Coolant change - fleetguard DCA additive, quantity?
#1
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Coolant change - fleetguard DCA additive, quantity?
Im doing a cooling system flush and change tomorrow so I picked up a couple bottles of the fleetguard coolant additive. Anyone know offhand what the ratio is on this stuff? It seems they do it by units and I dont know what the units are (gallon maybe?). I was told two pint bottles should do it for the 6gal in the CTD
#2
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You don't need to add the DCA-4 with new antifreeze. Use Fleetguard test strips about 6 months from now to see if you need to add any. Usually a quarter of pint of DCA brings mine back up to specs.
#3
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hm, I thought these trucks had wet liners that were susceptible to pitting? Im going to be using off the shelf low-silicate coolant since Im broke
#4
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You don't need DCA on the parent bore B-series Cummins. Wet liners are used on the C-series and higher. A low-silicate ethylene glycol coolant is all that's needed.
Rusty
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I agree with the low silacate ... but the liner is not the problem ...a diesel engine produce's a viberation and that transfers into the coolant and produces micro sphereic bubbles that act like little hammers that pick away at the cylinder walls...it's called cavitation .
I even use DCA4 in my diesel lawn tractors ...it's basiclly an anti foaming agent and won't hurt a thing .
Just my 2 cents
Greg
I even use DCA4 in my diesel lawn tractors ...it's basiclly an anti foaming agent and won't hurt a thing .
Just my 2 cents
Greg
#6
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Unlike the 7.3L Powerstroke, the B-series Cummins doesn't have a cavitation problem. The cavitation inhibitor additive plates out on the cooling jackets - this plating is sacrificed when a cavitation bubble impinges on it rather than the parent metal. That's why it has to be tested and periodically "sweetened" or renewed. If you don't need it and it's not going to be removed by active cavitation, why put additional material between the surfaces to be cooled and the coolant?
Rusty
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http://www.dieselmanor.com/fleetguard/DCA4.asp
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Unlike the 7.3L Powerstroke, the B-series Cummins doesn't have a cavitation problem. The cavitation inhibitor additive plates out on the cooling jackets - this plating is sacrificed when a cavitation bubble impinges on it rather than the parent metal. That's why it has to be tested and periodically "sweetened" or renewed. If you don't need it and it's not going to be removed by active cavitation, why put additional material between the surfaces to be cooled and the coolant?
Rusty
Rusty
I do agree with Rusty. According to Cummins Service Bulletin 3666132-01, the B-series diesel engine, being a parent bore (non-lined) engine, does not experience cast-iron cavitation corrosion. Thus, no anti-cavitation additives are required. Cummins recommends the following:
The B-Series engine coolant recommendation is to use low-silicate antifreeze meeting ASTM D4985 specifications and to drain and replace it every 320,000 km [200,000 mi], 2 years, or 6000 hours of operation (whichever occurred first).
However, my question, to those that know more than I do, is there any other reason to use DCA-4 on these engines, other than for cavitation prevention? According to the product description, DCA-4 is also good to prevent corrosion, scale, oil fouling, etc., etc. At only $7.45 a bootle, I'll use it if there's even a remotely good reason to do so.
#13
While it may not be called for by Cummins, I still use it because as Infidel stated, coolant gets acidic over time. By using test strips and DCA additive, it will make coolant more neutral(from acidic), and will be much less prone to corrosion in heater core, rad, and entire cooling system in general. Other alternative is to c/o coolant as recommended in service manual(which most poeple don't change out anyway).
I've been using it for years in all my diesels, and in the shops I manage, but I am amazed at how many mechanics don't even know about it, especially on the Ford/International engines where it is a MUST. I have rebuilt many Ford/International 6.9L, 7.3L, 6.0L powerjokes, and Dt365/444/466engines with some even less than 10,000miles , ruined from cylinder cavitation in both wet sleeves AND parent bore(dry) blocks.
As our engines don't require it, it's your call to use it or not, DCA test strips and additive can be bought at most H.D. truck dealers.
I've been using it for years in all my diesels, and in the shops I manage, but I am amazed at how many mechanics don't even know about it, especially on the Ford/International engines where it is a MUST. I have rebuilt many Ford/International 6.9L, 7.3L, 6.0L powerjokes, and Dt365/444/466engines with some even less than 10,000miles , ruined from cylinder cavitation in both wet sleeves AND parent bore(dry) blocks.
As our engines don't require it, it's your call to use it or not, DCA test strips and additive can be bought at most H.D. truck dealers.
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