What coolant & for MEP-802a? Precharged nitrite type or just green heavy duty type?

[Chrispyny]

What coolant & for MEP-802a? Precharged nitrite type or just green heavy duty type?

I'm literally at the parts counter and dont know which to buy and how much. Any help would be greatly appreciated guys. Thanks

 

[cuad4u]

Regular green antifreeze came in my 802A and in my 803A when I bought them military surplus. I guess that is what to use.

 

[DieselAddict]

I personally use silicate free ethylene glycol. You're water pump seal will thank you. A gallon of concentrated will do it.

 

[jimbo913]

Inhibited ethylene glycol antifreeze (MIL-A- 46153), is what it calls for. I believe that is standard corrosion inhibtor type you find at any auto parts store.

 

[Chrispyny]

Drained a little less than a gallon from the radiator. Tried to turn the petcock on the engine drain but it's tough to get to and although my fingers got to it, i tried as best as i could to turn it and it wouldn't. Dunno how any tool fits in there to turn the petcock. It's in a wierd spot behind the belts.

Anyway, the 802 holds a little more than 6 quarts of coolant. I drained say 3.5. So i got more than half. Whats weird is the old stuff seems almost strait coolant from the green color. No premix. I chose the 50/50 mix good to -35°F. That should be good. I think I'll run it a bit, and do one more flush. that should clean it out very well and still provide better than -35°F with some of the old stuff still in it.

Either way even with only 22 hours on it. The coolant was dirty. So it was certainly worth the effort.

Thanks for all your quick answers guys.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
Regular car coolant is not the same as a heavy duty diesel coolant. Usually a diesel engine uses a heavy duty coolant with pre-charged SCA. There are lots of green coolant brands out there. Although with today's technology, I am sure any will probably work good enough.

That's why I didn't want to get crazy, I already have John Deere Cool-Gard II on hand.

MEP-802A 6.2 qts coolant

John Deere Cool-Gard II TY26575 –pre-mix, 1-gal. (3.8 L)

Here is a good pdf brochure from Cummins Filtration on antifreeze/coolant

 

[Chrispyny]

Howdy,
Regular car coolant is not the same as a heavy duty diesel coolant. Usually a diesel engine uses a heavy duty coolant with pre-charged SCA. There are lots of green coolant brands out there. Although with today's technology, I am sure any will probably work good enough.

That's why I didn't want to get crazy, I already have John Deere Cool-Gard II on hand.

MEP-802A 6.2 qts coolant

That was my concern also regarding the coolant. But i went to both adcance auto and napa next door, and neither had green heAvy duty diesel coolant. Any precharged diezel coolant (which i would have chosen immediately) they had in stock was pink. There was NO coolant precharged with sca (nitrites) that was green. But there was green coolant which said it was safe for diesel engines,mso thats what i grabbed. I'm guessing i should be good.
I think i'm still way ahead considering how the other stuff looks! Yuk.

 

[Korgoth1]

Deere stuff is top shelf. The prestone will do just fine, change it in 3 years, good to go. My 004, and tractor have it in them, over 3,000 hrs on the ford and 2,000 on the mep, stuff is still crisp and clean...My bike came from the factory with red silicate in it, when I rebuilt the engine the silicate had crystallized, settled out, making a sand in the bottom of coolant passages. I would not recommend the silicate based coolants.

The block drain can be got if you a creative with an adjustable wrench, just slide it over and use it for alittle extra torque to get the sucker loose, for future reference.

 

[csheath]

I will kick this back to the top. The manual says to use MIL-A-46153 and water. I can't find any off the shelf antifreeze that has the military spec listed. The engine design in my 803 doesn't look like a wet sleeve design but I would think to be on the safe side a heavy duty diesel rated antifreeze would be best. Of all the brands and descriptions I've seen the Fleet Charge SCA Precharged Fully Formulated Antifreeze & Coolant look best to me.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...mulated-antifreeze-coolant-1-gal?cm_vc=IOPDP1

My second choice would be the Shell Rotella ELC Antifreeze.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/shell-rotella-elc-antifreeze-1-gal?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Light in the Dark]

@Chrispyny... I've got the same issue on my 802a. I was in the midst of draining all fluids this past fall for the first time, and I can't even get my **** arm close enough to reach that block petcock (forearm hangs up on pulleys and belt). So I have an 802a that is partially drained, and ready for me to fight with it again when I can get someone with a slimmer arm over to reach the **** thing! Fluid was filthy in mine too... so I am not OK with just leaving it like this and topping off.

And to the heart of this thread... I have standardized all my units on Rotella ELC.

 

[Haoleb]

When I drained my unit it was full of green stuff...

Filled it up with the rotella ELC and distilled water and called it a day!

 

[JRM]

Iron engines should have heavy duty green, stay away from those HOAT pink and orange coolants that use Organic Acid's as they are intended for Aluminum radiators and engines and will eat solder joints up pretty quickly, I found this out the hard way by trying to over maintain my old Toyota truck- that OAT coolant ate my heater core in a few months

 

[Guyfang]

We used every color of he rainbow in the army. BUT, green was by far the preferred type. In post #5, the Prestone jug, well, I believe I have opened about 10 million prestone containers in my life. Good stuff, and I won't say more.

About that petcock. I used a homemade tool. Made it out of a real short 1/4 inch extension. Put a ratchet on it. I cut and filed on it, (made three before it worked right) till it would stay on the petcock handle, then shed blood getting it open Often broke it also. Then its remove a bunch of crap to get in there and replace it. Someone needs to go to the electric chair for that bit of engineering.

 

[csheath]

I haven't even found the block drain. Not on the engine or in the engine manual. Anybody got a pic or description that shows where it's located?

 

[Light in the Dark]

You have to reach through the pulleys and belt at the front of the engine... its right on top. If you go the side of the case that has the black rubber radiator drains, you will see they T. One comes down from the side of the radiator, and the other just follow back towards the engine with your hand. Will lead you right to the bugger.

 

[JRM]

I reached mine easier with the belt off, and also used a leaf blower to blast the remaining yuck out by pressurizing the top of the rad

 

[csheath]

I reached mine easier with the belt off, and also used a leaf blower to blast the remaining yuck out by pressurizing the top of the rad

This probably explains why the belt was loose on my unit when I got it.

 

[TrailLifeBill]

This probably explains why the belt was loose on my unit when I got it.

That, and if you're storing it for years awaiting disposal (mine was drained in 2011 and sold in 2016), it supposedly helps bearing/belt life by not being under tension.

 

[csheath]

You have to reach through the pulleys and belt at the front of the engine... its right on top. If you go the side of the case that has the black rubber radiator drains, you will see they T. One comes down from the side of the radiator, and the other just follow back towards the engine with your hand. Will lead you right to the bugger.

Looked at this when I got home today. Looks like the best way to get at it is to remove the tension bolt completely and rotate the alternator down out of the way.

I decided to get the Rotella ELC antifreeze.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I was hoping to just get someone over with a skinny arm to take care of it for me