Coolant Requirements & Maintenance

[passerby]

I recently bought a 2000 Monaco Dynasty with Cummins 350 ISC, side radiator. Owner’s manual calls for coolant meeting - ASTM D4985 Low silicate ethylene glycol antifreeze and Coolant filter should be changed at every oil filter change.
Old coolant filter WF2074 with DCA4 ADDITIVE (SCA)

I went to Cummins web site and read “Cummins Coolant Requirements and Maintenance” I know that the previous owner did not follow the recommendations and I believe most owners may not follow these recommendations. The bulletin listed some bad things that can happen when not followed.


I have a appointment this Thursday to have a coolant flush and I’m changing from SCA to OAT or Finial Charge Global Antifreeze with a new blank cooling filter WF2077. From everything I have read this should give me extended cavitation protection.

I would like to hear from anyone else who has changed over to OAT and Final Charge Global Antifreeze or helpful sugestions.
Thanks
Bill

[Smitty77]

Hi Bill - Congrats on the rig!

Our coach is a 2004 model but was built in Sept 2003. Last year at age 10, we had just about any hose you could touch, replaced with Gates. We also changed over to Final Charge at this time. The smaller shop I was in did not have distilled water, so I bought two gallons jugs at the store, and paid for an extra hour of labor to have them do two final flushes with distilled water. (The CAT man, Wolfe, known on many boards, suggested the distilled water flush as part of the change to OAT.)

I had them flush and change the generator over to Final Charge at the same time.

I figure I'm now good to go with at least another 10 years of good hoses. I have noticed a bit lower temps after the change to Final Charge.

Also, if you have not already, do a search on this Cummins section, and you'll see more write up's on changing to OAT. Spike45 has provided good input on this process too.

Best of luck, and enjoy your rig,
Smitty

[spike45]

Originally Posted by passerby

I recently bought a 2000 Monaco Dynasty with Cummins 350 ISC, side radiator. Owner’s manual calls for coolant meeting - ASTM D4985 Low silicate ethylene glycol antifreeze and Coolant filter should be changed at every oil filter change.
Old coolant filter WF2074 with DCA4 ADDITIVE (SCA)

I went to Cummins web site and read “Cummins Coolant Requirements and Maintenance” I know that the previous owner did not follow the recommendations and I believe most owners may not follow these recommendations. The bulletin listed some bad things that can happen when not followed.


I have a appointment this Thursday to have a coolant flush and I’m changing from SCA to OAT or Finial Charge Global Antifreeze with a new blank cooling filter WF2077. From everything I have read this should give me extended cavitation protection.

I would like to hear from anyone else who has changed over to OAT and Final Charge Global Antifreeze or helpful sugestions.
Thanks
Bill

Bill,

That spec is outdated. The current Cummins spec calls for coolants that meet Cummins Engineering Standard, CES14603. Translated: coolants that meet ASTM D6210. Old World Final Charge will certainly fulfill that requirement. HIghly NOT recommended is Cat ELC and similar. OAT coolants that will work well in Cummins engines and soldered copper radiators are: Final Charge, Fleetguard ES Compleat OAT, Shell Ultra, Chevron Delo Nitrite-Free. However, do not use the WF2077 since it is a paper media filter, and can only withstand 6 months (50,000 miles) before the paper fibers swell and self-plug. Use the WF2123 StrataPore synthetic media blank coolant filter from Fleetguard. It is save to leave it on for two years with no fear of media disintegration.

[2 Stroker]

Bill
My C9 400 Cat has had a new radiator and a coolant flush and filled with Cat EC-1 Rated coolant. On the same note my 06 Ford PSD I did a coolant flush to ditch the Ford Gold junk used 1/2 gallon of Restore did 5 flushes with distilled water then used Restore+ did 5 flushes both from Cummins all with distilled water then went back with Delo Cat EC-1 Rated coolant. I used a total of 52 gallons of distilled water and my truck only had 21k on it. Had to get the silicated out and the only way is with Restore to clean the oil cooler. Hope they do a good flush on your motor because over time the silicates drop out of the coolant from heat and time.
2 stroker

[spike45]

