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Old 06-26-2016, 09:44 AM   #1
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Coolant filter for diesel pusher

Our 2006 Holiday Rambler with 300 HP Cummins ISB has no coolant filter and I want to add one. I want to use the filters that introduce needed additives as it filters. My coolant lines for the heater core run all the way from the rear mounted engine to the front firewall and the heater inlet/outlet and control valve are easily accessible from the front generator access hatch. Beside the heater inlet/outlet on the firewall is where I would like to mount the coolant filter. No crawling around under the back on my back to replace the filter. Can I simply mount the filter base into the heater feed line and install a tee after the base to the heater return line? Wouldn't that give me full circulation and when heat is needed and the heater coolant line valve opens there would be flow into the heater core? I had my coolant tested at a fluid testing lab (Caterpillar) and fluid checks out fine except Nitrite is too low. I think that is the chemical that prevents cavitation of the cylinder liners. The filter I want to use has nitrite releasing capabilities which would keep that issue under control.
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Old 06-26-2016, 10:10 AM   #2
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Your ISB is not a sleeved or wet-liner design, hence no filter mount.

Standard coolant analysis would show low on nitrites as your engine does not require them.

Relax and enjoy your ISB!
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Old 06-26-2016, 10:20 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FormerBoater View Post
Your ISB is not a sleeved or wet-liner design, hence no filter mount.

Standard coolant analysis would show low on nitrites as your engine does not require them.

Relax and enjoy your ISB!
Agree, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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Old 06-27-2016, 06:43 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FormerBoater View Post
Your ISB is not a sleeved or wet-liner design, hence no filter mount.

Standard coolant analysis would show low on nitrites as your engine does not require them.

Relax and enjoy your ISB!

I knew the brain power on this forum would shine thru. I think I will go ahead with a standard coolant filter and keep watch on acidity and of course freeze point. What about the diesel Onan genset? Anyone doing anything special there? Thanks for your quick response. My experience has been with 7.3 Powerstroke and I am learning more about the Cummins ISB. Seems like a great engine.
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Old 06-27-2016, 04:05 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beboboy9 View Post
I knew the brain power on this forum would shine thru. I think I will go ahead with a standard coolant filter and keep watch on acidity and of course freeze point. What about the diesel Onan genset? Anyone doing anything special there? Thanks for your quick response. My experience has been with 7.3 Powerstroke and I am learning more about the Cummins ISB. Seems like a great engine.
Your diesel ONAN is powered by a 3 cylinder Kubota engine. It is also not a sleeved engine and therefore does not need a coolant filter. Coolant approved for your ISB will be fine to use in the ONAN.

Please be aware that the coolant "filter" is not a filter in the traditional sense. It is simply a vessel to distribute the special coolant additives that are required in a sleeved engine to eliminate cavitation and pitting of the sleeves.

If you feel compelled to add the filter to your ISB, make sure you use the Fleetguard or Baldwin filter with 0 units of special coolant additives.
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Old 06-27-2016, 08:40 PM   #6
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I guess I have a different thought on this.... on a common truck engine... Cat, Cummins, Mack, Volvo that runs often and is serviced often and checked often a coolant filter is iffy... yet both of my Freightliners in years past... one with a CAT the other with a Cummins both had spin on water filters to control dirt and keep the system balanced...

Today with a motorhome I'd be more secure knowing that the coolant system has protection based on how long it might sit when not in use... and how it might not get the same care and changing of the coolant as needed.... and its my thought in the heater control circuits I've recently worked on... there is some water flow all the time.. with a heater door that is closed to prevent hot air from blending with the cool air from the AC system... if the system actually had a water control valve that would shut off water flow through heater core... than I'd use the tee as suggested if not I'd plumb it straight into the heater water circuit...

Just my thoughts here...
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Old 06-27-2016, 08:50 PM   #7
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ISB is a parent bore engine so SCA's are not required. On larger diesel engines they do need the SCA's to protect the wet liners. Below is a picture of a liner that let coolant into the engine and it needed a rebuild.
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Old 06-27-2016, 08:52 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FormerBoater View Post
Please be aware that the coolant "filter" is not a filter in the traditional sense. It is simply a vessel to distribute the special coolant additives that are required in a sleeved engine to eliminate cavitation and pitting of the sleeves.
I've never heard or seen that in print anywhere till now.
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Old 06-27-2016, 09:19 PM   #9
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Here is a post I did on the Freighliner page. You don't have a wet sleeved engine true but if you want to trap particles use the filter listed below. The additive canisters don't have a filtering capability and you don't need the additives anyway. I would not use the heater line at all. Most coolant filters have a restricting orface limiting flow to 2 gal per minute. Find a suitable line on the pipe from the thermostat housing or going to the recovery tank.

