GC17xx, coolant change

/ GC17xx, coolant change #1  

GeneV

Elite Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2019
Messages
3,202
Location
Lake County, IL
Tractor
Bradley 48" stander MF GC1710
Somebody be a pal and do a quick in-service on it. What's the procedure, are you flushing and what are you using (distilled or no?), what coolant are you using and how much does the radiator hold?
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #2  
I drain and refill at each engine oil change.

100 hour OCIs after the inti 50 hr.

I drain the radiator and reservoir and refill. Less than 1 gallon. I use Case XHD premix.

The 100 hour OCIs mean at least once a year for me.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I drain and refill at each engine oil change.

100 hour OCIs after the inti 50 hr.

I drain the radiator and reservoir and refill. Less than 1 gallon. I use Case XHD premix.

The 100 hour OCIs mean at least once a year for me.

Ok, so you just drain/fill, no flush? I was reading about sca's for diesels, looks like your case xhd has that. That's part of why I'm asking, manual doesn't say anything about coolant additives.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #4  
Ok, so you just drain/fill, no flush? I was reading about sca's for diesels, looks like your case xhd has that. That's part of why I'm asking, manual doesn't say anything about coolant additives.

Since 2005, the MF GC manuals have never specified a diesel specific coolant.

They also don't specify the reason they are requiring annual coolant changes.

We can only speculate.

I have since decided to buy Heavy Duty Fleet Coolant from Tractor Supply, and change it every 3 years. Which is about 100 hours for me.

Thus far, the world has not ended because of this.

You will have to decide for yourself.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #5  
After reading about all these fancy coolants, I guess I had better drain the coolant my MF 231S and use one of these new, fancy coolants. BTW, what are the benefits?
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #6  
I drained the block and radiator, flushed then filled with Zerex G-05 50/50 pre mix on my GC1710 last year.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #7  
Ok, so you just drain/fill, no flush? I was reading about sca's for diesels, looks like your case xhd has that. That's part of why I'm asking, manual doesn't say anything about coolant additives.

I don’t bother flushing. No heater core on these so to me there’s a negligible amount of “old” coolant in the engine.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #9  
Nothing too fancy regarding benefits other than they offer extended life if you have an aluminum radiator, and you don't have to mess with SCA's. The flip side of the coin is trying to decide which chemistry is best. Do you want silicates or not? How about nitrates and nitrites? Does my coolant have 2-EHA in it and is my engine compatible with it? What's the problem with Dex-Cool and universal types? HOAT or OAT? And the list goes on. Dealing with coolants is far worse than selecting engine oils. I've found that the two mentioned above are some of the best. Following the ASTM D6210 spec is a good idea, and many like to see the CAT EC-1 spec also. Avoid coolants that are ONLY rated as ASTM S3306 and/or ASTM D4985.

Well, after all that (Thank you, BTW), my head is spinning. I think I'll just drain and fill with tap water. The Perkins diesel engine is a big, heavy hunk of iron and the radiator is all brass and copper. My tractor never overheats even though there was a bullet hole in the rad when I bot it a couple years ago. The rad shop fixed it and installed a brass petcock in place of the plastic OE version.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Nothing too fancy regarding benefits other than they offer extended life if you have an aluminum radiator, and you don't have to mess with SCA's. The flip side of the coin is trying to decide which chemistry is best. Do you want silicates or not? How about nitrates and nitrites? Does my coolant have 2-EHA in it and is my engine compatible with it? What's the problem with Dex-Cool and universal types? HOAT or OAT? And the list goes on. Dealing with coolants is far worse than selecting engine oils. I've found that the two mentioned above are some of the best. Following the ASTM D6210 spec is a good idea, and many like to see the CAT EC-1 spec also. Avoid coolants that are ONLY rated as ASTM S3306 and/or ASTM D4985.

Shoot, now you got me worried my choice of coolant is correct. The stuff I got is NOAT. Should I have gotten a nitrite-free coolant instead?
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #11  
Where do you all take your old fluid? Don;t know who would accept it here and should be changing sometime towards the end of summer.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #12  
I drained the block and radiator, flushed then filled with Zerex G-05 50/50 pre mix on my GC1710 last year.

Where are the block drains can maybe you take a pic? I think I know where it's at I just want to be sure.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #13  
No, don’t use plain water. You need corrosion inhibitors and other additives to prevent bad stuff from developing in the cooling system.
But I don’t plan on changing the coolant annually. Perhaps every three years or so.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change
  • Thread Starter
#14  
K7LN, thank you man!

Ok, so to clarify, some of you guys are flushing and some not, can we get a consensus on this? And if flushing, are you using distilled water? Am I just draining the radiator and overflow tank, or is there something else to it? And as somebody else asked, where are you guys taking the old coolant for disposal?

Thanks much for the info!
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #15  
K7LN, thank you man!

Ok, so to clarify, some of you guys are flushing and some not, can we get a consensus on this? And if flushing, are you using distilled water? Am I just draining the radiator and overflow tank, or is there something else to it? And as somebody else asked, where are you guys taking the old coolant for disposal?

Thanks much for the info!

Distilled water would be the best
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #16  
Whatever you do when changing brands or types of coolant be sure and do a complete flush,
especially if going to one of the long life coolants.
I knew that Dex-Cool was not compatible with others,
did not realize how incompatible some of the others are.

But I got a lesson on that;
water pump1.jpg water pump2.jpg
The first picture is my water pump housing, the second is the old and new plastic water pump impeller.
The material build up was a hard waxy substance with some gritty feeling stuff mixed in.

So if you are going to go with a long life or an HOAT or OAT or some other coolant,
I would be sure to flush it repeatedly with tap water then with my hard water another or two with distilled.
I run a 60/40 mix a bit heavier then the usual 50/50, so I either buy concentrated and add distilled water or
frequently because its easier I will get several jugs of the premixed and a jug of concentrate.
I'll fill most of the way with mixed then give it a shot of concentrated.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change
  • Thread Starter
#17  
Yeh, good tip Lou. I'm familiar with that dex-cool, I had it in my chevy s10.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #18  
After reading about all these fancy coolants, I guess I had better drain the coolant my MF 231S and use one of these new, fancy coolants. BTW, what are the benefits?
I have a 231s as well. It had 400 hours when I bought it, has almost 700 now. I have never even thought about changing the coolant. I also didn't know a diesel required a different coolant. Should I change it or leave it alone?
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #19  
I have a 231s as well. It had 400 hours when I bought it, has almost 700 now. I have never even thought about changing the coolant. I also didn't know a diesel required a different coolant. Should I change it or leave it alone?

Addict, My MF manual says to use Massey Ferguson coolant but no specs are given. Also, the manual says change at 1000 hours. I change it a bit more often that that. I think that a quality 50/50 anti freeze is sufficient. Also, I change engine oil every year as well as the oil filter. I use Mobil Delvac 1300 15w-40 engine oil and a Wix oil filter.

The transmission is speced to use Permatran tractor fluid. I have changed it twice in two years.
 
/ GC17xx, coolant change #20  
Yes, life was too easy when if you had a puddle under your car, you could tell exactly what was leaking by the color.

Now, that we have to have a million different types, and colors of antifreeze, our already divided attention is further asunder.

If you do your own service, its prudent to have a jug of compatible coolant on hand, for each vehicle. Or, at least one of the "compatible with all types of antifreeze" bottles in stock just in case.
 
 
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