Farm Equipment - Changing to Cat ELC coolant

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Changing to Cat ELC coolant

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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=147150
Printed Date: 21 Aug 2025 at 6:37am
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Topic: Changing to Cat ELC coolant

Posted By: K bockting
Subject: Changing to Cat ELC coolant
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2018 at 11:24am

Have several 301’s converting to cat elc. Should I eliminate coolant filters
and correct way to flush system including cabs.

Replies:

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2018 at 2:27pm

Shut off or remove all coolant filters. Probably disconnect heater hoses and let gravity drain or use a garden hose to push fresh water thru the cab heater system to flush.

Posted By: Hurst
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2018 at 12:26pm

After you flush it like Doc said, replace the coolant filter without conditioner (SCA Charge). It is just a straight pleated filter without the SCA additive cube/beads inside, which on my 7000 is the FIL 4071 from NAPA. I think that is a Donaldson P554071. If you have anyone halfway decent at the parts counter and take your old filter, they should be able to find you the equivalent filter except without the SCA charge.

Hurst

-------------
1979 Allis Chalmers 7000
5800 Hours

Posted By: Dave974
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2018 at 4:10pm

That's a good suggestion....take in your current filter and have it matched up to one without additive. That's what I did when making the coolant switch.

After buying my 7080 a few years back, I flushed the cooling system and refilled with Peak Fleet Change (similar to CAT ELC) and replaced the filter with a NAPA FIL 4070. When I opened the box, I thought they gave me the wrong one because printed on the filter were the words "coolant filter / conditioner." However, after checking into it, discovered that NAPA was using that same wording on most of their coolant filters, even the ones with no SCA additive. Talk about confusing! Since then, I've learned to check the NAPA website if in doubt, since the presence or lack of additive is clearly noted in the description when you punch in the filter#.

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2018 at 4:15pm

That is exactly why I'd suggest the elimination of the filter altogether.

Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2018 at 4:42pm

Ok I need to be enlightened here. Am I to understand that SCA's in the filter are not compatible with the Cat ELC?

Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2018 at 4:52pm

They may or may NOT be, so don't take the risk. I have actually seen coolant turned into a butterscotch colored pudding because of this, and it ruined the engine because of no coolant flow.

Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2018 at 10:47pm

I don't miss changing the coolant filter on my 07 C15 Cat. It came with ELC. I wondered where the water filter was first time I opened the hood.

Posted By: Bob J Wi
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2018 at 4:26pm

I have a 1972 200. I need to change to

an ELC coolant.Where are the coolant filters

located on this 200. Should I leave them

out or replace them?

Posted By: CALEBnOK
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2018 at 9:44pm

We have a serious issue elc coolants. When i say a serious issue i mean ruining 375 gallons of new elc in a matter of 2 months.
Our issue has been found that not flushing our gensets (3512 caterpillars) with dionized water is a major-costly mistake. Just a gallon of green of left over hiding in the nooks and crannys of a block and oil coolers etc will ruin the new red elc promptly.
The elc will still test freeze point but the additive have all but gone. Sometimes it even turns a murky brown color.
Straight water seems to ruin the coolant also.
Each of our drilling rigs takes about 375 gallons of coolant between 3 gensets. Weve learned in a 6 month period and about 2000 gallons of coolant later you must flush with dionized water.

Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2018 at 5:39am

My experience has been that very few places properly find out what is in the equipment to begin with. They'll just throw in some straight coolant without even checking what's in there and even though you don't get a reaction, you wind up with way to much anti-freeze in the system. I think that the most important thing to do for your system is to keep the PH balance in the proper place. When it gets totally off it does serious things. Most of the stuff that's in a filter have a specific target for a specific engine builder and is not needed in your engine. You need to read up on what you have and follow the manufactures recommendations. For instance, how many of these pieces of equipment have a bunch of aluminum in them? Very few I would imagine. So why introduce that additive to you tractor when it's not needed and in fact can be harmful to your tractor? That being said, I do believe in water filters. I also believe in the test strips and use them. You'll catch a problem before it ever is a problem.