Anyone added a flush kit? (Radiator)

[DFrank]

I am getting ready to change my coolant for the first time. Getting close to 100K and 5 yrs.



I've read lots of threads about it. Everyone as a different way to drain/fill.



Some say flush with a hose, others say not to introduce a drop of tap water.



The garden hose sounds like the easiest way to clean it out, but I don't want to introduce impurities. I really hope to drive this truck for many more years.



What about disposal? CAn the original stuff go down the toilet, or do I need to take it somewhere?



I read about someone using compressed air. How would you go about that, and can you rupture anything if not careful?



Thanks, Dave

 

[rbattelle]

What about disposal? CAn the original stuff go down the toilet, or do I need to take it somewhere?

Absolutely not. You must take it to an approved local recycler, often at a cost.

Personally, I prefer the flushing machines they use at many auto shops. Unfortunately, I'll don't trust the people working there.

Cummins flushed mine and replaced with Fleetguard stuff good to 350k miles back in 2004. All they did was drain, fill, drive, drain, fill, drive, drain, and fill. I don't know if they used tap water, but I suspect they did.

Given the logistical issues of buying enough distilled water to do a flush/fill procedure, it's probably easier to just go ahead and use tap water.

I assume some people will use compressed air to blow water out of the block, so that you get almost all the tap water out. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me, as long as you don't pressurize the block to more than about 15 psi in the process.

Ryan

 

[The patriot]

I've flushed mine every year.

After draining it to empty bottles, I add dishwasher soap (I foget the brand, search will pull it up) I run it a steady hour somewhere.

I then drain it several times using an old piece of garden hose on the heater core line withth lower rad hose removed. This reverse flushes the block.

If I have the time, the next few days I repeat the process. If you have a DS meter, you can sample what's coming out of the rad hose, and stop when the DS are the same as the tap water.

Drain, refill with 50/50.

I've never had it hooked to a "machine" but it's pretty dam clean inside.

 

[jelag]

Unlike some of you above we've taken a different approach... .

We don't flush or change the coolant unless we do a water pump or hose... . we DO add back the chemicals that leave the system by using an approved additive once a year... From either Cummins or CAT... . we have both engines now in trucks... .

IF and when we need to add or change we use approved coolant and distilled water only.....

We keep most of our trucks for at least 500K miles and we've had no adverse effects on them... . or what I'd excessive cooling systems issues... . I just sold an F550 with 550K miles and we've never had to do a coolant change. . . we've done our share of injectors, and wiring, and other stuff, oh I'm sorry, one water pump as I remember sometime between 250-350K miles. .

 

[DFrank]

Unlike some of you above we've taken a different approach... .

We don't flush or change the coolant unless we do a water pump or hose... . we DO add back the chemicals that leave the system by using an approved additive once a year... From either Cummins or CAT... . we have both engines now in trucks... .


I really like this idea... What do I need to add? Stock '03, coolant untouched for 5 years.

 

[DPKetchum]

I drain and refilled. Been draining late model autos for years now with no issues at a minimum every 3 to 4 years depending on coolant and what owners manual calls for.

 

[rbattelle]

I really like this idea... What do I need to add? Stock '03, coolant untouched for 5 years.

Now that my coolant has been changed over to heavy-duty grade Fleetguard PG, I do the same thing as Jelag, but not as frequently.



Every couple years I add 1/2 a quart of Fleetguard ES Extender additive (now known as ES Booster, I think). I figure that since I'm only at 78k miles and the cooling system capacity is only 7 gallons, there's no need to add the entire quart. I discussed this with Fleetguard and they agreed. [The full quart is meant for HD OTR trucks with MUCH larger coolant capacities].



ES Extender is meant for use with Fleetguard ES Compleat coolant. Jelag probably uses something different, but with the same purpose.



Ryan