[rheavn]

A proactive approach is always better than the turning a blind eye approach in my opinion. You'll know exactly what you have and other than basic maintenance you'll have many miles and years before you'll need to worry about it again.

I didn't realize that using the OAT coolant would have you remove the coolant filter. I thought you would just change to a coolant filter with no SCA pellets.

Safe travels..........................

[bikestuff]

My understanding is that the OAT is so good that you did not need a filter, and since the hoses are a source of failure, removing them would hopefully add to reliability. I am pretty sure that leaving a "normal" filter would be ok.

[Richard]

Keep the filter in order to trap particulate matter.

[encantotom]

this morning i went to freightliner (DD dealer) and took some coolant to test. then they use a chart to see what filter i needed and it said i needed a 4 unit dca filter. so i got that.

i finished putting the hoses on and will pressure test it tonite

tom

[rheavn]

Here is an article that some may find helpful..............also go to the RV link in the article.

http://www.hhrvresource.com/DieselCoolant.htm

[encantotom]

one of the challenges with color of the coolant is that i used recycled coolant. they change their color as they please. the first time leo used it and it was purple. now it is greenish.

but...all that aside. my coolant is clean, i tested it and the freezing levels were fine (even if i stayed in alberta for the winter), the nitrate were fine and the other one was a little low. so they matched up the test strip with amount of precharge i needed in a filter and i got it.

changing that coolant filter is a little tougher than it looks without being underneath it.

btw, the blue silicone 2.5" radiator hose i bought was 15 bucks a foot.

and i used about 2 1/2 feet of it for the 4 hoses.

tom

[encantotom]

the new hoses have been pressure testing for 24 hours now. we did find one small leak on the front new hose that just needed cinching up at bit more but we found that last nite.

does anyone know what acceptable pressure drops are in pressure testing a cooling system like our coaches have?

i pressurized it up to 16psi last nite. this morning it was at 14 psi and it has held steady all day at that.

so down 2psi in 24 hours.

i have no idea what is acceptable. i also think the pressure tester i am using might leak ever so slightly

any wisdom here?

tom

[Ozarkguy]

Sounds like you got it.

[folivier]

Tom, you will have some air bubbles in the cooling system which will not compress at the same time. I did quite a bit of water testing (at 2150 psi) and in almost all cases we always had air which would have to be compressed. So a 2 psi drop overnight is to be expected. And temperature has a definate relationship to pressure.
I would think the 2 psi is just air bubbles. If it was a leak it would continue to drop, either slowly or rapidly.

[prairieschooner]

Steve I don't think I have a coolant filter on my 1982, but I am using the Power Cool.....added it when the water pump had to be replaced in February of 2012.

Yep, Clarke our older 92 series don't have these filters, Low Tech!