Anyone running a coolant filter?

[Hummin Cummins]

Every big truck I drove with a diesel in it had a coolant filter. I am thinking of putting one on mine. I can get the filter head for about 28$ and the filters run about 8$.



The two filters I have seen for the cummins:

One has a "maintinence charge" of DCA4

The other has SCA conditioner.



What is the difference between DCA and SCA?

The filter is probably not high on the need to have list, but you know how it gets when you run out of things to do to your truck.



I guess the heater lines would be the best place for tying in the filter?



Chris

 

[Bob4x4]

Chris, It is really unnecessary on our engines. We don't need the additives and the filter will just give you one more thing to worry about.



Bob

 

[The patriot]

Besides:

The replacement filter is likley sized to the class 8 sized cooling system.

You'll end up with wayyy too much addative in the system.

JM. 02

Eric

 

[dphillipsx]

I am running a coolant filter. You can get a kit from Filter Engineering in Corona Ca. In fact I believe I have the 1st one ever put on our 5. 9. I was in his shop at FE one day in 1997 picking up a fuel filter, and the owner showed me the trick set up he had on his ford station wagon. He opened up the radiator and it was as clean as a whistle. So I asked him how to get the filter setup, and he said pull your truck around back and well design one. So we custom made a kit right in his shop. It has a custom bracket that mounts right piggyback on the alternator bracket. I use the deep filter for the higher capacity. You can pick up this same filter at any truck stop or supply. It spins on a regular oil filter type adaptor and It uses hydraulic pressure hoses that run to coolant ports on the front of the engine. And yes my radiator/coolant is squeeky cleen. One of the best $100 bucks I ever spent.

 

[JohnE]

SCA vs DCA

<b>S</b>upplemental <b>C</b>oolant <b>A</b>dditives (SCA) and <b>D</b>iesel <b>C</b>ooling <b>A</b>dditives (DCA) are essentially the same products.

DCA2+ is the current borate-nitrite chemistry and is what you find in the pre-formulated coolants with a nice pink color.



DCA4+ is a Fleetguard unique phosphate, nitrite, molybdate chemistry that adds anti-corrosive properties. The sizng is units and ranges from 4 to 20 depending on not only the coolant capacity, but also the longevity of the filter.



<strike>The term <em>filter</em> is misleading. </strike> The cannister <strike>doesn't</strike> DOES have a filter. It also leaches in chemicals to keep the ph low.



If you are an extended life coolant user DO NOT use standard SCA chemistry. It will kill the ELC chemistry. There is a special additive for ELC that you use in the 3-4th year to pep up the anti-corrosion additives.



Answer your questions?



edit

Fixed an incorrect comment about filters.

 

[jimk]

Originally posted by Hummin Cummins

Every big truck I drove with a diesel in it had a coolant filter. I am thinking of putting one on mine. I can get the filter head for about 28$ and the filters run about 8$.



The two filters I have seen for the cummins:

One has a "maintinence charge" of DCA4

The other has SCA conditioner.



What is the difference between DCA and SCA?

The filter is probably not high on the need to have list, but you know how it gets when you run out of things to do to your truck.



I guess the heater lines would be the best place for tying in the filter?



Chris

Chris I got some filter blocks and installed one on a 70 dodge that was a 3/4 ton ton truck. I installed it in the heater hose and made a by pass for year round use. It worked for about 15 to 20 minuets and the heater got cold. The filter stopped up. I changed out the filter and the heater was again working. The radiator had a lot of deposits in it. I assume the dry chemical additive cut loose the jip in the cores. After a year of use the radiator was clean and leaked also.

