• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Extended Life coolant - Anyone running it??

WilliamBos

WilliamBos

Serial Post Whore in the making...
Messages
1,527
Reaction score
1
Location
Innisfil, Ontario Canada
Wondering if anyone is running Extended Life coolant, with out any troubles?? Cat, SHell Rotella??

Need to do the coolant on a MF 1635 Compact, and wondered if anyone has run this in any diesel out there, any issues??
 
I run Cat ELC in everything i own an recomend it too any customer with more hp than stock. It seems to have better heat transfer. Plus it keeps the cooling system clean.
 
I do not run it or recommend extended life coolant. Changed the intake gaskets on the 3.1L GM that has the class action lawsuit due to dexcool or poor design.

However, are you really going to keep the cooling system intact past the first 150K or 5 Years? After that you have bad hoses, waterpumps, radiator issues, head gaskets, blown engine... In other words you just don't keep the coolant in the system over 2 years after the first change because something is always failing making you drain it out.
 
I have never had any problem with the Cat ELC. I ran it in my Cummins for a little over 100,000 miles an did not add a drop in that time frame! Wen the water pump started seeping at 250,000, then i just collected the coolant, filtered it an put it back in. I didn't see any thing but a perfectly clean engine inside the block an pump cavities! I can buy the Cat ELC for the same price as green coolant so to me it is a no brainer to run the ELC! But ..... this is just my 2 cents worth!
 
It's funny to hear people who talk bad about DEX COOL say they like CAT ELC since they are VERY simliar anti-freezes both being the same basic make-up and same additive package.
 
littleboy said:
I have never had any problem with the Cat ELC. I ran it in my Cummins for a little over 100,000 miles an did not add a drop in that time frame! Wen the water pump started seeping at 250,000, then i just collected the coolant, filtered it an put it back in. I didn't see any thing but a perfectly clean engine inside the block an pump cavities! I can buy the Cat ELC for the same price as green coolant so to me it is a no brainer to run the ELC! But ..... this is just my 2 cents worth!
Click to expand...

THEFERMANATOR said:
It's funny to hear people who talk bad about DEX COOL say they like CAT ELC since they are VERY simliar anti-freezes both being the same basic make-up and same additive package.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I am @ 235,000 KMS (146,000 miles) and followed the GM service intervals, had itflushed @ 150,000 kms by the dealer.

So, since the tractor is 2 years old, should be no harm in running the Cat ELC??
 
WilliamBos said:
Thanks. I am @ 235,000 KMS (146,000 miles) and followed the GM service intervals, had itflushed @ 150,000 kms by the dealer.

So, since the tractor is 2 years old, should be no harm in running the Cat ELC??
Click to expand...

Just make sure and do your best to remove ALL of the old anti-freeze before you change to a different brand or type and you should be good to go. I did read that it is not adviseable to put ELC of the OAT(red kind) make-up into systems older than 02 unless it was designed espescially for it. G-05 is a type of ELC that can be interchanged back to older systems though without gasket or seal damage and give you the extended drain intervals.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Just make sure and do your best to remove ALL of the old anti-freeze before you change to a different brand or type and you should be good to go. I did read that it is not adviseable to put ELC of the OAT(red kind) make-up into systems older than 02 unless it was designed espescially for it. G-05 is a type of ELC that can be interchanged back to older systems though without gasket or seal damage and give you the extended drain intervals.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

What is G-05?? We will do a 'water flush' first...
 
WilliamBos said:
Thanks.

What is G-05?? We will do a 'water flush' first...
Click to expand...

G-05 is another type of ELC, it is what FORD and DODGE use. You can buy it from NAPA and CARQUEST under the ZEREX brand. It is a very oily type of anti-freeze in feeling compared to the DEX-COOL type's. It is more compatible with green types of anti-freezes since it doesn't have teh stop leak package in it like DEX-COOL has. And another key note to remember with DEX-COOL and red type anti-freezes you MUST use distilled water with them to get the extended life from it as the minerals in tap water can activate the sealant in DEX-COOL. I believe this is why the CAT ELC is sold as a pre-mixed.
 
BIGR said:
It must be pretty good stuff if it has held up that long in Alaska with no truck problems. I was wondering long to run mine without a flush? I have around 42,300 miles on the truck and have the dex cool in it.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine runs/owns his own shop and when I told him I was running my original coolant he asked me to bring it by so he could do a dip test on it. It was perfect he couldn't believe it. I told him the only time it has ever had anything added was when I changed/added my block heaters. Added about a gallon with some distilled water and that was at about 180k.
 
I'm running a coolant made by 3M that is use to cool milling machines. It's labeled as "specially buffered primary coolant" and is quite the impressive stuff. It's $170/gallon however.
 
Actually, if you're running pure water you should use softened water so you don't get electrolysis from the de-ionized water stealing electrons from the aluminum, brass and nickel in the cooling system. Even if you're running mixed, clean softened water is better than distilled, and far better than hard water.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top