FastTaco

Got about 70k on the clock now. Fluid is still nice and red/clean looking. Motor runs about 195 deg in summer. Should it be ok for a while?

NickBeek

I just did mine about a month ago @ 100K miles. It came out pristine. I drained, refilled with distilled water, ran up to operating temp, drained, refilled with DW again, ran up to operating temp again, drained, and added straight coolant to get to a 50 / 50 mix with the distilled water. Then topped it off with a 50 / 50 mix of coolant and DW. A little hint, if you take the heater hose off at the head it will vent the system nicely and make refill a lot easier. After a using this method I drive it normally and then added about a quart of 50/50 mix. It has been holding it's level since then so all the air is out I guess. While I had it drained I replaced the little short piece of hose behind the turbo with an updated part and spring clamps that I got at the dealer. Hopefully this new hose and clamps will cure the fall leaks that happened every year.

This is the hose I was talking about



Here is the replacement hose



And clamps



Here it is installed

tryNto

I think 5 years or 100k is what is good for the change interval

FastTaco

Thanks guys. I've already double clamped my hose as it has leaked twice since new.

MikeyB

Planning to drain the coolant this fall. Going on 7 years now but still looks good.

Nick, good idea about opening up one of the coolant ports on top of the head for venting.

MikeyB

Nate-03 D

What coolant are you going to run?

Devinraptor

Does anyone know where you can buy this online or do you have to go to the dealer?

NickBeek

Those parts are from Cummins, so you could go to a Cummins dealer and get them I'm sure. I think they were about $20 +/-.

BTW, I used the Zerex G05 H.O.A.T. coolant. I got it at NAPA for about $11 / gallon.

trik396

NickBeek, how much distilled water and how much coolant are we talking about here?

1985cucv

i was wondering how do you still tell if its good? or can you add an additive to get it back to normal? thanks

NickBeek

I'm going from memory here...... I believe the total system capacity is 7.375 gallons. So I bought 4 gallons of straight coolant (there is some left over) and I ended up using 16 or so gallons of DW. When I drained the system I got about 5+ gallons out. I used DW to flush with and then used it for final fill along with the coolant of coarse.

soulezoo

Another good time to change is when your rear freeze plug blows out halfway down the track...

TexasCTD

You sound like a man who speaks with experience.


..

trik396

someone here posted a pic taken as the truck was going down the track (side view) just as the plug let go. You could even see the plug, if I remember correctly... anyone remember that pic???

MikeyB

Yeah, that was John's (RamWheelsBy4) truck.

MikeyB