I think that you can buy just the water filter less the DCA. The number is units example DCA 4 . I m going to buy a block at a truck shop and install the DCA4 on my dodge to do some pm on the radiator. I was told for what it is worth you can over charge the dca also. The antifreeze does not ware out but the corrosion inhibitor does. jimk

 

[KSyme]

Just buy a bottle of the test strips, ck. the ph. level and get the additive in liquid form and add to rad. when a service is done. These cartrigdes are not filters, the hole in the center port is a orfice so coolant just pisses in the cartridge to dissolve the mineral block.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

jimk

Yeah i did see a filter that was just a filter with no additives. Thats probably how I'm gonna go



JohnE

Thanks for all the info. I guess a straight filter is the ticket then.



dphillips

And just where would I find these ports? That sounds better than tapping into heater lines

 

[JohnE]

An empty cannister or 0 unit filter is intended for extended life coolant usage or if you go with liquid SCAs. It simply plugs the holes in the filter head unit to keep dirt out and coolant in and filter particles from the coolant.



Water filters are also called <em>need-release</em> SCAs. They can be installed along with a fresh fill of fully formulated anti-freeze/coolant.

A water filter is <strike>NOT</strike> a particle filter. It will trap silicates, bloom or other large debris that break free from the radiator.



Here's the part that threw me. There is not filter rating on these units such as for fuels oils. I finally cut a couple different brqnds open. A good belt of filter media, but the internals of the cans allow bypassing.



AFAIK, Fleetguard DCA4+&reg; is the only filter rated in units. They go from 4 to 20 and are based on coolant capacity and change intervals.



If you choose to go with a water filter it is not advised to use conventional coolants such as Prestone, Peak, Zerex, etc.

Purchase Fleetguard from Cummins, Power Cool from Detroit Diesel or similar products from truck shops, or heavy (ag, construction, logging, etc. ) equipment shops.



edit

Corrected statements about water filter

 

[bmoeller]

I still have a Baldwin Filter catalog from '95. It says that they make coolant filters that don't have additives.



If the #'s are still current here they are:



Coolant spin-on base-CFB5000

O. D. 5 1/2" Length: 2 1/2"



11/16-16 threaded stud 3/8-18 inlet & outlet ports



Spin-on w/out chemicals- B5134 11/16-16 threads



It is designed for low flow. They want it in the heater circuit with a by-pass so not all coolant going to heater will go through the filter.



Unless it is mounted high enough, make sure to put in shut off valves so you wont lose much coolant. Make sure the gasket is clean and put oil on it like a oil filter. If you don't, they can be a real PITA to remove later.

 

[jimk]

filters

Originally posted by bmoeller

I still have a Baldwin Filter catalog from '95. It says that they make coolant filters that don't have additives.



If the #'s are still current here they are:



Coolant spin-on base-CFB5000

O. D. 5 1/2" Length: 2 1/2"



11/16-16 threaded stud 3/8-18 inlet & outlet ports



Spin-on w/out chemicals- B5134 11/16-16 threads



It is designed for low flow. They want it in the heater circuit with a by-pass so not all coolant going to heater will go through the filter.



Unless it is mounted high enough, make sure to put in shut off valves so you wont lose much coolant. Make sure the gasket is clean and put oil on it like a oil filter. If you don't, they can be a real PITA to remove later.

I read the same thing in the Baldwin Catalog. I don't see how a filter could hurt any thing. I am going to install a filter on the 95 and see if I can help remove the hard water deposits in the cores. All I used in the 70 was DCA4 and it removed the deposits from sight upon inspection. I am not saying that the DCA4 from fleet-guard is a filter, but upon installing it and running the truck for a couple of years the radiator had no visual deposits. jimk

 

[rbattelle]

Update?

Those of you who have been running a coolant filter... where did you plumb it into the water system? How effective has it been? Did you get the additive-type or non-additive type?

 

[JohnE]

dphillips, jmk, bmoeller: I wished you guys would have given me a swift kick in the ... tailgate back when this thread first posted.



I did cut a Fleetguard unit open to find a crude filter media. It is really coarse material and definitley not a fuel or oil filter, but it will pick up the junk partiles.

 

[BFaoro]

Try

Try, Dieselsite.com , They have a neat little set up for Fords. I bet you could make it work for your truck.

 

[rbattelle]

Found this.

Looks interesting, and very affordable.



-Ryan