kawi600

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

infidel

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.

kawi600

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

RustyJC

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

Greguw

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

RustyJC

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

rharveysr

When I change the coolant come spring....I will be converting my system over the Evans coolant.. Yes it is $$$$$$ but my truck is worth it..

Rick

dieselfan

wheres the cheapest place to get Evans coolant?


thanks dieselfan.

~Angry Tractor~

Where do you get DCA. Every where Ive went and asked for DCA I get a look like Im speaking Swaheeli

DL1221

Not that I use it, but is this what you're looking for:

http://www.dieselmanor.com/fleetguard/DCA4.asp

DL1221

I just flushed and refiled my cooling system with pink FleetCharge coolant, I did not use any DCA-4, or any other additive.

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:
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.

infidel

Coolant becomes acid over time. That's why I use DCA, to bring it back up to neutral with the help of test strips.

TORQUE

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.