| Recommendations for Finished Coolants for use in Cat engines | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolant Type | Recommendations | Product | Service hours (1)(2) | Required Maintenance(3) |
| Cat ELC, Cat ELI, or commercial coolant that meets Cat EC-1 | Preferred | Cat ELC | 12000 hours or 6 years | Add Cat ELC Extender at 6000 service hours or one half of service life |
| Cat ELI (water based) (4) | 12000 hours or 6 years | Add Cat ELC Extender at 6000 service hours or one half of service life | ||
| Min requirements | Cat EC-1 specification and "ASTM D6210" and
Organic Additive Technology (OAT) based on a combination of a monocarboxylic acid and a dicarboxylic acid Phosphate, borate, and silicate free Tolyltriazole: minimum typical concentration of 900 ppm Nitrite: minimum typical concentration of 500 ppm in new coolants |
6000 hours or 6 years | Add Extender at 3000 service hours or one half of service life | |
| Cat DEAC, Cat SCA, conventional coolants and commercial extended life coolants that do not meet EC-1 | Acceptable | Cat DEAC | 3000 hours or 3 years | SCA at maintenance intervals |
| Cat SCA (water based) (4) | 3000 hours or 2 years | SCA at maintenance intervals | ||
| Min requirements for fully formulated Heavy Duty Commercial coolants | "ASTM D6210" and
Nitrite (as NO2) concentration: Minimum of 1200 ppm (70 grains/US gal) and maximum of 2400 ppm (140 grains/US gal) Silicon concentration: minimum of 100 ppm and maximum of 275 ppm |
3000 hours or 2 years | SCA at maintenance intervals | |
| Min requirements for Commercial coolants requiring SCA precharge | "ASTM D4985" and (4)
Nitrite (as NO2) concentration: Minimum of 1200 ppm (70 grains/US gal) and maximum of 2400 ppm (140 grains/US gal) Silicon concentration: minimum of 100 ppm and maximum of 275 ppm |
3000 hours or 1 year | SCA at initial fill and SCA at maintenance intervals | |
| Min requirements for SCA and water(5) | Commercial supplemental coolant additive and water having
Nitrite (as NO2) concentration: Minimum of 1200 ppm (70 grains/US gal) and maximum of 2400 ppm (140 grains/US gal) Silicon concentration: minimum of 100 ppm and maximum of 275 ppm |
3000 hours or 1 year | Per manufacturer recommendations | |
| (1) | New Coolants at 50 volume percent diluted. Coolants that are prediluted at the coolant manufacturer must be diluted with water that meets Reagent 4 "ASTM D1193" requirements. |
| (2) | Maintain the in-service coolant at the given limits. |
| (3) | For appropriate maintenance procedures, refer to the details given in this Chapter. For applications that allow the use of Cat ELI in water, a minimum of 7.5 percent of Cat ELI is recommended. For applications that allow the use of SCA and water, a minimum of 6 percent to a maximum of 8 percent concentration of Cat SCA are recommended. |
| (4) | Water-based coolants are not allowed for use in engines that have NOx reduction aftertreatment devices, in engines that have AATAC, and in marine engines that have SWAC. Water based coolants are glycol-free. |
| (5) | There are currently no industry standards to define the quality of water-based conventional coolants. In order to control the quality of SCA and water coolants, the commercial SCA additive package should pass ASTM D6210 and/or ASTM D4985 when this package is used in a glycol based coolant. Do not use a commercial SCA additive package that only meets the ASTM D3306 or equivalent specification when used in a glycol based coolant. |
| Special Requirements(1) | |
|---|---|
| Cat 3618 engine model | Water-ELI is recommended. Water-SCA is acceptable. Glycol-based coolants are NOT allowed. |
| (1) | For freezing protection of |
When referring to the Service Life in table 1, use the interval that occurs first. These coolant change intervals are only achievable with annual S·O·S Services Level 2 coolant sampling analysis.
Refer to the engine Operation and Maintenance Manual for the correct interval for replacement of the cooling system water temperature regulator.
Note: For engines that require a maximum of 20% glycol, make sure that the amount of additive in the final mix is appropriate. Example of mixing a 20% glycol solution is given in Table 3.
| Example of Mixing Up a 20% Glycol Coolant (1) | |||
| Total Volume of the Cooling System | Add the Following: | ||
| ELC Concentrate | ELI Concentrate | Water | |
| 10 Gallons | 2 Gallons | 0.5 Gallons | 7.5 Gallons |
| (1) | Volumes can also be in liters as long as all the volume units are consistent |
Extended life coolants require the one time maintenance addition of an extender at coolant service mid-life. For commercial coolants, do NOT use an extender with a coolant unless the extender has been approved by the coolant manufacturer for use with the coolant. The coolant manufacturer is responsible to ensure compatibility and acceptable performance. Failure to follow these recommendations can result in shortened cooling system component life.
Conventional coolants require the maintenance addition of SCA throughout the expected life. For commercial coolants, do NOT use an SCA unless approved by the coolant supplier for use with the coolant. The coolant manufacturer is responsible to ensure compatibility and acceptable performance.
"ASTM D4985" and "ASTM D6210" require coolants that are properly dosed with SCA and that are in a properly maintained cooling system in normal service to be suitable for use for a maximum of 1 year ("ASTM D4985") and 2 years ("ASTM D6210"). The suitability for use requirement is the direct responsibility of the coolant manufacturer and SCA manufacturer. Consult with the coolant and/or SCA manufacturer concerning the suitability of the products for use in a given application.
Cat DEAC does not require a treatment with an SCA at the initial fill.
