7.3 Ford coolant additive
In a prior thread the number for the coolant additive was pf-22 from ford I found VC8 is this the same?
Forum Discussion
The principal concern with using a different coolant chemistry other than the coolant that the truck was originally filled with is the sealant used to retain the injector seat cups. The sealant that International used in 99 and earlier 7.3L engines was known to be incompatible with the chemistry used in Gold coolant. For the 99.5 update (or thereabouts), International changed the injector cup sealnt to one that would be compatible with future coolant chemistries, but this took a few years for Ford to verify before approval.
What is interesting to me is why Ford withdrew the approval, and returned to recommending Green conventional coolant (with the appropriate proportion of VC-8 SCA), rather than the either Green or Gold allowance that previously approved for 99.5 through 2001 7.3L engines (2002 and 2003 came with Gold factory fill). Maybe Ford learned something through dealer service feedback over that 10 year period of time that caused Ford to alter their position again.
Since I'm not privy to that collection of data, it's just easier to stick with what Ford recommends, which ironically, is the conventional green coolant that is both the cheapest and the easiest to find any time, any place, any hour, any store, any town USA. Some folks go all out and replace their coolant with super expensive 200,000 mile rated coolants. That's all fine and dandy, until the oil cooler O rings fail, the water pump seal fails, the radiator plastic tank to core crimp bites the dust, the heater core needs repair... any number of things that require some or all of the coolant to get dropped.
Having the facility and tools and buckets and filters to recover and reuse the coolant is a lot to expect from the stranger who helps on the side of the road... so it is nice to be able to simply remove any doubt of contamination by going with clean bottles of coolant and distilled water. Having it available at a grocery/convenience store that is open 24/7 is an added plus. Sure, there are truck stops on the highways, but not everyone camps solely on the interstates.
The VC8 (or Fleetguard DCA4) is a little harder to find, and getting harder and harder as the years go by, given that SCA's have been phased out of necessity in modern engine coolant chemistries. However, the small pint bottles of VC8 are a heck of a lot easier to carry around than gallon sized jugs of coolant.
Anyway, a conventional green coolant will need the SCA added at initial fill, and then tested thereafter to see whether the initial dosage of additive has depleted over time, and perhaps needs to be supplemented a little bit later on. The exception to the addition of VC8 at initial fill would be if the conventional green coolant selected is labeled as "Pre Charged". In that instance, adding VC8 would be redundant, and could be harmful to the water pump seal.
What is interesting to me is why Ford withdrew the approval, and returned to recommending Green conventional coolant (with the appropriate proportion of VC-8 SCA), rather than the either Green or Gold allowance that previously approved for 99.5 through 2001 7.3L engines (2002 and 2003 came with Gold factory fill). Maybe Ford learned something through dealer service feedback over that 10 year period of time that caused Ford to alter their position again.
Since I'm not privy to that collection of data, it's just easier to stick with what Ford recommends, which ironically, is the conventional green coolant that is both the cheapest and the easiest to find any time, any place, any hour, any store, any town USA. Some folks go all out and replace their coolant with super expensive 200,000 mile rated coolants. That's all fine and dandy, until the oil cooler O rings fail, the water pump seal fails, the radiator plastic tank to core crimp bites the dust, the heater core needs repair... any number of things that require some or all of the coolant to get dropped.
Having the facility and tools and buckets and filters to recover and reuse the coolant is a lot to expect from the stranger who helps on the side of the road... so it is nice to be able to simply remove any doubt of contamination by going with clean bottles of coolant and distilled water. Having it available at a grocery/convenience store that is open 24/7 is an added plus. Sure, there are truck stops on the highways, but not everyone camps solely on the interstates.
The VC8 (or Fleetguard DCA4) is a little harder to find, and getting harder and harder as the years go by, given that SCA's have been phased out of necessity in modern engine coolant chemistries. However, the small pint bottles of VC8 are a heck of a lot easier to carry around than gallon sized jugs of coolant.
Anyway, a conventional green coolant will need the SCA added at initial fill, and then tested thereafter to see whether the initial dosage of additive has depleted over time, and perhaps needs to be supplemented a little bit later on. The exception to the addition of VC8 at initial fill would be if the conventional green coolant selected is labeled as "Pre Charged". In that instance, adding VC8 would be redundant, and could be harmful to the water pump seal.
