Cooling system Flush question

February 11, 2016, 10:11:52 am

When flushing the cooling system I need to use a cleaner to remove any possible rust or scale. Caterpillar sells an outrageously expensive fast-acting cleaner for $50 a gallon! Cats is citric acid an ethanol based. What have you all used? Prestone is citric acid based but does not contain ethanol. There's also the stuff made by fleet called Restore and Restore plus. What is the best way to go? Secondly, do you flush out the old coolant before putting the cleaner in? Thirdly what extended life OAT coolant do you recommend? Is it worth it? Rich 2002 Magna

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Re: Cooling system Flush question

Reply #1 – February 11, 2016, 11:32:52 am

Yahoo Message Number: 104659

Rich,

I used the Caterpillar cleaner when flushing my coolant. I would stick with that.

Yes you need to flush out as much of the old coolant as possible (you won't get it all) As I recall, you then mix the cleaner with distilled water, run the engine for a specified period of time and then thoroughly flush the cleaner out of the system. I repeated the flush a second time with distilled water before adding the new coolant. I replaced my coolant with CAT ELC

One of the forum members recently posted a coolant flushing procedure that is recommended by Brett Wolfe & explains the process very well. I can't find that procedure but hopefully one of the other forum members still has it & will post it for you.

The coolant flush is somewhat time consuming but not difficult. Be prepared to buy a lot of distilled water.
It is normally recommended that you replace the thermostat when changing/flushing coolant. (there may be 2)""I think Caterpillar calls them regulators

Good Luck,

Fred Compton

2005 Magna # 6454
CAT C13

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