we flush?

Yup. I know. Mopar man made this one in steed of me hijacking another thread.

Drain the system. Pull the thermostat Put a garden hose in the radiator on high flow. Start engine and allow the engine to idle till the water is clear. Drain the system. Re-install thermostat. Re-load with 50/50 coolant and water.

Got to do this tomorrow as replacing water pump. So you leave the thermostat OFF and hook back up the drain ? Then fill up radiator with normal water then start ? Or you leave thermostat AND drain unplugged and start - Guess I was just trying to think what happens to the water it just cycles through radiator and straight back out ? Does it go through the block ?

No... Still use a 190*F even towing. Closer you get to 200*F the more efficient the engine runs.

I think towing with 180 is great. The truck begins cooling sooner. When you on the road it runs at the same temp anyway. I think it really helps you on long hills.

Got to do this tomorrow as replacing water pump. So you leave the thermostat OFF and hook back up the drain ? Then fill up radiator with normal water then start ? Or you leave thermostat AND drain unplugged and start - Guess I was just trying to think what happens to the water it just cycles through radiator and straight back out ? Does it go through the block ?

Take the thermostat out of the housing and bolt the housing back up. As if you were going to run the engine like normal. Drain the system with the petcock on the bottom of the radiator. Located on the driver side. Disconnect the upper radiator hose and put a hose into the inlet of the radiator. Start the engine and let it run. Turn the heater control to hot and on high. Run the water through until the water comes out clear. Then let the system drain again. Put new thermostat in housing and reconnect hose. Fill with 50/50 coolant mix. Make sure to top off after thermostat opens.

That's what dodge calls for.

--- Update to the previous post...

CAUTION: Use of Propylene-Glycol based coolants is not recommended, as they provide less freeze protectionand less corrosion protection. 'The cooling system is designed around the coolant. The coolant must accept heat from engine metal, in the cylinderhead area near the exhaust valves and engine block. Then coolant carries the heat to the radiator where the tube/fin radiator can transfer the heat to the air.The use of aluminum cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, and water pumps requires special corrosion protection.Mopar® Antifreeze/Coolant, 5 Year/100,OOO Mile Formula (MS-9769), or the equivalent ethylene-glycol base coolantwith organic corrosion inhibitors (called HOAT, for Hybrid Organic Additive Technology) is recommended. This coolantoffers the best engine cooling without corrosion when mixed with 500/0 -ethylene-glycol and 50% distilled water toobtain a freeze point of -37°C (-35°F). If it loses color or becomes contaminated, drain, flush, and replace with freshproperly mixed coolant solution.CAUTION: Mopar® Antifreeze/Coolant, 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula (MS .. 9769) may not be mixed with anyother type of antifreeze. Mixing of coolants other than specified (non-HOAT or other HOAT) may result in

engine damage that may not be covered under the new vehicle warranty, and decreased corrosion protection.

I know thats what dodge calls for but why? Just to run a longer interval between flushes?

I think cause it easier on alumni um then regular

I would say 6.7 engine. I think I'm going to buy some culligan water to flush truck out. Put some in radiator , run then drain and do that twice.

My '06 and Dad's '05 call for the HOAT formula.

It is for 03 and up. My manual specifically says HOAT coolant. Zerex G05 is what I use. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?x4a1uu 2003 Ram with gauges and a Smarty! Not much more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is for 03 and up. My manual specifically says HOAT coolant. Zerex G05 is what I use. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?x4a1uu 2003 Ram with gauges and a Smarty! Not much more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How much is zerex?

I get it at Napa but can't remember price. It is the only place I found here locally. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?lppt3c 2003 Ram with gauges and a Smarty! Not much more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My truck holds 5.7 gallons total. How much you think I would need with flash?

My truck holds 5.7 gallons total. How much you think I would need with flash?

Spo'da due a 50-50 mix so 3 gals will do you.

Well the only cost there is would be the Anti-freeze (3 gallons) and a thermostat. As for a coolant filter it would be good idea if you can hook it up properly and remember to change the filter every 30K or once a year. 190*F is better. Hotter the better for MPG's reasons. Pulling / Towing has nothing to do with it. It's the age of the coolant. As coolant ages it will drift from neutral pH (7) toward acidic (lower number) or basic (highier number). With 3 year the coolant starts to get corrosive. By 5 years you seeing the rusty color and now its too late oxidation of all the part that the coolant touches in now breaking down. (Radiator, heater core, oil cooler, head gasket, water pump seal and bearings, etc) This is why my block is still spotless and there is no scale blooms in the radiator. All this occurs after the pH level drifts away from 7. So if you want to you can buy a bottle of strips and test your coolant on a regular basis and when it drifts then you can change it. But since the yearly changes (covering 25-30K miles a year) works here perfectly why not?

Funny, after 8 years my trucks coolant was still green, and unfortunately so was the block and the radiator. but after 2 flushes and 4 years later it is back to the same rusty color your block is.

Why the call out for HOAT in the newer trucks?

starting in 03 they moved to HOAT.

Okay, so what year range does this specifically apply to? I didn't even know we have aluminum on our engines either?

We don't the aluminum is the heater corse, and radiator (unless the HC is bronze)

Take the thermostat out of the housing and bolt the housing back up. As if you were going to run the engine like normal. Drain the system with the petcock on the bottom of the radiator. Located on the driver side. Disconnect the upper radiator hose and put a hose into the inlet of the radiator. Start the engine and let it run. Turn the heater control to hot and on high. Run the water through until the water comes out clear. Then let the system drain again. Put new thermostat in housing and reconnect hose. Fill with 50/50 coolant mix. Make sure to top off after thermostat opens.

Drain the system. Pull the thermostat Put a garden hose in the radiator on high flow. Start engine and allow the engine to idle till the water is clear. Drain the system. Re-install thermostat. Re-load with 50/50 coolant and water.

Are these two, the 'same' process? Or slightly different? Is the 'flushed fluid' coming out of the t-stat housing? How are you catching it? Or is it hitting the ground (along with every other engine part between the housing and the ground)?

I typically drain it out with the nose low to aid in capturing as much as possible. (~5 Gals) But I flush with irrigation water and let it run out on the ground there is no way to capture coolant while flushing nearly impossible.

So you think this will work in newer trucks?http://www.peakauto.com/antifreeze-peak-long_life.shtml

I don't see why not. I would still limit it too 3 years or 30K miles which ever comes first. This is Dodge owner manual specs.

I get it at Napa but can't remember price. It is the only place I found here locally. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?lppt3c 2003 Ram with gauges and a Smarty! Not much more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

at napa it $16 gal

I'm uncomfortable running the engine for any amount of time with straight water. There's no lubrication to the water pump. I know years ago you could get water pump lube for those cases. Alkaline level is important to keep it clean as mentioned. The engines with liners have to worry about deteriorating "o" rings. Those applications demand a coolant filter with a release agent. 5.9's Don't have liners, so that's good for us. Head gasket protection and just keeping it all flowing is good. I recently changed the thermostat because I needed to . I'm just too cheap to do it annually.