Correct Coolant for 2012 Ford 6.7L Diesel

[Hap_Hazard]

Ok, so I know this question isn’t actually a T/H question but it isn’t a motorhome question either.

I need to know of an exact equivalent to the Motorcraft VC-3-DILB engine coolant. This is for a 2012 Ford 6.7L engine. It seems that few (if any manufactures) list specs on the back of their containers anymore. Most just show For: GMC, Chrysler, Toyota, or Honda etc. None show them for Ford or their coolant specs.

To further the problem it appears Ford changes their specs every couple of years and that appears to be based on the never ending engine and engine supplier changes.

I also want to be able to purchase coolant (if needed) after hours and every day of the week and not have to wait for Ford Parts departments to open.

Thank you for your help and insights. Hap

[Lynnmor]

Here is some information to help you understand why diesel engines are more "picky" about coolant. Coolant

[FishOnOne]

Brooks379,
You can use Shell ELC too with no problems

[CharlesinGA]

Hap Hazard wrote:
Ok, so I know this question isn’t actually a T/H question but it isn’t a motorhome question either.

I need to know of an exact equivalent to the Motorcraft VC-3-DILB engine coolant. This is for a 2012 Ford 6.7L engine. It seems that few (if any manufactures) list specs on the back of their containers anymore. Most just show For: GMC, Chrysler, Toyota, or Honda etc. None show them for Ford or their coolant specs.............

Note that the DIL in the spec stands for Diluted, meaning 50/50 mix. If you desire the concentrate and wish to make your own mix using distilled water (82 cents a gallon at Wal-Mart) then you want Motocraft VC-3-B

The concentrate of the genuine Ford product is $31.98 with free shipping on Amazon.

The pre-diluted 50/50 version is $18.48 on Amazon, orders over $25 are free shipping, anyhow you do the math.

Jumping brands here..............

Someone had drained and filled a Cummins I recently bought, with green anti-freeze. I have spent 3 days flushing it and using Cummins Restore (an alkaline to remove silicates) and Restore Plus (an acid to remove corrosion and scale) and finally installed Zerex GO-5. I had to use concentrate as the Cummins in this Ram 2500 holds about 7½ gallons total and you can drain only about 4 gals. It hides a lot of coolant, so there was no way to fill a flushed system with 50/50 and have a 50/50 mix when done.

I used to be old school (I am 60+ years old) but have realized that in most instances, you need to use the correct antifreeze. In my case the GO-5 is readily available and is approved by Chrysler for my '03 truck. The GO-5 is an HOAT antifreeze, but more recently Chrysler has switched all of their vehicles to an OAT antifreeze. So owners of chrysler products need to be very aware of what the vehicle is supposed to have (by year of production and what is recommended) and stick with it.

MoPar antifreeze video

When I did the ten year drain and fill and hose replacement on my Sprinter chassis Class C motorhome, it still had the original Mercedes Blue antifreeze in it and that is what I used to refill.

Charles

[brooks379]

Why can’t you just drain the coolant, clean, flush the radiator with radiator flush I use Caterpillar flush then fill it up with a Extended LifeCoolant designed for diesel motors with the SCA already in it ? I have owned a lot of diesel trucks and that was always the procedures. Once you put in ELC Extended Life Coolant you shouldn’t mix regular coolant with it . Shell ELC is what I use .

[BenK]

Science is what makes this a tough nut

GM's coolant is an OAT's formulation, Ford coolant is a HOAT's formulation and didn't look up what RAM's were during the switch from good old American Green.

Almost lost my 7.4L during that educational discovery period. While flushing with DexCool and still couldn't stop from over heating. Did discover that fan clutches comes in three levels of performance and will only use Severe Duty for my trucks

O = Organic
A = Acid
T = Technology
H = Hybrid

These 'new', compared to American Green, has a different process on how it works in any ICE.

Final result (as planned) has a protective coating over surfaces. Difference is some sort of organic material vs American Green's silicates (think of microscopic roofing tiles laid down over the surface)

Flush.

• American Green has no acid in it's formulation and required a separate or addition of an acid to etch the surface clean. Regular flush has a mild acid added during that flush. Harsh and very strong acid kits were for severe corrosion removal
  
  Rinse the acid out and refill with American Green.
  
  Complete protective coating (assuming the acid etch cleaned off the corrosion) took about 200 miles to complete that cycle
  
  
• OATs and HOATs has that acid built into it's formulation and is part of the way it works
  
  OATs and HOATs takes several thousand miles to complete the protective coating cycle

There is are several 'buts' to OATs and HOATs...

That acid etches the surfaces and the organic then lays down a protective coating...but...there is no rinse cycle to remove that etched off corrosion. So there is metal oxide floating in there for 5 years. The assumption is that the remaining acid and organic floating around will re-etch and re-coat any spot that loses the original organic coating...

But...that now has a chemical brew floating around in all of the coolant. Okay if the closed system is kept closed (they why new systems no longer...not all, but most...no longer have a 'radiator cap'...to check either look through the over flow (it is NOT an over flow anymore, but pressurized holding tank) bottle material, or risk opening that bottle/radiator cap to check) and explanation below

Acid, organic and now etched off metal oxide floating in the coolant will have it heated to be more reactive to whatever comes along. If kept closed...not much going to happen as spec'd out...but...if O2 gets in there...like when you open it up to check or the biggie...a system containment break (AKA leak) develops...O2 will get into this highly reactive brew...