Originally Posted by 2 Stroker

Bill
My C9 400 Cat has had a new radiator and a coolant flush and filled with Cat EC-1 Rated coolant. On the same note my 06 Ford PSD I did a coolant flush to ditch the Ford Gold junk used 1/2 gallon of Restore did 5 flushes with distilled water then used Restore+ did 5 flushes both from Cummins all with distilled water then went back with Delo Cat EC-1 Rated coolant. I used a total of 52 gallons of distilled water and my truck only had 21k on it. Had to get the silicated out and the only way is with Restore to clean the oil cooler. Hope they do a good flush on your motor because over time the silicates drop out of the coolant from heat and time.
2 stroker

Was the old radiator soldered copper or aluminum?

[2 Stroker]

Originally Posted by spike45

Was the old radiator soldered copper or aluminum?

The new one was installed before we got it by Quinn Cat in Calif. I have all the paper work on it, total cost $5400. I would think the old one was aluminum like most.
2 stroker

[passerby]

Thanks everyone for the input. I would do it myself, but it was suggested by another RV repair business that I go to our local Cummins diesel service center; they have equipment that can completely flush the system clean before adding the new antifreeze.
The coolant scare came about from doing a fluid change on the transmission thinking that I have done all the big items and now read to roll. One of our customers said, “ Look up cavitation on diesel engines”. Coolant in the cylinders would be a disaster. I became more informed after reading threads on IRV2 and spike 45 comments about Final Charge Global, which I found at my local Walmart.
Thanks to this forum, members who know and resources like spike45 I’m feeling more confident in the right coolant to use and filter.

Gary: would you know approximant fluid loss in changing the coolant filter?
Thanks (saved me $$$$)
Bill

[KIX]

There is a small valve above the coolant filter that can be shut off when changing the filter. With that valve off the loss is minimal.
Be careful with the valve.

[Don_SueB]

I switched over to ES Compleat OAT last weekend. It took a lot of flushes to get all the old out then even more to get out all the Restore. Make sure you run it long enough with the Restore for a good flush and then for subsequent flushes to get the Restore out run it up to temperature for a good amount of time to get that good hot liquid running through the radiator. I tried to do it with high idle but get it out on the road. I had a bit of foaming as I don't think I did it long enough.
I ordered ES Compleat OAT concentrate and then mixed 50/50 after dumping in two gallons to make up for the trapped water in the system.
If you want to really bloody your knuckles, now might be a good time to replace your coolant hoses.
At least I know it was done right in the end!

Don

[2 Stroker]

After you do the flush with Restore you can use ph pool strips to check the level of acid still in the flush. The pH of pure water is very close to 7. Acids have a pH less than 7 while bases have a pH greater than 7. Because it has a pH of 7, the water is considered to be neutral. Need to use distilled water to keep the minerals out of the system.
2 stroker

[passerby]

Found it. Be careful with the valve?

[spike45]

Originally Posted by passerby

Thanks everyone for the input. I would do it myself, but it was suggested by another RV repair business that I go to our local Cummins diesel service center; they have equipment that can completely flush the system clean before adding the new antifreeze.
The coolant scare came about from doing a fluid change on the transmission thinking that I have done all the big items and now read to roll. One of our customers said, “ Look up cavitation on diesel engines”. Coolant in the cylinders would be a disaster. I became more informed after reading threads on IRV2 and spike 45 comments about Final Charge Global, which I found at my local Walmart.
Thanks to this forum, members who know and resources like spike45 I’m feeling more confident in the right coolant to use and filter.

Gary: would you know approximant fluid loss in changing the coolant filter?
Thanks (saved me $$$$)
Bill

Bill,

Your coolant filter head should have a shut off valve built in. But if it is on an ISL, it has no Cummins filter head but likely one that has been added. Add-on coolant filters SHOULD have a shutoff valve on each of the two hoses so that you can change the filter and only lose the coolant in the filter. I know from ages past that some of the older Cummins engines had the shutoff valve stick open. Changing a coolant filter resulted in the loss of a gallon or more of coolant and it usually was stinging hot! UGH!

[KIX]

Originally Posted by passerby

Found it. Be careful with the valve?

I'm told they can be broken with too much force applied. For me....so far, so good.