Coolant Filter/water temp sending unit

Have a 76 7000, im going to drain and change coolant and need to put a new water temp sending unit in. How important would a coolant filter be to add? Also any help on replacing the sending unit, I have never attempted before

X 2 on the red antifreeze....

It has all the "goodies" baked in

Edited by SteveM C/IL - 17 hours 40 minutes ago at 11:06pm

Diesel coolant filters (like a 7060 for example) had a certain amount of actual filtering to strain out debris that really should never be in a cooling system. They also had a chemical ring inside that dissolved like a cow licking a salt block. This chemical is what kept the wet cylinder liners from getting the dreaded "cavitation erosion" pits and holes in them. Back in the mid 70's, a company called Nal Co invented a reddish/pinkish colored liquid (Nalcool) that you just dumped in your antifreeze to eliminate the need for a filter. I've used the product since 1977, and since then have never had an AC engine fail from sleeve pitting problems. In the last 25 years or so (maybe longer) coolants for heavy duty diesel applications have developed into just having the magic stuff (SCA's) already mixed in, instead of adding it to your regular off-the-shelf antifreeze. It is the only way to go. Remove your old coolant filter or shut it off. There are fewer places to develop a coolant leak. Cat and Cummins and everyone else that makes big diesel engines have gone this way. Coolant filters for the most part are obsolete. Coolant filters sometimes were a challenge to figure out how and where to mount them on physically small engines.