7.3 coolant

zudnik

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A friend has told me that there is an additive i need to put in my coolant to help keep it from corroding the inside of the radiator. is this true or is there a special coolant i should be using for diesels?:dunno
 

BIG JOE

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A friend has told me that there is an additive i need to put in my coolant to help keep it from corroding the inside of the radiator. is this true or is there a special coolant i should be using for diesels?:dunno

:dunno I switched from the Green.. to Gold coolant (with a Total Flush) about 100K miles ago. Ford approved the switch for the 7.3's so i went for it.

No issues, No additives. :dunno

Joe
 

dpantazis

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big joe-

respectfully, ford didn;t 'approve' the switch, navistar switched its fleet engines to gold coolant and 7.3 drivers followed. remember, they ALSO equipt their engines with coolant filters!

iirc, the early 6.0's had green, then midyear they switched them to gold coolant.

remember, ford and navistar has been trying to prove who can pee higher on the tree.

in the end though, the important thing is to keep up on your coolant maintenance regardless of color.

dennis
 

BIG JOE

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big joe-

respectfully, ford didn;t 'approve' the switch, navistar switched its fleet engines to gold coolant and 7.3 drivers followed. remember, they ALSO equipt their engines with coolant filters!

iirc, the early 6.0's had green, then midyear they switched them to gold coolant.

remember, ford and navistar has been trying to prove who can pee higher on the tree.

in the end though, the important thing is to keep up on your coolant maintenance regardless of color.

dennis

Ya, seems I remember all that Ford/IH "Filibustering", back in the day Dennis.

All I really remember is: My Ford Service Writer said they had [authorization] to switch to the Gold, on the 7.3's.. if the Customer wanted to..so I did, when I put the Coolant Filter on.

Coolant Maintenance Is.. the key.. test it 2-3 times a year.. add a little, when I change out the filter yearly.. Life Is Good.
 

zudnik

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whats the dif between green and gold? also is it best to use straight coolant then add water, sounds like it may be in my best interest to add a coolant filter inline?
 

dpantazis

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they are SCA, supplemental coolant additives. the additive is to prevent cavitation (think boiling) around the cylinder jackets.

you get test strips from diesel service centers or truck stops. they come in 4 packs and bottles. you only need 4 a year.

you do this with green coolant for sure. i am not sure about the gold one.
 

zudnik

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the cavitation is what my friend mentioned. still a bit green to diesel engines,any one else heard of this? :confused:
 

dpantazis

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this is well known and a real issue.

the walls if the cylinder liners are relatively thin compared to those of a solid engine.

the shock wave due to the ignition of the fuel will initiate literal boiling point in the coolant microscopically at rough spots on the liners in the coolant bath. the additives help reduce this.

this applies to many diesels, not just powerstrokes.
 

zudnik

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I know there is a truck shop in this area that sells an additive and the test strips, do you still use normal automotive coolant tho?
 

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