Help Needed Cooling system flush. Do I need VC-1, VC-9 and VC-8?

[NASCAR Mike]

I am getting confused on the procedure on how to flush and replace the engine coolant (antifreeze) in my 05 Excursion with 6.0 diesel.

I have purchased 4 gallons of Motorcraft VC7B (Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant) and 20 gallons of distilled water.

I had planned on draining the antifreeze and flushing with distilled water. After draining I then would replace with a 50/50 mix of VC7B and distilled water.

I read on the internet that you should flush with VC-1 cooling system flush. Then flush with VC-9 cooling system iron cleaner. Is this correct? Do you need to flush with both?

I then read you need to add VC-8 to the antifreeze. Do you need to add VC-8 to new antifreeze or only to old antifreeze to keep nitrate levels in the correct range.

Why does this have to be so difficult?

 

[BIG JOE]

I am getting confused on the procedure on how to flush and replace the engine coolant (antifreeze) in my 05 Excursion with 6.0 diesel.

I have purchased 4 gallons of Motorcraft VC7B (Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant) and 20 gallons of distilled water.

I had planned on draining the antifreeze and flushing with distilled water. After draining I then would replace with a 50/50 mix of VC7B and distilled water.

I read on the internet that you should flush with VC-1 cooling system flush. Then flush with VC-9 cooling system iron cleaner. Is this correct? Do you need to flush with both?

I then read you need to add VC-8 to the antifreeze. Do you need to add VC-8 to new antifreeze or only to old antifreeze to keep nitrate levels in the correct range.

Why does this have to be so difficult?

I'm think'n you've read TMI. There are dozenz of Wayz.. "out there" to do the Flush/Change. Many are All About selling you something MORE.. Their Whizo, gota use, Products. (JMO ?)

You have what you need. The newer FOMOCO/MOTORCRAFT Premium Gold has the additives you need... in it*.

Do the Best Drain & Flush you can.. Top Off with the prescribed amount and mix ratio.. check the level for a few days.. add coolant as needed.



* There are other "Insurance", coolant system additives/Add on's, that other SDD members might recommend though.

Mine would be (if you don't already have one) : A Coolant Filtration System.

No matter how good of a flush you, or anyone else can do.. There is Grit & Scale that, in time will come loose. A filtration system will catch all that. Best Coolant/Waterpump/Engine life insurance you can add ?

 

[DaveBen]

Big Joe is correct in that a coolant filtration system is almost mandatory. It will add miles to your water pump and everything else in the coolant system. I flushed mine like you are going to do, and added coolant and distilled water and NOTHING ELSE!

Dave

 

[JLDickmon]

I wouldn't horse around with any of the rest of that stuff either..
you could even flush it with a garden hose if you wanted to, and just add the distilled water after it quits dripping..
then use the distilled water with the new coolant..
and yeah, a coolant filter would be nice..

 

[aklim]

I have read somewhere that the Gold isn't all it is supposed to be and you should be checking the thing. Some have even added the additive.

I flushed everything out and used a more robust coolant so I don't have to worry. AFAIK it is the same one that gets you 300K

 

[JLDickmon]

I have read somewhere that the Gold isn't all it is supposed to be and you should be checking the thing. Some have even added the additive.

I flushed everything out and used a more robust coolant so I don't have to worry. AFAIK it is the same one that gets you 300K

after all those GM's and imports I've seen running "permanent" coolant, there ain't nothing permanent.

If we're talking a 7.3 here, the coolant is green and you change it every two years whether you add the additives or not.

 

[aklim]

after all those GM's and imports I've seen running "permanent" coolant, there ain't nothing permanent.

If we're talking a 7.3 here, the coolant is green and you change it every two years whether you add the additives or not.

No, nothing is permanent.

Not exactly. the 7.3s also came with yellow stuff that you SUPPOSEDLY don't have to add stuff to. If you have green, you had best add stuff to it. The red stuff is what International uses. It is a more robust coolant. It isn't borderline acceptable like the yellow and unacceptable like the green.

 

[JLDickmon]

No, nothing is permanent.

Not exactly. the 7.3s also came with yellow stuff that you SUPPOSEDLY don't have to add stuff to. If you have green, you had best add stuff to it. The red stuff is what International uses. It is a more robust coolant. It isn't borderline acceptable like the yellow and unacceptable like the green.

well, don't get hung up on color with coolant..
there are only three formulas (that are published)
there's the green
gold (OAT)
and Dexcool (HOAT)

the OAT and HOAT are similar, and are what would be your "long-life" formulas, one is used nearly exclusively in GMs, the other in Fords and Chryslers

Toyota has red coolant from the factory, its "green" in formula
Volkswagon/Audi and BMW use a blue, but the formula is "gold"

but I have literally seen a "gay pride" sticker full of coolant colors factory fill..

and they all say "Use only this coolant or your engine will blow up, your computer will get a virus and crash, and your dog will drink out of the toilet."

I have a chart at work, I'll look at it today and see what year the split is..
but I'm pretty sure green is the standard up to like '05 or so..
I'll double check

 

[DaveBen]

Maybe we can get this straightened out, LJ.

Dave

 

[aklim]

well, don't get hung up on color with coolant..
there are only three formulas (that are published)
there's the green
gold (OAT)
and Dexcool (HOAT)

the OAT and HOAT are similar, and are what would be your "long-life" formulas, one is used nearly exclusively in GMs, the other in Fords and Chryslers

Toyota has red coolant from the factory, its "green" in formula
Volkswagon/Audi and BMW use a blue, but the formula is "gold"

but I have literally seen a "gay pride" sticker full of coolant colors factory fill..

and they all say "Use only this coolant or your engine will blow up, your computer will get a virus and crash, and your dog will drink out of the toilet."

I have a chart at work, I'll look at it today and see what year the split is..
but I'm pretty sure green is the standard up to like '05 or so..
I'll double check

The thing I was reading was that International has some test strips. Green was not working out so they add the additive. Yellow is borderline and sometimes not. Red can be done straight out of the bottle. Will I run it for 300K or how ever many years? Probably not. I would flush every couple of years. The green stuff means I have to add. To be safe the yellow means I should check. That or take Ford's word that their fleet coolant is "good enough". I have fixed enough of the "good enough" stuff to know I don't like it.