A commercial heavy-duty coolant/antifreeze that meets the "ASTM D6210"specification does not require a treatment with an SCA at the initial fill.
A commercial heavy-duty coolant/antifreeze that only meets "ASTM D4985", WILL require a treatment with an SCA at the initial fill and has to fulfill all the requirements listed in the “Technical Requirements for Commercial Extended Life Coolants” table. The user and the coolant manufacturer are responsible to ensure the SCA is compatible. Compatibility is based on the recommendations provided by the coolant manufacturer and SCA manufacturer. For example, an extended life coolant that meets the "ASTM D4985" specification may not be compatible with an SCA designed for use with conventional coolants. The coolant manufacturer is responsible to provide sources of compatible SCAs. The coolant manufacturer and SCA manufacturer are responsible to demonstrate a positive influence on reducing cavitation corrosion in an operating diesel engine.
Read the label or the instructions that are provided by the manufacturer of the commercial heavy-duty coolant/antifreeze.
When adding SCA at initial fill to a coolant/antifreeze that only meets "ASTM D4985", the user and the coolant manufacturer must ensure the SCA is compatible with the antifreeze/coolant. The addition must be based on the recommendations provided by the coolant manufacturer and SCA manufacturer. One of the test methods required to be used to help ensure SCA compatibility with the antifreeze/coolant concentrate is "ASTM D5828-97". Follow the test procedure using the antifreeze/coolant of interest to compare the SCA of interest with the reference SCA. The ratio of insoluble for SCA to reference SCA must be < 1. Total insoluble should not exceed 4.0 mL for a 6% SCA mixture. The SCA manufacturer is responsible for ensuring the SCA is compatible with water meeting the “Caterpillar Minimum Acceptable Water Quality Requirements” as found in this Special Publication, and is found in "ASTM D6210", Table X1.1.
The coolant manufacturer and the SCA manufacturer are responsible to ensure that the products will not cause cooling system harm.
Cat ELC can be recycled into conventional coolants.
Cat ELC, Cat ELI, Cat DEAC, Cat Extender, and Cat SCA are available in several container sizes. The availability of part numbers will vary by the region. Consult your Cat dealer.
In stationary and marine engine applications that do not require protection from boiling or freezing, except as noted in Table 2, Cat ELI in water or SCA and water are acceptable. Caterpillar recommends a minimum of 7.5 percent concentration of Cat ELI in those cooling systems using Cat ELI. Caterpillar recommends a minimum of 6 percent to a maximum of 8 percent concentration of Cat SCA in those cooling systems using Cat SCA. Distilled water or deionized water is preferred in those systems. If distilled or deionized water is not available, use water that meets or exceeds the minimum acceptable water requirements that are listed in this Special Publication, "General Coolant Information" article.
After the addition of water and proper mixing, the concentration of Cat ELI can be determined using the 360-0744 digital Brix refractometer. Refer to the tool operating manual for that refractometer for more information. The concentration of a sample of in-use Cat ELI taken from the cooling system can also be determined using this refractometer
| NOTICE |
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All Cat engines that are equipped with a Cat NOx Reduction System require a minimum of 50 percent glycol to help prevent cavitation damage and boiling of the engine coolant. These engines include Tier 4 engines. |
| NOTICE |
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Do not use a commercial coolant/antifreeze that only meets the ASTM "D3306" or equivalent specification. This type of coolant/antifreeze is made for light duty automotive applications. Use only the coolant/antifreeze that is recommended. |
Caterpillar recommends a 50 volume percent glycol and water of proper quality. This mixture will provide optimum heavy-duty performance as a coolant/antifreeze. Some marine engines are an exception as indicated in Table 2.
Maintain a concentration level of nitrites in the cooling system that is between 1200 ppm (70grains/US gal) and 2400 ppm (140 grains/US gal). S·O·S coolant analysis is the preferred method to check SCA concentration. Alternatively, nitrite levels can be tested with the following tools:
- 4C-9301 nitrite level test strips, English instructions only, use with glycol-based coolants such as Cat DEAC
- 286-2578 nitrite level test strips, English, French, and Spanish instructions, use with glycol-based coolants such as Cat DEAC
- 298-5311 nitrite level titration kit, subject to regional availability, use only with mixtures of water and SCA. Not for use with glycol-based coolants.
Frequently check the concentration of glycol in glycol-based coolant. Use a coolant/battery tester. Two products are available from Cat dealers. 245-5829 is an analogue refractometer that shows the freeze protection level of the coolant in both degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. 360-0774 is a digital Brix refractometer.
Maintain the proper concentrations of glycol and additives in the coolant. Lowering the concentration of glycol or additives will lower the ability of the coolant to protect the system from pitting, from cavitation, from erosion, and from deposits.
Do not top off the cooling system with water unless there is a specific need to adjust the water/glycol ratio. Compatible 50/50 (water/glycol) coolant is typically used and recommended when cooling system top off is required.
Clean the cooling system for the following reasons:
- Contamination of the cooling system
- Overheating of the engine
- Foaming of the coolant
- Changing from conventional heavy-duty coolant/antifreeze to Cat ELC or ELC-1 coolant
Note: Air pockets can form in the cooling system if the cooling system is filled at a rate that is greater than 20 L (5 US gal) per minute. The maximum recommended cooling system fill rate for some smaller engine models will be less. Refer to the engine Operation and Maintenance Manual for exceptions.
After you drain the cooling system and after you refill the cooling system, operate the engine. Operate the engine without the filler cap until the coolant level stabilizes. Ensure that the coolant is maintained to the proper level.