Coolant filter myth?

OuchThatHurt

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So I just got back in a 6.0. My 3rd one. Found a 1 owner GRANDMA! Truck haha. 2006 68k original miles.
Anyways... first thing I used to do was throw a coolant filter on there but it's been about 5 years since my last 6.0 so I did some research to see if anything new is going on. Seems alot of info says that the coolant filters are a joke and to just completely flush the coolant system... alot.... and get rid of the ford gold coolant and replace with CAT ELC.

Any truth to this?
 

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OuchThatHurt

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Also, when I flush the system can I run garden hose water through it a half dozen times (running it for a bit each time) then on the last flush use distilled water before I replace with CAT ELC?
 

03_PSD

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Congrats on the new truck!

I did pretty much what your wanting to do when I got my 04. I had 43K and dumped the gold and flushed tons of times with distilled and replaced with ELC rated coolant along with a coolant filter.
 

Zeb

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The only coolant filter worth spending any money on is IPR Research’s full flow filter. The rest are a waste of money. I prefer to run a very small amount (1 quart antifreeze to 3 quarts of water) of whatever antifreeze I plan to end up with in every rinse cycle. Antifreeze also has rust inhibitors in it, and I never like to have straight water in the system considering that you need to get the engine up to full operating temperature on every cycle to properly flush the system.
 

sootie

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The only coolant filter worth spending any money on is IPR Research’s full flow filter. The rest are a waste of money. I prefer to run a very small amount (1 quart antifreeze to 3 quarts of water) of whatever antifreeze I plan to end up with in every rinse cycle. Antifreeze also has rust inhibitors in it, and I never like to have straight water in the system considering that you need to get the engine up to full operating temperature on every cycle to properly flush the system.

no you dont. pull the thermostat out its only two bolts.
 

DEEZUZ

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Coolant filters, even the budget ones that are bypass flow are worth every penny to a dirty system
 

Zeb

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I guess to each his own on coolant filters, and how to flush it. I’ve always had better luck leaving the thermostat in and dragging the process out over a few days, than to pull the thermostat. It seemed when took the t-stat out and tried to “flush” the system the coolant didn’t evacuate the block as well.
As far as a bypass coolant filter, if a person has time to wait on the filter to finish “cleaning” the system they can work, but I do know some guys that have done an oil cooler and bypass coolant filter at the same time and the new cooler was plugged again before the filter had quit catching stuff.
I prefer to see guys flush the system, put on a full flow filter, and when the filter isn’t catching any more leftover debris the the flush process didn’t remove, then do the new cooler.
Time consuming, yes. Done right, yes to that also.
 

sootie

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I guess to each his own on coolant filters, and how to flush it. I’ve always had better luck leaving the thermostat in and dragging the process out over a few days, than to pull the thermostat. It seemed when took the t-stat out and tried to “flush” the system the coolant didn’t evacuate the block as well.
As far as a bypass coolant filter, if a person has time to wait on the filter to finish “cleaning” the system they can work, but I do know some guys that have done an oil cooler and bypass coolant filter at the same time and the new cooler was plugged again before the filter had quit catching stuff.
I prefer to see guys flush the system, put on a full flow filter, and when the filter isn’t catching any more leftover debris the the flush process didn’t remove, then do the new cooler.
Time consuming, yes. Done right, yes to that also.

the coolant doesnt "evacuate" the block unless you pull the coolant plugs and do it properly on that last flush.

And any filter is better than none.
 

Zeb

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Sootie, you’re right. I’m glad someone mentioned the plugs in the block. To the OP, if you don’t know this already, you’ll have to pull the starter to access the one on the passengers side.
 

OuchThatHurt

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I seem green for asking some veterans the best options for coolant issues? Thanks for your help...
If so both my previous 6.0's had 0 issues on them for 70k ish miles with nothing but tunes and exhaust... So yea I guess I'm green to the issues that the 6.0's apparently have.
 

DEEZUZ

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There seems to be a recent influx of regurgitators and internet mechanics from the morg...

There is.. alot... And it's frustrating to read bad advice or having someone post and just say "I've never had that happen, hope someone can help you"....
 

DEEZUZ

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The first thing I'd do is install a coolant filter kit and run it for about 3k miles. Take that filter off, cut it open, and see what we are dealing with. This way we can see if the system is really bad. Pending outcome of that first filter will let us know what to do next

In that time, monitor the ECT/EOT.....

I've had trucks with 30k miles on them and original coolant and have had numerours oil cooler replacements just cause coolant break down, rust, and casting sand issues.

Put filter on, report back.
 
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OuchThatHurt

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The first thing I'd do is install a coolant filter kit and run it for about 3k miles. Take that filter off, cut it open, and see what we are dealing with. This way we can see if the system is really bad. Pending outcome of that first filter will let us know what to do next

In that time, monitor the ECT/EOT.....


Put filter on, report back.

I think I'm gonna do this. Only issue is the couple thousand miles. I just got deferred to Ketchikan AK.... not a whole lot of roads.
 

DEEZUZ

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Well, there's no rush. Lol.

You want to be least invasive as possible with an unknown cooling system. Don't even drain the coolant when you installed the kit, just hose pinch off the hoses and install it.

Gets us pics of the Degas bottle and the coolant that's inside
 

DEEZUZ

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i installed a coolant filter on my 7.3 when i first bought it. even though they are not known for killing coolant, i knew the truck was neglected... heres what i got after 5k miles....

photobucket-2211-1323135338195.jpg
 

Cowens677

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i installed a coolant filter on my 7.3 when i first bought it. even though they are not known for killing coolant, i knew the truck was neglected... heres what i got after 5k miles....

photobucket-2211-1323135338195.jpg

Holy crap your 7.3’s coolant looks like my trip to the bathroom after a bad taco truck. I have ran a coolant filter for 60,000 miles and change the first one at 3 month and the second one at the end of the year. The current one I have installed on the truck has been on since the last flush at 95000 and I am going to change it next week when I flush the gold out again. I also have fumoto valves installed on both blocks. Still on the original oil cooler and a 9-10 degree spread normal driving, 9-12 towing. Plan to switch over to elc when I change out this cooler. But I would run a coolant filter and always flush the blocks if you really want to flush it correctly.
 

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