7.3 Ford coolant additive

Thanks, I'm staying with conventional antifreeze as well.

colliehauler wrote:
Sidecar is the DCA4 different then the above mentioned additive? I went with the American made Moog ball joints as well.

DCA4 is potassium permagnate and di-ionized water and SCA additives. I think the FoMoCo additive is the same. I've used both, DCA4 in the past and now the FoMoCo additive.

DCA4 is what you use in a big truck with conventional antifreeze. The new 'extended life' anti freeze for diesels has the SCA additives already in them but, and here is the big but...

If you switch from conventional ethylene glycol (the green/gold) antifreeze to the SCA charged extended life diesel antifreeze, it's imperative that you flush every bit of the ethylene glycol conventional antifreeze out of the system which, entails pulling the drian plugs on each side of the block on a 7.3 (one located above the starter, the other under the oil cooler). If you don't get every bit of the conventional antifreeze out and add an SCA pre-charged diesel antifreeze, the residual conventional antifreeze will react with the pre-charged extended life and cause it to solidify into a gooey mess. I know someone that happened to and it wasn't pretty and expensive to repair.

Why I stay with the conventional ethylene glycol a/f and add the additive. Only vehicle I own with conventional a/f anymore. Every other vehicle is extended life, gasoline and diesel.

When I added the coolant filter (no I didn't buy the Diesel Site unit, I bought a less expensive one), they all do the same thing, they mount a filter and in my case I use a Baldwin filter, when I cut it open after 5,000 miles I was amazed at the amount of casting sand in the filter that has been circulating in my engine all these years.....They work, I can attest to that and I think that is why I had to replace the water pump last year, the sand ate up the seal.

Hope that helps.

Sidecar is the DCA4 different then the above mentioned additive? I went with the American made Moog ball joints as well.

ppine wrote:
In 17 years I have never worried about the additive, just change the coolant on time with the right spec. Keep an eye on the plastic coolant recovery tank. I had to replace mine when it started to leak

I had the front end rebuilt at 160,000 miles with all Moog parts with grease fittings. She is tight now. It may take a few hundred miles to break in the front end. There can be memory steering for awhile.

Interesting. I've always used either the FoMoCo additive or DCA 4, not because of cavitation issues but because it keeps the cooling system clean.

I did the king pin (I have a 350 4x4), with a Dana 609 full floating front axle. at 45K miles and canned the cheapo Ford junk. Moog for me too with zerks which get greased every oil change.

I may forego the additive and just put a pre-charged coolant filter on next time.

My 97 has less than 80K total miles on it and has never seen a Michigan winter. It sleeps in a heated garage all winter. Everyone wants to buy it, not for sale.

In 17 years I have never worried about the additive, just change the coolant on time with the right spec. Keep an eye on the plastic coolant recovery tank. I had to replace mine when it started to leak

I had the front end rebuilt at 160,000 miles with all Moog parts with grease fittings. She is tight now. It may take a few hundred miles to break in the front end. There can be memory steering for awhile.

SidecarFlip wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
Thanks I'm adding a coolant filter and replacing the block heater so a good time to change the coolant as well.

Don't forget a NEW recovery tank cap. I've read that the leading cause of failure with the 7.3 (other than jacking the horsepower up too much) is the loss of cooling system pressure and the resultant overheating. 6 bucks is cheap insurance. I replace mine every year.

Will do. The truck is stock, having ball joints put in this week and changing out a bad accelerator pedal sensor.

colliehauler wrote:
Thanks I'm adding a coolant filter and replacing the block heater so a good time to change the coolant as well.

Don't forget a NEW recovery tank cap. I've read that the leading cause of failure with the 7.3 (other than jacking the horsepower up too much) is the loss of cooling system pressure and the resultant overheating. 6 bucks is cheap insurance. I replace mine every year.

Thanks I'm adding a coolant filter and replacing the block heater so a good time to change the coolant as well.

Not sure, I have a 7.3 and I get mine from O'Riely's in pint bottles. Had to go out to the shop and grab one..

It's Motorcraft Diesel cooling system additive. It's ESN-M99B169A and they have it in stock for (I think) 6 bucks a bottle.

You will need a Ph test kit to check the SCA level. I use a Fleetguard test kit myself.

I have also used Cummins DCA-4 which is available at any heavy truck dealership but again you need to do a PH test on the coolant after adding and allowing it to circulate in the motor for a while.

Not a problem with circulation on my 7.3 because I added an external spin on coolant filter so the coolant is always circulating even when the motor is cold and the T'stat hasn't opened.

I added one bottle of the Ford additive this summer and checked the Ph and it was within spec. I just happened to buy 4 bottles at one time.

The additive level wll drop with engine heat and cool cycles so it's not a one time add. I check mine every oil change.

Finally, replace the coolant tank cap at least once a year. They fail in time and the cooling system looses pressure and you can develop hot spots in the block, a bad thing. Chap too. 6 bucks is a lot cheaper than a motor rebuild.

Hope that helps.

Better add that Ford also offers a test kit...328-2050-62291 or 328-20503R but the Fleetguard test kit is less expensive and does the same task. The Fleetguard kit will be available at any heavy truck dealership as well

According to my bottle that I'm looking at, VC8 and the above numbers I listed are the same thing.