Checking gold coolant with test strips

[boat hauler]

Wondering if anybody has some helpful hints on how to OR if you need to check the gold coolant levels. I had the dealership do a lot of work along with myself and we need to check and see if we are in the right level. I have the fleetguard strip pack if that helps.

 

[Lord Tauk]

From what I understand, the Motorcraft gold coolant already has SCA's in it already, and shouldn't require the addition of them.. hence no need to check it.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it though?

 

[boat hauler]

Thanks for the reply. I thought you could check you sca's with the strips. I have just had a heck of a time with stopping leaks and such. I have needed to add antifreeze and water in small increments and don't know if I am still in the proper range. I was running ELC coolant and the dealership wouldn't put it back in if I bought it. I liked the cavitation protection of the ELC.

Someone told me that the blocks we have are not prone to cavitation problems. They aren't sleeved or something like that. Is that true? I have read where people DO get holes in the cylinder walls.

Thought????

 

[powerboatr]

uhhmmm
i would bet your water pump is the culprit, even with the gold coolant they still fail, whats your mileage.
the gold does not need to be ph checked, just flush it and change it every 100k miles if i remeber right.
plus new hoses and belts...
but the waterpumps for some reason like to eat the bearing seals and drip drip drip weeep weeep LEAK
7.3 are prone to cavitation, thats another reason they went with the gold coolant and the sca additives to help reduce the damage caused by the bubble
if your unsure your strength and it is a mixture of old and new, your setting youself up for some issues.
you may need to bite the bullet. if the water pump has over 50k on it, put on a new one, flush the system and refill with correct gold extended coolant.

 

[jvencius]

if the water pump has over 50k on it, put on a new one, flush the system and refill with correct gold extended coolant.

While you're at it, install a coolant filter (link's in my sig). I did mine at ~40K and it was stunning how quickly the filter clogged. I'm on my 5th filter now and you can easily see to the bottom of the degas bottle where before, it was cloudy with all the junk the coolant flushed out of the block.

BTW--the coolant service interval for the gold coolant is 100K miles/5 years (whichever comes first). I'll be swapping mine this January since even though I'll only have ~70K on the odometer, that'll be five years from when I took delivery (and the loan will finally be paid off-- WOO HOO!) and the climate conditions here (and up in ND) couldn't have done the coolant/belt/hoses any good.

 

[DaveBen]

I am all for the coolant filter. I got mine with 3000 miles on it. I have changed it twice and I have not found anything bad in the filter. 65,000 miles now.

Dave

 

[White Buffalo]

The coolant filter was an easy mod. I bought one from Dieselsite.com and the kit came with everything. Took an hour or so to install. I spilled about a gallon of coolant when removing the plug by the water pump, so buy some extra coolant.

 

[boat hauler]

I have the filter kit. Thanks for the info. I think that the mixture is pretty darn close. i will probably get real uncomfortable in another month or so and drop it all and put the ELC back in so it is perfect.

Thanks again!