That will have the O2 react with the metal oxide and the organic. That then turns into a highly acidic & STICKY glob during a cooling down phase...like when the radiator does its job

But...that is in the radiator tubes, which is considerable smaller in cross sectional area.

So these acidic and sticky globs form...they stick to whatever. Mostly in the radiator tubes, but not just there. Some make it out of the radiator and into the rest of the cooling system.

Like the heater core and backwater areas in the ICE, etc...

This happens over time and will work (eat) its corrosive magic on whatever it is sticking to. If rubber...it will take much longer than if it stuck to metal...

That is why OATs and HOATs systems will warn to NOT mix them...especially with American Green. But to then flush every 2 years instead of the 5 years...

I've switched my 1996 Suburban's 7.4L to American Green after figuring that out. Someone posted a link to my radiator shop's web site. DeathCool is what we all DexCool... Previous radiator shop guy went to high school with retired after about 6 years of DeathCool appearance. He had about 6 times uptick in business from the day his father gave him that business...mainly from local dealers who gave up trying...

Flashman wrote:
Is this just a Ford thing or other diesels as picky?

[Flashman]

Is this just a Ford thing or other diesels as picky?

[Hap_Hazard]

Thanks folks for the many replies, comments, and suggestions. In my research I read the comments about gelling and pathways clogging.

I was hoping for a readily available product I could get at any large store or parts supply. It appears that isn’t going to be the case. I’ll just shop Ford Parts and plan ahead.

Thanks again - Hap

[ACZL]

Lynnmor wrote:

ACZL wrote:
I asked our semi shop super a similar question on anti-freeze cuz my truck says it requires "X" type and all we have is "Y" type. He said he wasn't going to stock 2 different kinds of anti-freeze, so if I need any, I'm to use "Y" type. His theory is antifreeze is anti freeze regardless of color. If on the road and you need some, you use whatever you can get. Not that this helps OP any.

You talked to an idiot! Never mix coolant types.

The 6.7 requires orange coolant, Ford and DexCool are the same. Look in your owners manual for the proper specifications,.

We have Cummins and Detroits. Not my equipment, just assigned to me. So if he wants to ruin the engines, that's on him. As for my own personal truck, I use whats spec'd.

[BB_TX]

arhayes wrote:
Another suggesting to stick with the Motocraft spec coolant. I read an engineering explanation piece a friend shared with me a couple of years ago that explained how different this coolant spec is....and how critical that it not be mixed with non spec coolants. With two cooling systems involved in the 6.7L, you definitely don't want to do anything to encourage early failure.

Agree. Discussions on the Ford Truck Enthusiast web site talks about some who mixed coolant types causing clotting and blocked coolant paths thru the engine and radiator.

[arhayes]

Another suggesting to stick with the Motocraft spec coolant. I read an engineering explanation piece a friend shared with me a couple of years ago that explained how different this coolant spec is....and how critical that it not be mixed with non spec coolants. With two cooling systems involved in the 6.7L, you definitely don't want to do anything to encourage early failure.

[ChuckSteed]

Yup you don’t wanna mix Dexcool and Prestone. Big mistake and the stuff will cause issues.

[Lynnmor]

ACZL wrote:
I asked our semi shop super a similar question on anti-freeze cuz my truck says it requires "X" type and all we have is "Y" type. He said he wasn't going to stock 2 different kinds of anti-freeze, so if I need any, I'm to use "Y" type. His theory is antifreeze is anti freeze regardless of color. If on the road and you need some, you use whatever you can get. Not that this helps OP any.

You talked to an idiot! Never mix coolant types.

The 6.7 requires orange coolant, Ford and DexCool are the same. Look in your owners manual for the proper specifications,.

[ACZL]

I asked our semi shop super a similar question on anti-freeze cuz my truck says it requires "X" type and all we have is "Y" type. He said he wasn't going to stock 2 different kinds of anti-freeze, so if I need any, I'm to use "Y" type. His theory is antifreeze is anti freeze regardless of color. If on the road and you need some, you use whatever you can get. Not that this helps OP any.

[blofgren]

FishOnOne wrote:
You can use the Prestone Dexcool.

I changed my radiator fluid a couple of months ago by flushing/draining with distill water 3 times which produced clear water draining out of the radiator. I choose to use the Motorcraft Orange coolant.

Primary Radiator: 15 quarts of coolant and top off with distilled water will give you ~ 50/50 mix.

Secondary Radiator: 6 quarts of coolant and top off with distilled water will give you ~50/50 mix.

The Power Strokes really haven't had excessive type of radiator fluids but changes were to take advantage of new technology.

7.3 PSD: Green with an additional additive
6.0/6.4PSD: Gold
6.7PSD: Orange

Some of the last 7.3L were gold as well. I'm not sure if they still required the FW15 additive or not.

OP, I would stick with the Motorcraft coolant if I were in your shoes. You have too expensive of an engine there to go with something that "may" be OK.