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OBS with ELC coolant

8K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  Diabolic1 
#1 ·
I've been running the typical green coolant and SCA's for the last few years. A couple days ago though the heater hose became worn out enough that it was cut by the serpentine belt. Now's the time to replace the rest of the radiator hoses before anything major happens.

What's the status of running Cat compliant ELC coolant in an obs 7.3? After a lot of research, it seems everyone has a different opinion whether it's alright. Some say it eats gaskets and the injector cups and that it shouldn't be run in the early 7.3's. Others say it's alright and just be sure to flush all of the old coolant out of the engine. I like the idea of not having to mess around with the SCA's anymore since not even my dealer has it in stock most of the time. Nor have I found precharged coolant at the auto parts places in my area.

Thanks for the help.
 
#2 ·
Elc eats the glue for the injector cups. I wouldn't run it. Unless you change your cups.
 
#3 ·
^What he said, but I wonder how long that takes to eat through? I've been running the Chevron ELC in my truck for the last 8 years and I still haven't had an issue.
 
#9 ·
So this is the response that I've run into a lot. Does anyone have a clue how long it actually takes for the ELC to eat through the sealant? I've read of people using ELC for ten plus years with no problems.

How hard is it to change the cups? I've thought about getting larger injectors in a couple years as well so I'd already be in the area.

Thanks for the responses. You guys are awesome. :rockwoot:
 
#4 ·
I've been running the CAT elc for 6 years but it is time for the coolant flush and typical replacement of cooling system items and will be going back in with Deere cool gard. It is an obs truck.

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#5 ·
I flushed mine completely and went with RMI-25, low silicate green antifreeze, and a coolant filter. Already changed the filter twice in 1500 miles and they were both full of nasty stuff. With the RMI-25 you won't need additives or test strips.
 
#6 ·
I just bought the fleetcharge from Napa, it already has the SCA in it and it was like $9 a gallon or something. I might want to test it though to be sure, I never have since I put the new motor in...
 
#8 ·
That was 50/50 diluted. Since it was a brand new motor and everything was completely dry, i didnt want to try and screw with measuring out the coolant and distilled water, or have to go buy distilled water for that matter lol.
 
#10 ·
I'm kinda new to the diesel world so please forgive my ignorance, but with a product like RMI-25, why would you bother to mess with anything else????
 
#11 ·
Well partly because I for one have never heard of that product. How does it compare in price to ELC? How readily available is it? Can you pick it up at any truck stop? Chevron ELC is available most anywhere.
 
#12 ·
I bought mine online. I was told to add 2 full bottles when I did a complete system refill, change the filters 4 times over 3000 miles, add 1 more bottle, then leave it alone until the next coolant flush or major event like a water pump change.
 
#15 ·
Read the marketing info for RMI-25, personally it sounds like snake oil and it doesn't seem to prevent cavitation. There's no way I'd use that.

Back to the topic at hand, has anyone had injector cup failure due to elc coolant? Everyone says it eats the sealant, but I've only found one post of someone having issues with it.
 
#16 ·
I'm not the type of guy to use snake oil, but plenty of ways to skin a cat I suppose.
 
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