Coolant filters are not a new idea to the diesel engine world. They come in most OEM applications for medium duty and OTR tractor trailer rigs. The idea was somehow tossed aside for light duty applications, most likely due to cost. For our light duty trucks it is a very important issue that needed to be addressed. Many diesel engines - like the Powerstroke - are cast with sand in the process. This sand is NOT completely removed from the system. In fact, much of this sand leaches out of the casting over time. The sand wears away at water pump seals, hoses and radiators. Removal of this sand can greatly increase your water pump life.
In addition to sand, there are other things that the filter is removing. SCAs, or supplimental coolant additives used in protecting against cavitation, often flake off the walls. This "precipitate" is a very abrasive particle - like a scale - floating around freely in the system unless caught by a filter.
The DIESELSITE Coolant Filter Install Kit will remove the loose particles in your cooling system and give your water pumps, radiators, water necks and radiator hoses the protection they need from these abrasive materials. Wear is virtually eliminated by the removal of undesirable elements in your system. The desireable elements, like the actual chemical used in the SCA is not removed.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The DIESELSITE Coolant Filter Kit is a bypass-style system that filters a small amount of the coolant on each pass. By using a spin on filter we make it easy for you to change your coolant filter at regular intervals. These filters will remove all solid particles -- new or old. It is never too late to install a coolant filter in order to extend the longevity of your cooling system components. While you cannot reverse the damage that is already done, you can eliminate further damage from occuring. This kit is a must for every truck.
In the past 6 years of doing business, we have seen a pattern of water pump failure. If you are one of the unlucky owners who have lost your pump between 40,000 and 80,000 miles it isn't too late to protect your new pump. While some damage to your pump may already be done, a coolant filter install kit will extend the longevity of your pump before it fails. AND, it will definitely insure that your next water pump will last much longer than your first one did.
The DIESELSITE Coolant Filter Install Kit includes all fittings, hose and stainless steel clamps needed for installation.
Recommendations on filter changes:
Use one filter every three months for the first nine months after installation. The lack of flow into the expansion tank is an indication that your filter is plugged. Change the filter if it should plug before the 3-month interval. After the 4th filter is installed your filter should be changed once per year.
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This photo shows the accumulation of sand and sediment that was circulating through the system of a 7.3L Powerstroke (yes -- it was destroying his water pump)! This filter was in service for only three months - AFTER a full coolant change. |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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Question: Will a coolant filter rob coolant flow and cause overheating problems?
Answer: No. The DIESELSITE Coolant Filter Kit is routed in parallel with the current flow of your coolant system. The majority of the coolant on each pass takes its normal path. Only a very small amount of coolant that would have travelled through the upper radiator hose is "bypassed" from the system to run through the new spin on coolant filter. So, your coolant follows its normal path while that small amount pulled off by our unit is directed through the new spin on filter. That small amount, therefore, has actually bypassed the radiator. However, the filter itself acts as a radiator - heat exchanger - for the small amount of fluid pulled from the system into the filter so no amount of cooling has been lost in the process. As this small amount of bypassed fluid leaves the coolant filter, it enters the expansion tank which eventually makes it way into the lower radiator hose and back into the lower radiator hose and resumes its original path. The continual movement of the coolant through the system will eventually insure that the entire system is filtered clean.
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Question: What happens if the coolant filter is plugged and I don't catch it before it stops flowing?
Answer: You would no longer have an effective coolant filter in the system. That is ALL that would happen. Your coolant filter is a "bypass" in your system. Should the flow of this bypass be stopped -- by either an inline shut off valve or a plugged filter -- your coolant would follow its original path through the upper radiator(heater) hose as it did before the coolant filter was installed. No harm would be done.
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Question: How do you know if the filter is working or needs to be changed?
Answer: You can see the output flow of your coolant filter at the inlet of the expansion tank. This is where the coolant sent "bypassed" through the coolant filter re-enters the normal factory flow. When you see the flow significantly slow down or stop, it's time to change the filter. If you see no flow, it is already plugged. Simply change the filter to resume your filtration.
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Question: How much coolant will I lose if all I do at this time is add your Coolant Filter Install Kit?
Answer: Very little. We include very detailed instructions with our kit. It will show you how to use the parts supplied to install the kit wil very minimal fluid loss.
If you have an older set of instructions you can follow these simple steps during the installation(have your instructions and parts on hand): It is very simple to install the DIESELSITE Coolant Filter Install Kit with very minimal fluid loss. First -- AND MOST IMPORTANT -- do not remove the radiator cap. This keeps the system from sucking in air as you remove the fitting on the water pump housing. Next, take one end of the hose included with your kit and attach it to the straight barbed fitting supplied. Use the clamp supplied to tighten the hose onto the fitting. As you remove the plug in the water pump, have the fitting and hose that you just assembled ready to insert. Be sure to have teflon tape wrapped onto the threads of the fitting. Once you remove the plug, quickly inser the new brass fitting and start to tighten. You may lose about a teaspoon as the system attempts to grab another gulp of air. Before it does, you'll already have the fitting started. The cap on the radiator acts as a vent cap.
Below is an example of mounting using 1994-1997 FORD 7.3L KIT
