Coolant testing procedure help

[Scott & Heather]

Thanks guys. Maybe my old one was fine but I definitely had something funny going on...


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[eagle19952]

Thanks guys. Maybe my old one was fine but I definitely had something funny going on...


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and that is why i test the old ones too

[Scott & Heather]

I do have some pretty interesting corrosion inside the tstat body...hard tiny nodules stuck to the inside that look like tiny welding splatter. Will have to pull the radiators this summer and make sure all is well in them.


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[Scott & Heather]

Don I just now actually read your post that the Amazon refractometer is in Celsius. Boo lol. It arrives today. I'll swap it out for a Fahrenheit unit.   


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[luvrbus]

I do have some pretty interesting corrosion inside the tstat body...hard tiny nodules stuck to the inside that look like tiny welding splatter. Will have to pull the radiators this summer and make sure all is well in them.


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That is silica drop out from the wrong type antifreeze and not keeping the system balanced

[eagle19952]

Don I just now actually read your post that the Amazon refractometer is in Celsius. Boo lol. It arrives today. I'll swap it out for a Fahrenheit unit.   


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sorry.
i kinda was just illustrating.
back in the day they used to give you one with every drum
Amazon can afford it, the stock just broke $1000.00

[Iceni John]

Ok got the one side RR'd. Anyone have a trick on getting the tstat housing out from under the DDEC computer tray?


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Yup, that stumped me too, until I realized there are also two hidden 5/16" bolts on the backside of the DDEC tray.   And don't forget to undo the clamp for the turbo boost sensor as well, but try to not bend its hose too much.

And when you button everything back together, the long 3/8" bolt on the driver's side for the DDEC tray is a royal PIA to get threaded back into the t'stat housing  -  it took me ages until everything lined up right.

John

[Scott & Heather]

Bummer. I've never messed with the cooling system so this was prior to my ownership. Yikes


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[PP]

So now would be a good time to ask Cliff or some other knowledgeable individual how we go about testing the SCA's in our antifreeze. I know I have the right antifreeze, but it hasn't been tested since I purchased the bus which is now going to draw me some more flack. But it sounds like you (Scott) haven't tested yours yet either so I'm not feeling just too bad about it. Mine still runs cool, even when climbing fully loaded and with a toad. But I know it's been mentioned many times on here about pitting the liners and stuff in a wet block if it's not PH'ly correct. 
Will

[eagle19952]

they make filters that dispense and balance SCA ... iirc.

http://www.acustrip.com/sca.html



Too Much SCA

While SCA will protect your system from corrosion and pitting, a lower level will help prevent the buildup of particles that SCAs often cause. This buildup can become loose or flake off the water jacket walls, and because it can be abrasive, it will cause damage to your water pump or even clog certain parts of the cooling system like the heater core. It is recommended to maintain SCA concentrations below 3.0 to avoid this problem (it is best to maintain a lower level and test frequently to maintain a minimum of 1.5). A preventative measure that can be taken to eliminate overly high levels is the use of a coolant filter.

Too Little SCA

The pistons in your engine move up and down about 2,000 times a minute. While they move vertically, the crankshaft is performing a completely different movement by rotating horizontally. These contradictory movements will cause your engine's liners to vibrate a lot. Although the outer wall of the liner is surrounded by cooling fluid, its inertia creates tiny vacuum pockets, causing bubbles of vapor to form on the liner wall. When the liner vibrates back, these bubbles collapse under an enormous pressure and take small chunks out of the liner. Eventually you will have block failure.

To prevent this, a supplemental coolant additive needs to be added to the cooling system and monitored regularly. Basically a chemical concentration of 1.5 - 3.0 UPG (Units Per Gallon) should be maintained in your cooling system at all times. As a point of reference, a one pint bottle of DCA4 additive is equal to five units. A single unit of SCA raises a single gallon of coolant by one unit. So if you have a five gallon coolant system with an SCA reading of 1.2 and you wish to raise it to 2.2, you would add one pint of SCA to your system. You can use the calculator above to determine how much SCA to add in your particular case.

[Brassman]

At the very least I think Scott should change out his coolant to the proper diesel stuff. A flush would be nice to do too. I'd would also be good to test the current coolant for combustion gas before changing. Combustion gas leaks can cause weird coolant problems.

[chessie4905]

"Weep a little coolant here and there, added three gallons". Maybe leaks should be addressed.

[Utahclaimjumper]

  The test strips are also dated and need to be replaced often,,so when buying make sure you get a current date.>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

Test strips are good but the silica drop out is from silicone that has done the job protecting the engine once the antifreeze is spent it almost impossible to add enough SCA to bring it back to life that is why you change the antifreeze 

[Oonrahnjay]

  Test strips are good but the silica drop out is from silicone that has done the job protecting the engine once the antifreeze is spent it almost impossible to add enough SCA to bring it back to life that is why you change the antifreeze  

     What is the change interval for the antifreeze change, please?   Thanks,  BH