Installed a coolant filter on a 07 Freightliner chassis. If anyone is interested in doing this I'm including the part numbers. I called Freightliner (Gaffney) to inquire about the installation of a coolant filter. The tech said that it was not necessary and I could add liquid additives instead. My opinion differs, most of the heavy equipment and HD trucks I have operated have a coolant filter. Spartan installs them on their chassis. In any case it can't hurt. Yes you can add the liquid coolant additives when the time comes but how are you going to trap the rust particles without a filter? My coach has a metal pipe coming off of the thermostat housing. When I changed the thermostat I noticed some rust in the housing, not a lot but it is there and will undoubtably come loose and circulate at some point. I cleaned the mounting surfaces with sand paper. Iron block? How much rust is in there? You can't see in most of the system so who knows. I am using a regular non additive filter now because I just changed the coolant 2 months ago to fleetguard Es compleat (blue) "lifetime" coolant. Next year when I test the coolant with fleetguard strips I can add the correct filter depending on what the test strips say. The additive canisters (filters) I looked at seem to have no filtering capability so it seems you get filtering or additive. I may add another filter head if I need additives to retain a filtering capability. This was done on a side radiator coach. Might be better to use the Cummins filter head that goes on the block if you have a rear mount radiator. The Cummins filter head has a shut off valve also. The head I used does not but I have a pair of vise grips for the inlet hose. I mounted mine at the rear for easy access. Cost $24.81 for the filter head Donaldson 550840 and filter fleetguard wf2077 $10.90 from Amazon. 1-3/8 npt x 3/8 barb 90, 1-3/8 npt x 3/8 barb straight fitting. 1 foot of 3/8 id heater hose, 4 hose clamps $12.50. Total cost $48.21. I made the mount out of angle iron and mounted it to the bolts holding the secondary fuel filter head in place. There is a fitting in the pipe coming from the thermostat housing, it has a 3/8 hose that runs to the radiator. I used this line for my filter, so instead of going from the pipe straight to the radiator it goes through the filter first.pretty simple to do took about 1 1/2 hours to make the mount and install. Fleetguard makes remote mount filter heads also same threads and filters as Donalds
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Old 06-27-2016, 09:24 PM   #10
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Here is another wider shot. Site won't let me post more than 1 picture with an iPad for some reason. Coolant filter is the far left filter.
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Old 06-28-2016, 06:44 AM   #11
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My coach was converted to a OAT coolant so I switched over to an "empty" coolant filter that doesn't charge the system with SCAs. It's just a filter. You can get the filters with many different levels of SCA additives if you still use the original antifreeze.
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Old 06-28-2016, 06:51 AM   #12
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If you use one of the "Heater" lines won't it only filter when the valve up front is open and heater is in use?
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Old 06-28-2016, 07:26 AM   #13
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Coolant Filtration

Quote:
Originally Posted by jelag View Post
I guess I have a different thought on this.... on a common truck engine... Cat, Cummins, Mack, Volvo that runs often and is serviced often and checked often a coolant filter is iffy... yet both of my Freightliners in years past... one with a CAT the other with a Cummins both had spin on water filters to control dirt and keep the system balanced...

Today with a motorhome I'd be more secure knowing that the coolant system has protection based on how long it might sit when not in use... and how it might not get the same care and changing of the coolant as needed.... and its my thought in the heater control circuits I've recently worked on... there is some water flow all the time.. with a heater door that is closed to prevent hot air from blending with the cool air from the AC system... if the system actually had a water control valve that would shut off water flow through heater core... than I'd use the tee as suggested if not I'd plumb it straight into the heater water circuit...

Just my thoughts here...

Your thoughts are perfectly aligned with mine. Case in point.....when I opened the radiator drain cock to collect some coolant to send off to be analyzed, I knew to toss the first 3-4 ounces that resided at the bottom of the radiator after sitting idle for a few weeks. In that first few ounces were tiny bits of debris from who knows where. I tossed that then opened the drain again to collect a better sample and it was clear and had good color. That is the sample I sent for analysis but I do think a filter would remove all of the debris that I noticed had settled to the bottom of the radiator. I found a Fleet Guard (Cummins) kit on eBay at a good price I think. I know I don't need the nitrate that is in the first filter recommended to run before using plain filter but would it harm the engine to have the SCA in the coolant?
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Old 06-28-2016, 07:46 AM   #14
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The bottom line is as FormerBoater stated. "It is not a filter", though it looks like one. Basically, there is a "rock" inside the can that desolves over time to provide the additives. If I were you, I'd just maintain the coolant and enjoy the ISB.
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